Page 55 of Rough Ride with the Grumpy Cowboy
“Yes, ma’am. I look forward to it.”
“Bye, dear. I love you.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
We hang up, and I toss my phone away. Only now do I realize that I haven’t asked for an update on the stalker and the images on social media. Ella told me that she can’t find them anymore, so the PR team must have been successful in taking them down.As for the stalker, I’m sure Lou will let me know if there’s any update.
I get out of bed and wander out to the balcony where I see Zane in the distance. I almost call out to him, but he’s too far away and might not hear me. I don’t know if he feels me staring at him or what, but he turns around and our eyes meet. I blush when he tips his hat at me, so I blow him a kiss.
Lou is right—I am smitten, and I really hope Zane is too. We’ve already wasted so much time apart.
Duncan calls him away, so he takes off his hat, waves it at me before disappearing out of sight. With him gone, I take a seat on the hammock, pick up my tablet, and go back to finishing the amazing song that has been stuck in my mind for a few days.
I spend all day in my room until Ella comes to drag me down for dinner.
“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever. You’re either always writing music in your room or with Zane,” she laments as we walk down the stairs arm in arm.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize when I realize that she’s right—I have been kind of neglecting her the past couple of days.
“Don’t be. I’m just glad to see you happy.”
“I am happy,” I affirm.
“So you and Zane, huh?” she teases, tugging on the collar of the flannel shirt I’m wearing.
It’s another one of his shirts that I’ve managed to steal. I’ve realized that I like wearing his clothes, and he doesn’t seem to mind—in fact, he encourages it.
Zane and I aren’t making any effort to hide our affections for each other. Even though he prefers being alone, he’s always joining us for dinner every day, or I go to him in his cabin.
“Shut up,” I grumble, flushing in embarrassment.
“I’m thinking about confessing,” I inform her when I realize that even though I’ve told Lou, I still need to run it by Ella, as she is my best friend.
“Confessing? Confessing what? To whom?” she inquires, as if we weren’t just talking about it a second ago.
I cock my eyebrow at her, and her eyes widen in realization.
“Oh, that confessing. So you’re finally gonna do it, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Go for it. Might as well get it over and done with,” she encourages.
“You don’t think it’s weird? I mean, he’s your brother and so much older than me.”
“I think I just got déjà vu. Didn’t we have this same conversation five years ago when I talked you into confessing right before your concert?” she asks.
“We did?”
“Uh-huh,” she nods.
“We did, and I don’t think it’s weird. You’re the one with the daddy issues, not me,” she taunts.
“El!”
She giggles, looking at me with mirth written all over her face. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But in all seriousness, do it. Zane is actually one of the decent ones in the family—when he’s not being a dick, that is—but you have liked him forever, and he definitely has feelings for you too.”
Her words have hope blooming in my chest. “You think so?”
