Page 4 of What the Cowboy Wants
Rose Dalton.Red hair, green eyes the color of emeralds, legs that seemed to go on forever, beautiful.But like Scarlett, she was skittish, afraid, hurt, and had shut herself off from the outside world since her arrival in Marietta a few months ago.
She bothered him.Since he’d laid eyes on her, she’d been moving in and out of his thoughts and dreams.He didn’t like the feeling but there didn’t seem anything he could do about it.
*
Trying to steadyherself, Rose stared around her.She’d never been to the Weston Ranch before, but she knew the whole family, except for Arlene, their mother, lived here, including Cooper Weston, the last person she ever wanted to see again.
Since that fateful night when she’d been running away from her life in Seattle, she’d learned that the furious man who had pulled her out of her car after she’d nearly ended up in a ditch was Cooper Weston.
She could still feel the way his hands had run over her body.He was obviously only trying to find out whether she’s been hurt, but his touch had kindled a flame inside her she wasn’t sure what to do with.
The moment he’d been sure she was fine though, he’d ripped into her, making his disdain for someone who looked like her, drove a car like hers, and was worried about her followers, crystal clear.How would he know she had followers, anyway?
He’d been right, she’d known it, but at that moment, she’d needed soft words not someone yelling at her.
Since then, she’d seen him a few times around town, but it was only when he’d turned up while Ellie was moving into the house she’d bought, that he’d spoken to her again.Although his curt reminder that she hadn’t been nice to him when they’d met couldn’t really be described as a conversation.
Trying to stop the blood on her forehead with the tissue, she walked around the car a few times before she crouched down to peer beneath the car.It had landed on a huge rock.“Oh, Molly, look at that.What am I supposed to do now?”
But Molly didn’t answer as she usually did.Rose looked over her shoulder.Molly was nowhere to be seen.Had she run off?She should’ve left her in the car, heaven knew where she was now.Still feeling woozy, Rose slowly got up.Not only had she managed to steer her car off the road, but she’d also lost Laura’s dog.Was there anything she could do right?
Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she tried to keep the threatening tears at bay.She had never been one to cry over every little thing, but lately she cried at the drop of a hat.As she’d discovered over the past few months since she’d been living in Marietta, though, crying didn’t help for anything.All you ended up with was a stuffy nose and a blotched face.Not a pretty picture, especially if you had red hair like she had.The mess she’d left behind in Seattle had been of her own making, as was the accident she’d just had.
This was something she’d have to fix herself.Yeah right.It’s been four months, she still hadn’t been able tofixanything.She hadn’t even told any of her new friends how she’d ended up in Marietta.
The more time passed, the more ridiculous the whole situation seemed anyway, and the more difficult it was to explain her actions.There were people with real problems out there, as she’d discovered since she’d been helping Ellie in her yarn shop.
What had happened to her had been her own fault.She’d gotten so caught up in the make-believe online world she’d created, she’d lost sight of who she was, what and who was important, and what she really wanted out of life.
Molly’s bark behind her penetrated her thoughts.With the tissue still pressed against her temple, she turned.Molly was running toward her, all right, but right behind her was Cooper Weston and two other dogs.Groaning, she closed her eyes for a moment.This couldn’t be happening.Surely, she was hallucinating or something?
When she opened her eyes, though, Cooper was right in front of her, those clear blue eyes on her.“You swerved for an animal in the road?”
“How…?”She bit her lip.Apparently he would know.There were enough stories around town about theweirdWeston who talked to animals and knew things.This would be the first time she experienced it, though.
“Willow called a few minutes ago,” he said.
Out of her depth and embarrassed, Rose crossed her arms.“I thought you also knew things.”
“Usually, but I was working with Scarlett.”He pointed toward Rose’s head.“You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.Who is Scarlett?”
“A new mare who showed up this morning.Come on, I want to look at the wound at my place, then I’ll take you home.”
“It’s really not necessary…”
“You want to stay here next to your car?”
“Of course not, it’s just… I don’t want to be a nuisance.”
He grinned, her knees buckled and not from the bump against her head.On any given day, Cooper Weston was probably one of the most attractive men she’d ever met and she’d met a few, but goodness when he smiled, he was gorgeous.
“You’ll always be a nuisance, Red, come on.”
The look in his eyes turned her insides to jelly but before she could ask him what he meant, he was walking back in the direction of the stables.For a moment she was lost staring at his muscled shoulders, the way the jeans cupped his very sexy butt.
Molly barked, urging her to follow.Oh, my goodness, she shouldn’t be drooling over someone she hardly knew.
