Page 36 of What the Cowboy Wants
“Thank you,” she smiled.“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
As his brothers walked toward Hayden’s truck and his mother left, Cooper turned to Rose.“Can we talk?”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes.“Nothing to talk about.You were looking for an escape and found it when you saw Duncan with me.That’s why you jumped to your own wild conclusions so quickly.”
“I reacted to what I saw!I was worried you were going back to… to being the person you’d run away from!”He was struggling not to yell.
Green eyes locked with his.“I thought you know me, Cooper.I let you touch me, kiss me.I shared my story in front of you.I helped you with your horses.You know how I like my coffee, damn it.You should know who I am.You should’ve known I’m not interested in any other man.You don’t even need your sixth instinct or whatever it is to know what I feel.I’ve shown you, every time we’ve been together.”Looking tired, she rubbed her brow.“Look, just forget about it.Besides, you’re not looking for anything serious, remember?Neither am I right now, but someday I may want to marry and have kids and that’s not something you want.Goodbye.”She closed the door.
For another moment he stared at the door.
“Are you coming?”Hayden called.
Cooper turned around and walked toward the truck where his mother was talking to his brothers.
“Tell me you’ve made plans to see Rose again?”his mother said.
“It’s better this way, Mom,” he said as he hugged her.“Stop meddling.I’m happy as I am.”Forcing his body to move, he tried to change the subject.“You okay?”
“I’m not the problem, Coop, you are.You’re not sleeping, you’re losing weight, don’t tell me you’re happy.I may not have a gift like you and Willow have, but I am your mother.”
“Love you, Mom.”With a wave he got into the truck.
“Talk some sense into him, will you?”his mother asked his brothers.
They were quiet until they reached the ranch.The Westons weren’t very good with talking about feelings, thank goodness for that.
Hayden cleared his throat.“Mom is right.You have lost weight and you hardly eat anything during meals.”
“What’s your problem?”Becket asked looking over his shoulder at Cooper.“Just don’t tell me you’re also feeling guilty about Walker’s death.”
“I’m the one who persuaded all of you to stay for another beer.”
Shaking his head, Hayden caught Cooper’s eye in the rear window mirror.“I get it, I do.For a long time, I’ve felt guilty because I was the one driving.”
“And I could’ve grabbed Walker’s jacket if I was paying attention,” Becket said.
Cooper sighed.“But if we’d left when you said, Hayden, the elk wouldn’t have been there and…”
“It took me while to look at it differently,” Becket interrupted him, “and if I remember correctly, you were the one who pointed it out.It was an accident, man.There wasn’t anything we could’ve done.Walker would be the last person to think you were responsible for his death.”
“I still miss him,” Cooper said.
“We all do.”Hayden’s voice was gruff.“Anyway, why don’t you talk to Walker?You were the one who’d suggested I should talk to him even though he’s not with us any longer.”
“Walker’s not the only reason I can’t think of marrying anyone,” Cooper said, getting fed up with his brothers throwing his own words back at him.
Becket laughed.“Because you talk to animals and know things?”
Sighing, Cooper crossed his arms.“Because I feel too much for people close to me, damn it.All your emotions, the family’s ups and downs affect me.That’s why I keep away from people but then Rose…”
“…got under your skin anyway?”Becket asked.“I tried my best not to fall in love either, but it happened.Don’t wait too long, she’s not going to stay single forever.”
This thought kept Cooper’s mind occupied the rest of the day.Rose was gorgeous and warm and sexy, and she was great with animals.Both his dogs had fallen for her, she had a special connection with Scarlett, and even Ebony had put her initial jealousy aside.
Shaking his head, he tried to focus on fixing the fence in front of him.If he’d been thinking about finding the right woman to marry, Rose would tick off all the boxes.
But he wasn’t and he couldn’t.Besides, she was here now, but once she was back on her feet, chances were, she’d moved back to the city where she’d have more clients, more work.
