Page 26 of More Than a Good Friend

Dallas slides his phone out of his pocket. “Throw it again.”

So I do, and the dang bull does it again.

I know what I’ll be doing in my free time.

“The others are never going to believe this.” Dallas tucks his phone away. “I’m glad I got video.”

The game continues, and now that I’m not so worried about being trampled or gored, my thoughts drift back to the conversation with Goldie.

“Hey, Dallas, I have a question for you.”

“What?”

My arm muscles are getting a workout today. “Have you ever been in love?”

“Nope and I plan to keep it that way, why?”

“No reason. Just wondered.”

“I call bull on that. You asked for a reason.” He strides closer. “This have anything to do with a recent marriage proposal? Are you in love with Goldie?”

No one needs to know what she told me. That’s personal. “It’s related, but I’ve never looked at Goldie in a romantic way. She’s always just been my friend.” The way other guys treat their wives and Nico treats his fiancée makes me wonder what they feel inside. I’ve laughed at all the sweet things they’ve done and made my fair share of ball-and-chain jokes, but those guys don’t seem dragged down at all.

In my mind, romance leads to marriage, which is sort of like a life sentence, but you get a housekeeper as a perk. And working on the ranch, people cook and clean for me, so I don’t need that perk.

But I offered to marry Goldie because I care about her and wasn’t going to back out on a deal.

My cousin Nico grew up in the same family as me. His mom is my dad’s sister, and his dad is my mom’s brother. We grew up pretty close in spite of an age difference. He’s a bit younger. But the way we grew up taught us that men are men and women wait on them. Romance was only something I saw in the TV soaps my grandma watched.

My aunt and uncle bickered all the time. My parents mostly don’t even speak to each other unless Mom is asking Dad what he wants for dinner. The examples I saw growing up didn’t make marriage sound very appealing.

I’m beginning to think my family just has it all wrong.

Dallas is staring, waiting for me to continue. “But?”

“Were your parents happily married?” I’ve never heard Dallas talk about his family. I sure as heck don’t talk about mine.

He adjusts his hat, then rubs his jaw. “Yeah. They were happy right up until the day they died. When police arrived on the accident scene, they found my parents holding hands in the car.”

“I didn’t know they died. I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago. Drunk driver. Mom’s last words were ‘Is he going to be okay?’ She was badly injured but worried about my dad.” He nods toward the bull. “Someone wants you to throw it again.”

“It’s nice that they loved each other.” If I say more, I’ll just be throwing my parents under the bus. Mostly my dad, I think. And now I wonder if my mom is even happy being married. I pick up the barrel. “One more time, and then we have to go. I can’t spend all day playing.”

“Or talking about your feelings.” Dallas nudges me. “I vote we keep this conversation just between us.”

“Good idea. Except—”

“Yes.” He laughs and pats my shoulder. “You can tell Goldie.”

“Thanks. Wanted to ask in case it comes up.”

“Y’all talk about being in love often?” His tone drips with tease.

I load the barrel into the trailer and close it up. “We’re friends. And she wants to fall in love, so I told her I’d help any way I could.”

His smile falls away. “You are going to help her find someone who will sweep her off her feet, put a smile on her face, and spend his every free waking minute with her?”

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