Page 16 of A Summer to Claim Her Cowboy

“Bullshit,” he said.

She wanted a reaction out of him, and hell, she’d gotten it.

The truth was, his and Frankie’s relationship didn’t have a neat designation. She was, in many ways, a hired housewife. She was younger than him, but she’d been there and supported him when things were the darkest. He had given her a fair amount of life advice, but he wasn’t a father figure. She had a great dad. He had kids, and she wasn’t one of them. Clearly. And when she quit working for him, she would probably stay in touch with the boys, but... What were they to each other? Maybe he was the one who’d made it weird and uncomfortable. Except... Maybe he was, but her behavior was still strange.

“Why did you say that to me?” he pressed.

“Because it’s true,” she said, her words tight. “I... I tried to get over it. I tried to be with other people. But I can only come when I’m by myself. Only when I think about you. And Chad is an idiot but he isn’t stupid. So he knows that the problem in our relationship is you, whether that’s your fault or not.”

Then she went into the kitchen without another word and started to clean up. He was left standing there, dumbfounded. Unsure of what the hell to say.

CHAPTER SIX

FRANKIEHADGONEto sleep with her head underneath the covers, and her feet curled up beneath her. No part of her body was exposed to the air. As if she was afraid that the monster of the humiliating word she had spoken right to Walker’s face would appear as a specter and eat her.

It was possible.

She had been kind of unhinged last night.

Because she had looked that beautiful man in the face, that man that she wanted more than anything, and saying it out loud to himdidmake her feel like a child.

Unequal to him.

In fact, the whole thing did.

She realized that she didn’t actually know anything about Walker’s life.

She knew he was a good dad. She knew the things that he did in the house, for his family, but she didn’t know anything about his personal life. She had made that man into a fantasy, and she had decided that he belonged to her, and she didn’t know a damn thing. He could have a girlfriend. How would she even know?

Well, she had a fair idea of how he spent his time, so it seemed unlikely, but she didn’t take a full accounting of all that he did. The kids were old enough to stay on their own now. They hadn’t really been kids in some time. It would be easy for Walker to carry on personal relationships.

She had given thanks when she got up that morning and saw that he wasn’t in the house.

She was debating simply running away. Going to stay with Carly, because that at least wouldn’t come with the side of humiliation.

Except... She didn’t want to leave things with him like this.

What do you want then?

Him.

That was scary. But when she weighed out what she had to lose, right now the answer was...nothing.

She wasn’t going to be in his life anymore after this. She hated that, but she couldn’t stop that inevitability. If he said no today, she wouldn’t be any more humiliated than she already was.

She and Walker had a real relationship. It wasn’t like he’d throw her out.

She might want to kick herself out, but that was another issue.

So she spent the morning making cinnamon rolls, and when afternoon rolled around, she put them in a basket, put on the cutest dress she owned, and went out into the June afternoon.

Maybe it wasn’t the most seductive, but ended above her knees. She didn’t think Walker had been immune to her. He’d just been kind of pissed off at her. She walked out of the house to the barn, where she hoped she might find him.

And there he was. Black cowboy hat, tight white T-shirt that showed off his glorious physique, all broad shoulders, deep chest, and narrow waist. The battered denim he had on showcasing his muscular thighs.

Like tree trunks. Very sexy tree trunks.

“I brought you some cinnamon rolls,” she said, holding the basket aloft.

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