Page 76 of Knot Her Cowboys
Cooper’s cowboy hat prevented the sun from lighting up his hair like flame, but the sharp shadows highlighted the planes of his face. Every muscle moved like a dance beneath his clothing.
He’d never had new clothing growing up, existing solely on hand-me-downs in the brief period before they fell apart completely after making their way through nine brothers. These clothes were obviously new. I wasn’t sure if he would’ve accepted tailoring, but they fit him like a glove, almost obscenely showing off his absolute cake of an ass.
“Do youlovewhat you see?” he asked quietly.
Guilt lodged in my throat like hot lead. If I was honest with myself, I’d probably always love Cooper. I’d given him my heart and I’d never gotten all the pieces back.
Cash stroked a soothing hand on my back. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I dipped my head, letting my own hat hide my face. It was just a loaner, one of the extras they kept at the big house, and too big for me, but I used it like a shield anyway.
“Do you need to leave?” Dakota asked, leaning close so his question wasn’t overheard.
I shook my head.
I got so little of Cooper, and I wasn’t about to sprint away like he was prone to doing. He was a curious mix. His fight or flight had been honed living in the Harris household. What he couldn’t fight, he ran from instantly, and what he could fight… Well, Cooper had ended up with more than a few black eyesover the years when he got big enough to get between Morgan and the rest of the Harris clan. He couldn’t fight me or what I represented, so instead he was committed to running.
If I had to take him out at the ankles to get him to quit that for a few minutes, that was what I would do. We owed it to the rest of the pack to figure out a way to live peacefully.
“Now’s the fun part,” Cash whispered.
“Do I have any volunteers who want to see if they can outrun the lasso?” Cooper asked the crowd.
A dozen hands shot up, including mine. Cooper ignored me, not that I expected him to pick me for this. The staff handed out helmets and wrist guards to the people Cooper chose.
First up was a smug teenage boy, absolutely confident he could thwart Cooper’s efforts to catch him.
“They won’t get hurt?” I asked Dakota.
“That’s what the gear is for. The ground is pretty soft, and we do a comb-through for any rocks before this show so it’s like landing in a dust bowl.”
The teen took off at a sprint, and not even a second later, his feet were flying out from under him, Cooper’s lasso hooked around his ankle. He squawked and crash-landed, but was laughing when his head popped up. “Again? I can do better.”
Cooper lifted one questioning eyebrow. “That’s what they all say.”
They let the teen have another go, but he got exactly the same result. Same with the next person, and the next, no one evading Cooper for long.
“Any final contenders?” Cooper asked.
I raised my hand again, squeaking when Cash hoisted me into the air, catching everyone’s attention. I suppose that was one way of forcing Cooper to pick me.
“All right,” Cooper reluctantly agreed.
I scrambled over the fence, accepting the safety gear from one of the staffers.
My heart thundered as Cooper approached me.
“You really want me to flip you into the dirt in front of everyone?”
“I just wanted you to talk to me, and it worked. Do whatever you have to do if it’ll help make a conversation easier.”
He didn’t look happy about that at all, but he sighed, adjusted the rope in his hands, and gestured for me to make a go of it.
I got about three steps into my run before feeling the grip of that rope on my ankle, my feet sailing into the air, and my hands connecting with the ground. I coughed from the dust and rolled over, seeing Cooper blocking out the sun, already poised to help me stand with his arm extended.
His hand was warm and callused in mine, heat instantly erupting through my core at the thought of him dragging me in for a kiss, those hands sweeping down my body to claim me like he used to. The moment I was on my feet, his touch disappeared, leaving me bereft and reeling from the brief contact.
He turned back to the crowd, getting their attention on a beautiful bay gelding one of the staff walked into the corral. Cash collected me, helping me over the fence and back into Dakota’s arms, while Cooper made a sweep of the corral on horseback.
