Page 78 of The Cowboy's Surprise Return

She saw the faded red Chevrolet from the Sweet Meadows Ranch round the corner by the hardware store and her heart hiccupped. She leaned forward, waiting to see who was driving. It was Maria. Jackie waved and continued toward her own car, stopping to stare at its bumper.

Maybe the thing with Cole truly had been just an infatuation or a crush, and she’d built it into something more in her head. Like the time in tenth grade when she’d thought she was going to go to college on a cheerleading scholarship, then didn’t even make the regional team.

But if she’d just built it all up in her head, then it wouldn’t hurt like this, right? She should feel as though she’d been set free by the knowledge that it had been only a crush.

Instead, all she felt was hurt.

She straightened her shoulders. Even if it had ended quickly, Cole had been worth it. He’d been even better than her fantasies, and now that she knew what love felt like she could go find it in San Antonio.

12

Cole tightened the wire on the small pen near the back stables where they kept ailing calves or lambs as needed. Discovering the ranch now had sheep had been a surprise, especially since Levi seemed to have such a love-hate relationship with them. In fact, his brother had insisted they fix this pen in case his little wooly friends needed it.

Levi had found a lot of things to keep Cole busy now that all was forgiven, and the workload around the ranch had definitely increased. So far it hadn’t worked as an effective distraction from missing Jackie, though. She’d been gone a week, and it felt like a year, each day harder than the last.

His talk with Brant had made Cole feel as though he should do something about Jackie—for Jackie. But his well of ideas had run dry before he’d even finished brushing down his horse after the ride.

He’d heard she’d been in town yesterday, looking miserable and a shell of her former self.

Being away from him and the town wasn’t good for her. She wasn’t thriving. Wasn’t growing stronger or finding herself, like April had when he’d left.

Jackie needed to be here. But it seemed Fate had decided she was supposed to be in San Antonio without him.

Alone.

Again.

There had to be a solution. Maybe he should just pack a bag, show up on her doorstep and refuse to leave.

He sighed, hating how everything on this ranch reminded him of Jackie, even from their teenage days. Like the time she’d dared him to jump off the roof of this stable into the back of a truck loaded with hay. He’d refused, and she’d teased him unrelentingly for the rest of the day. Come to think of it, he hadn’t minded the attention from her. She’d always been fun, and gorgeous. The problem was he now knew she was so much more than that.

“Ouch!” Levi yelped, and Cole looked over. At some point he’d let go of the wire he was stretching, and it had spooled itself back toward his brother, slapping him in the face.

Cole swore under his breath, worried the wire’s sharp edge could have taken out his brother’s eye. “You all right? I forgot you were here.”

“Where’s your head? You’ve been out of it for days and it’s becoming dangerous.” Levi’s face was red, and he stepped back, dropping his tools on the ground.

“Sorry.” He took the wire and began stretching it again, embarrassed for tuning out so thoroughly.

“Seriously. What’s your deal?”

“No deal,” Cole said, not looking at him.

“I’m going to die an early death if I keep you on this ranch.”

Cole finally looked over, judging the level of threat.

Levi sighed, then said, “Well?”

“I’m sorry. Maybe I should go inside and take a break.”

“No.”

Cole winced, certain this was it. Kicked out.

He felt the beginning of a smile. If Levi asked him to leave the ranch he could move to San Antonio, guilt free.

And then what?

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