Page 66 of Rogue Cowboy
“Tonight feels so magical.”Riley paused at the end of the footbridge.
It was loud, chaotic and difficult to assess potential threats, but he was a civilian now.He shouldn’t think like that—at least not always.
“My family takes up a whole table.”Riley tightened the grip on his hand.“Ready to make like a salmon and swim through the crowd to find them?”
To speak was to act with Riley, and Cole followed her bright, slim figure as she pulled him to the middle of Crawford Park to a table underneath party lights strung through oak trees, whose leaves were just beginning to yellow, orange and red.
Riley reintroduced him to everyone, and everyone scooted over, ensuring that he and Riley were seated in the center of the long table.
Rohan tapped his shoulder hard with the back of his hand.“Come with me if you want to avoid the inquisition.”
Riley laughed and called out, “Lemonade, please,” as he followed Rohan to the drinks tent.
He braced himself for a grilling, but instead Rohan was quiet as they stood in a line ten-plus deep.
“This is still hard,” Rohan admitted.“Easier, but still makes me jumpy, overwhelmed, so cut yourself a break.”
Rohan didn’t look at him as he spoke, and Cole nearly choked on an unexpected laugh.They were such men.He nearly said ‘good talk,’ but Rohan was his brother in arms and his brother by marriage though he didn’t know it.
They each fielded two drink holders for the table—lots of sweet tea or lemonade and a few beers.It felt…normal?
Cole pondered that word as they returned to the table and settled in.He let the conversation flow over and around him.Riley included him naturally but also allowed him some quiet and reflection.
The food was good, but the dancing was better.Holding Riley in his arms, slow dancing under the glow of party lights to a tuneful fiddle ballad was one of the best experiences of his life.She stared into his eyes as they slow danced together, him executing a few moves, but focusing more on their physical and emotional connection.
“Never liked dancing all that much except with you.”
She smiled, thinking he was flirting, but no, he was handing her his heart.She missed a step and caught his forearms.
“I want to be alone with you.”She pressed against him, curling her fingers in the short hair at his nape.“Not to talk.”
He didn’t need a more explicit invitation.
“We need to say our goodbyes?”
“No,” Riley said, not wanting to advertise her business.“I’ll text them that we left.”
That felt like sneaking off.
“It doesn’t feel right to sneak around, Riley.”
“I don’t want to announce our business.Besides, Rohan and Ginny have already left with the baby.Miranda and Witt left an hour ago with their twins, and Petal’s staying with Arlo because Cross and Colt hold a big campfire and s’mores and ghost stories camping out under the stars for all the teens out at Wilder Dreams Ranch.”
“You got it all figured out.”
“I do.”She kept her hands linked around his neck and his were on her waist.“Did you have a good time tonight?”
“Impossible not to.”
She frowned a little.“My parents were nosy.”
“They want to know who’s courting their daughter.”
He hadn’t minded the questions—much.He hated talking about the past, about being orphaned and raised by his grandparents and extended family.Likely made him a hypocrite as he was always urging Riley to discuss what had happened to her.
But seeing the stark pity in Riley’s family’s eyes brought home how different their upbringing had been, and yet, it wasn’t, really.He’d been surrounded by family.It was just him who had kept digging at the gulf dividing him.
Could he put down the shovel?Looking at Riley, face tilted toward the sky as they walked, and feeling her work-calloused hand in his, he decided he would.
