Page 23 of Craving Her Cowboy
“Say what?”
He stepped closer, hands in his pockets now, all the fight gone. “That you were right. About me, about all of it.”
She watched him, dead steady.
He swallowed, tried to keep the rest inside, but it spilled out anyway. “I thought if I kept everything locked down, I could control it. But I can’t. I’m tired of pretending I don’t want to be here, or that I don’t want—”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
Asha let the silence grow. She didn’t rescue him.
He felt his jaw clench, so he forced it to relax. “I don’t know how to do this,” he said. “But I know I want to try. With you.”
Her lips twitched, almost a smile. “You practiced that?”
He shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “No.”
They stood there, neither moving. The world felt balanced on a pin.
“You want some coffee?”
He nodded in response, relief flooding his chest.
“Come on, then.” She turned, not waiting to see if he’d follow.
He did.
The clinic was warmer inside. Asha set a pot brewing, found two clean mugs, poured them both black. She handed him one, her fingers brushing his.
They sat at the little break room table, knees almost touching. She didn’t ask for an explanation, didn’t give him one,either. They just sat, two soldiers at the end of a long day, drinking in silence.
When he reached out to touch her hand, she let him.
Chapter 10
By the time they left the town of Ironhaven and got back on the road to head to the ranch, the sun was an orange smear low on the edge of the Black Hills. They didn’t talk on the drive. Didn’t need to. It was enough that neither had bailed on the other earlier that day.
Gavin pulled up next to his cabin and parked his SUV before he turned off the engine. He stayed in the driver’s seat, hands still on the wheel, not looking at her.
Asha waited, then said, “I’ll head in first. Thanks for the ride back.”
He didn’t answer right away. Just turned, and for the first time since town, really looked at her. The air between them was raw, like a scraped knee. “You want to come in? For a minute? There’s probably a lot we need to talk about.”
It came out flat, but she could still hear the need riding underneath. She nodded, her voice stuck somewhere in her chest.
They got out and she followed him to his cabin. Gavin unlocked the door, held it open just long enough for her to slip past, then shut it behind them.
Gavin dropped his keys onto the table near the door. He stood with his back to her, staring out the window. She circled the room with slow steps, trailing one finger along the smooth wood of the furniture. She let herself breathe for the first time since the vet’s office.
He turned then, caught her in the middle of the room, and for a second neither of them moved.
“You want something to drink?” he asked, voice hoarse.
She almost said yes. Almost let the moment spin out with the safety net of small talk. But the look on his face was too open, unguarded, and she changed her mind. “Not thirsty.”
He nodded, coming closer. He started to sit, then changed direction before he dropped onto the couch, elbows on knees, hands steepled in front of him. She stayed standing.
“Didn’t think you’d actually come inside,” he said, eyes on the floor.
