Page 48 of Fix Me Up, Cowboy
“What size shoes do you wear?”
Okay, that’s a strange question.
I tell him.
“You’re the same size as Sophie—which is what she guessed.” He leads me to the foyer and pulls out a pair of cowgirl boots from the closet. “She said you can borrow these. You’ll probably prefer walking in them instead of what you’re currently wearing. Especially where I’m planning to take you.” He looks pointedly at my cream ballet flats.
“Where are you planning to take me?”
“You’ll see, Miss I Don’t Like Surprises. I promise you, you’ll like it.”
“All right. I’m in.”I can be adventurous. Like Charlotte.
It’s not like Tiffany, our friends, or my stepmother are going to see me wearing the boots.
Just like they’ll never see me wearing Charlotte’s rubber boots.
A few minutes later, I’m ready to go. “Hey, look at me, I’m a cowgirl.” Honestly? Forget what Lucinda and my friends think. I need to get a pair of boots like these. They look cute with my dress. Like Beverly Hills meets country.
Maybe I can start a new fashion trend.
We step outside and I’m immediately thankful that I brought my cardigan. The night air is cool, especially for this California girl.
It’s dusk, so we can still see the scenery around us—the wild grass blowing in the breeze, the wooden fence, the occasional grouping of trees—but just barely.
We’ve been walking for a couple of minutes in silence when he finally speaks. “The woman Deacon mentioned before dinner? I didn’t hook up with her at the library.”
“You don’t need to explain her to me, Noah. You’re a good-looking guy who is single, not a monk. You are allowed to have sex, and no one has the right to judge you, and that includes me.”
He nods, seemingly happy with my assessment of the situation. “It was a one-time thing, and it happened over a month ago. Despite what you’ve heard, I’m not a player. At least not anymore.”
“So do you want to hook up with her again?” Or maybe they already have.
“Not at all. I prefer to keep things simple when it comes to my love life.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. “Do you actually have a love life, or is that your code for getting laid?”
He grins but keeps walking. “Good point.”
“So are you going to tell me how you ended up also being a member of the I’ve-Been-Cheated-On club?”
“It was while I was in Seattle. I fell in love with her, and I thought she was in love with me. Turns out I was just the guy she was fucking while waiting for the man she really wanted to propose to her. I was the entertainment. He was the wealth she craved.”
Ouch.
I know exactly the type he’s talking about.
I reach for his hand and give it a consoling squeeze. “I’m so sorry, Noah, that you got dragged into that mess.”
He threads his fingers with mine. “I’ve never admitted that to anyone before. Not even my brothers know about her.”
“What happened after you discovered the truth?”
“I told her to never contact me again. Then I swore I’d never repeat that mistake.”
“Good plan.”
We stop at a wooden fence. It’s gotten darker since we began walking, and I have no idea where we are now. I can make out shapes in the low twilight lighting, but that’s about it. I’m not familiar with the area like Noah is.
