Page 58 of Wounded Cowboy
On screen, Chef Daniel was showing how to beat egg whites into a stiff meringue. Kelsey paused the show and reached for her tablet. She logged onto her banking app, her heart pounding with anticipation.
Then she blinked down at the numbers in disbelief. She had not only hit but exceeded her financial goal for moving to Los Angeles!
“Wow,” she whispered, her excitement mingling with a sense of disorientation.
She’d finally achieved the goal she’d been working toward for so long!
So, why did the prospect of moving away from the ranch—and Spring—make her feel so sad all of a sudden?
Should I say something to him? Or should I just let my contract end quietly and say goodbye to him and girls at the end of next week?
“Ugh. Why do I have to make everything so complicated?” she said aloud.
Even if shehadcaught feelings for Spring, he hadn’t given her any reason to think anything had changed on his part.
Maybe he was even relieved that her impending departure put an expiration date on the“benefits” part of their friendship.
And that’s for the best, she told herself.Because what would I do if Spring asks me to stay?
The thought sent a wistful pang through her.
She loved April and Abby, but she’d be a fool to change her plans for a man who hadn’t breathed a word about commitment.
They were just friends, that was all.
She decided she would not be the first person to bring up the topic of her departure. No need to end a great summer fling on a sour note by acting like a needy, clingy mess.
Having decided,Kelsey picked up the TV remote and resumed watching the program, trying to pretend that she was still interested in Chef Daniel’s roasted beet salad and soufflés.
∞∞∞
The next day
Tired after a long day of mowing alfalfa for hay, Spring leaned against the frame of his sliding glass door, watching his daughters chase Kelsey around his back yard in an impromptu game of after-dinner tag.
He remembered something he’d been meaning to ask her for the past couple of nights. It wasn’t really his fault he’d forgotten—she distracted him. Especially when she was naked and riding him, her gorgeous breasts bouncing as she rose and fell on his cock.
Kelsey paused the game to kneel and tie Abby’s shoelace. Spring watched his daughter’s affectionate expression as she looked down at her nanny, and his chest went tight.
“Kelsey,” he called before his daughters resumed their spirited game,“Wanna come to the family dinner this Sunday? My folks are finally back from Europe, and they’ve got a lot of pictures and stories.”
After their Mediterranean cruise ended in Barcelona, Mom and Dad had spent the rest of the summer touring Spain and Portugal on their own. They’d returned from their extended vacation looking tanned and relaxed.
Spring could only dream of taking eight weeks off from his work at the ranch.
You wanted this job, he reminded himself.And it’s not like Mom and Dad didn’t work their asses off before they retired.
He watched Kelsey’s face light up at the invitation.“I’d love to, Spring. I’ve missed your parents, and I’m dying to hear all about the places they visited!”
Her enthusiasm was genuine, and it made Spring feel warm inside. He knew his parents and his sisters adored her. So did Brock and Matt. And, of course, Nick had known Kelsey since they were both kids, growing up as next-door neighbors in Helena.
As Kelsey restarted the game of tag with his daughters, Spring realized everyone was going to miss Kelsey when she was gone, most of all his girls.
And me. He didn’t like to admit it, but it was true. These past weeks of being Kelsey’s friend with benefits had been the most satisfying and fun time he’d had since Laura passed.
No one had said anything to him outright, but he’d sensed his sisters were rooting for Kelsey to stay in Snowberry Springs.
Hell, it was something he’d been considering more and more lately. Over the past weeks, Kelsey had seamlessly woven herself into the fabric of his life. She was wonderful with his daughters, and she’d brought laughter and spontaneity back into his life.
