Page 19 of Rogue Cowboy
See, I’m fine.
“Understood.”He nodded.“I grew up ranch.Put me to work.”
She stared at him.No.Her explanation was supposed to sideline him, not invite him to dog her heels more.
“Shoveling manure and spreading sawdust?”She crossed her arms.“I’m sure you can think of far more entertaining things to do during Marietta’s biggest week on the map.”
A smile ghosted that speared a shiver of anticipation throughout her entire body.
“I intend to,” he promised.“But I came to see you.”
“You said you were here for stock contracting.Your family.”
“And that.But you’re here.I’m here.Put me to work.”
Dang it.
“You’re not making this easy.”
“Didn’t think it would be easy.”
“I’m not talking about…” she swished her hand between them “…us this weekend.I’m too busy and…disconcerted.You should have texted me you were coming.Set up an appointment so we could talk.”
And divorce.The word was getting easier to think.
“We don’t have to talk.”He said the words quietly, deliberately so that she almost had to lean forward to hear him.
She blinked.That sounded too easy.
“I’m more a man of action.”
“There’ll be no action,” she warned, barely stifling the urge to run.
He lifted one shoulder.“Can’t promise that, Riley.I love a challenge.You should know that about me.”
That was the trouble.She didn’t know much about him except he was calm in the storm.She’d built him up in her head to be this noble, beautiful, self-sacrificing hero—saving her, serving his country, leaving behind friends and family and freedom with no comfort or thanks.She’d dreamed he’d come back to her but hated that girlish fantasy.She didn’t want to be an anchor to a man.She’d wanted to have wings so they could fly together.
“You met me at my lowest,” she admitted looking down at the toes of his worn boots—cowboy boots, not the combat boots that he’d worn during their brief time together, and these weren’t new.“But you should know, I’m not a pushover.”
“Don’t want a pushover.”
She waited for him to tell her what he did want, but he said nothing more, just had that air of anticipation.
“You confuse me,” she confessed.
He took a step closer, touched her hair, ran his fingers through it, careful of her injury, and all the while he never broke eye contact.
“We’ll spend the time working and playing this weekend.Get to know each other.”
Her heart jumped in alarm.He was such a good man.She had to save him from himself.
“Cole, there’s no point.We’re not really married.”She held out her hand to shush him.“Be reasonable.You didn’t want to marry me.You were just my white-hat cowboy.”
“Yours.”
She barely resisted rolling her eyes, which her mom had instilled in her when she’d turned eight and had been full of herself and beyond rude.
“I never expected you to keep the…the V word.”
