Page 45 of Seaside Cowboy's Fairy Tale

Rachel’s eyes widened, and everything in her woke up to life. But all she did in response was hiccup. Finally, she found her voice. “Yes. No. Yes.”

“I take it as two votes for yes and one for no. That makes it a yes to me.” Kennedy flung the door open as she spoke. “Tex, you’re not my favorite person in the world right now. But come on in.”

Irene got up from her chair, elegant as always in her pantsuit and with gracious movements. “Hello, Tex.” She smoothed down her slacks. “Kennedy, what do you think of having dinner together? We could exchange tips about running a business.”

Kennedy shot Rachel a concerned glance. “Rachel, are you going to be okay?”

This time, Rachel didn’t answer with two yeses and one no. She simply nodded as she couldn’t look away from Tex. What was he about to say? She got up and made a few careful steps, holding back though she was desperate to run into his arms.

On the way out of the apartment, Kennedy didn’t punch him in the face, but she did elbow him in the ribs. “Treat my girl well.”

“I will.” He didn’t take his focus off Rachel, even as his ribs suffered.

Seconds later, they were alone, making her pulse spike.

“If it’s okay, may I put Tiny Tim on the floor?” he asked.

The dog whined as if seconding that request.

“As long as Tiny Tim doesn’t scare my mice. And, um, he is potty trained, right?” Then she eyed him as something suspicious occurred to her. “Don’t even think you can bribe me by gifting me a dog.” She finally moved her glance. The creamy-colored dog, so skinny and malnourished, didn’t look like a gift.

What was happening? They were supposed to talk about their feelings. Instead, they were talking about a pooch not making a puddle on the carpet—the carpet Tex recently shampooed for her.

He placed the dog on the carpet, and the mutt sniffed around but stayed in place. “Tiny Tim isn’t a gift. I found him when I was leaving your apartment.” His eyes darkened. “Austin checked, washed, and vaccinated him. Um, and treated him for fleas. The dog doesn’t have a collar or a chip. So I think it’s fair to say he was a stray.”

Rachel moved back on instinct, and Button hid in her hair. “I can’t believe you adopted a dog.”

He spread his arms as he looked into her eyes. “I can’t believe it, either. My brothers are always offering me dogs to adopt, most recently a golden retriever puppy. But I never had time for a pet. I never had time for anything besides work. Until now.”

Her heart fluttered at the emotion in his eyes he didn’t try to hide this time. “What happened?”

“You. You happened. I’m sorry I lashed out at you. Especially in your condition.”

“You don’t have to treat me with kid gloves just because I got shot.”

“I’m not trying to.” He ran his fingers through his hair while Tiny Tim trudged forward but stopped far enough from the mice. “I’m ruining it again, aren’t I? Before I say anything else, I just need to know. I care about you deeply. Do you care about me at all?”

She’d learned to hide her emotions since her preteens, and the recent crying fest excluded, she’d done a good job of it. Maybe too good. This was the time to show the vulnerability she’d never shown anyone, and she sensed it was the same for him. “Of course. Deeply. Very much. A lot.” She chuckled nervously. “You get the picture.”

“I do. And I want to lift you in the air right now, but I’m afraid to hurt you.” He settled for cupping her face and gliding his thumb along her jawline.

Even that simple touch sent ripples of pleasure through her, and she leaned into him. But as much as she was eager for the wonderful wave to sweep her up, she had to be realistic. “It’s not going to be smooth sailing for us from now on. You have this thing about always staying strong, always being in control. And I have way too many hang-ups I need to work through before I can be in a relationship. Not to mention that someone seems to want you dead. And someone might be trying to set you up for several thefts. Could even be the same person. Or many.”

A shadow passed over his face. “I can bring danger to you. I shouldn’t be near you.”

“No!” Her heart protested before her vocal cords did. “That’s not what I meant. Though it’s best if you stay away from public places for some time.” Worry for him tightened her gut. She’d even volunteer to be his bodyguard if not for the conflict of interest and the recent wound. Yeah, he wouldn’t have accepted that offer, anyway. “I just want you to realize many things can still separate us.”

“I realize it.” His gaze didn’t waver from her eyes. “But that’s a start.”

“That’s a start,” she echoed while her heart swelled. Even a chance with him was more than she’d dreamed of. She could only hope that chance wouldn’t lead to heartbreak.

“You didn’t leave your job on my behalf, did you?”

“Maybe.”

He frowned. “And I acted like a fool instead of being grateful. I can give you a job in my company if you want it.”

She rolled her eyes, though part of her appreciated the offer. “That would make you my boss, which could complicate things. I’ll figure something out. I need to recover, anyway. And Irene gave me a generous severance package, though I was the one who resigned. I have enough for a few months before I’ll need a new job.” Then it dawned on her, and she stepped back, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. “You’re not here because you feel pity for me because of my wound? Or out of some misguided sense of duty?”

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