Page 120 of Perfect Cowboy

“How was it?” Brady asks.

“They had wine-soaked marshmallows,” Ashley replies. “They were my favorite part of the trip.”

I burst out laughing, and Brady slaps me on the back.

“I think my sister just roasted you, buddy.”

“Not for the first time,” I agree. “She’s pretty vicious.”

“I made lunch,” Brady offers. “We can continue making fun of Gavin and eat on the terrace.”

“You did not!” Ashley accuses.

“Okay, fine,” he admits. “I ordered lunch, but that’s really the same shit.”

The house has views of the ocean from every room, and the temperature is far milder on the coast than in the north where we just came from.

Ocean waves crashing on the shore and a nearly empty beach are pretty damn picturesque, but my mind still hits a roadblock trying to imagine living my life here.

Cattle is what I know, so what the hell else would I do for a living? And who would run the ranch now that Dad isn’t able to take the lead? One day, Bobby will retire from the NFL and head back home, but that’s years away and we always planned to run it together.

There was no plan B, no other option.

I simply can’t move and give up everything I’ve been working toward my whole life. Not even for Ashley, who I love so much. And I can’t expect her to move for me either.

Fuck.

“So, how exactly does this influencer shit work anyway?” I ask Brady, trying to push the future out of my mind. It has a way of coming anyway, so might as well not rush it.

“I basically document my life on social media,” he replies. “People love travel content, and I’ve recently added thirst traps that are doing really well. What can I say, people like abs in front of various backgrounds.”

“So gross,” Ashley complains. “Those videos make me not even want to follow you.”

“And they make a whole hell of a lot more people want to follow me,” Brady counters. “Those people get me paid.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” I say.

Ashley covers her ears and pretends to gag, while Brady explains that he posts sexually suggestive videos to turn women on from various locations around the world.

One of his most popular videos is him walking out of the Mediterranean Sea in slow motion. When he shows me the fifteen-second clip, I can’t help but chuckle.

Brady laughs, too. “Lots of thirsty women, especially cougars. Hey, I’m here to deliver.”

“When you get a girlfriend, I wonder how she’ll feel about that part of your business,” I say.

“Hopefully, she won’t care,” Brady replies. “It doesn’t mean anything to me, and I ignore all the DMs. Social media pays the bills and gives me a lot of financial freedom. There’s a reason I’m able to spend the holidays in Barcelona and travel anywhere in the world I want.”

“By posting dick bulges and your abs?” I ask, not believing this is really a thing.

“Gavin!” Ashley screams. “That is really disgusting!”

“A lot of the money comes from brand partnerships and sponsored content,” Brady says. “That’s why the number of engaged followers matters. But sex most definitely sells. And when a pretty girl pops on my feed wearing an itty bitty bikini, it’s always popular. Even hateful, jealous comments still give my posts traction.”

It sounds like Brady is most definitely enjoying his time being single. His lifestyle doesn’t appeal to me at all, but I can understand the attraction of complete freedom to live life on your own terms. For some people, that’s stability and a home base, and for others, it’s traveling.

“I’m a secure guy and need a partner who approaches life the same way,” Brady continues. “Outside factors don’t really matter, and you just need to focus on your relationship and own internal happiness. You can’t live your life for other people or cater to their preferences.”

It’s like his message was meant for Ashley because instead of complaining about her grown brother engaging in sex, she looks down at her food.

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