Page 51 of Ride Me Cowboy
“Plain and simple. Everyone around here knows I’m not playing for keeps. So, if you think us messing around is going to break my heart, don’t sweat it. I’ve been told I don’t so much as have a heart.”
She rolls her eyes. “You have a heart.” And she presses her palm against it. “But I’m glad you’ve got it under lock and key, Cole. Because if I hurt you, I just don’t think I could cope with that.”
And then, she tilts her head back, her eyes on mine, her lips parted in a silent, unspoken invitation. I have a split second to make a decision. Damn well kiss the woman, or hug her goodnight and send her to bed.
I know what Ishoulddo. She’s emotional. She’s just shared something deeply personal.
But that’s all the more reason not to send her off on her own.
I split the difference.
“Come with me,” I say, reaching down and lacing our fingers together. “I want to show you something.”
Chapter Fifteen
Beth
ITHOUGHT THAT TELLING him would be like a weight, lifting off my chest. I thought it would set me free. In reality, it’s not like that. I read this article a while ago, about collective neuroscience, and the theory that just by connecting with someone, telling them something important, it pushes the neurons in your brain into a state of synchronicity. Like the same parts of his brain light up, as they do in mine, and somehow, telling Cole about Christopher reminds me of that article. I just feel more at peace than I did before, knowing that he knows.
We don’t talk as we walk. Not at first. But it doesn’t matter. The silence is nice. It wraps around us, blanketing me, and I luxuriate in it, on this perfectly clear night, with the cool desert breeze bringing relief from the day’s heat. The sky is velvet black, the stars little pin pricks of light against it. After a few minutes, he turns to the right, his hand holding mine, leading me down a gentle slope. I’m well trained now, thanks to Cole, and myeyes scout the distance for predators. There’s nothing but the faraway, occasional mooing of a cow, and the pretty singing of a night bird, from one of the ancient trees.
At the stables, he unlatches a gate, turns to look at me and smiles, a broad grin that pulls at my heart.
“Come see Rowdy, City Girl,” he says. “He’s been asking after you.”
“He’s such a charmer,” I say.
“Only with you.”
We walk side by side toward the stables, a timber, two-story timber building, a bit rundown, and very utilitarian. There’s a big barn door that he unlatches, and we step into a central corridor. On either side are the stables, set out as individually partitioned rooms. Over the gate of one, I watch as a sleeping Rowdy stirs, then stands, coming toward us. His dark eyes latch to mine and I feel the same connection to him I did the first day we met. My skin lifts in goosebumps.
“Howdy, Rowdy,” I say, patting his nose. He pushes out a breath, then makes a gruff sound.
Cole disappears a moment and returns with a carrot, hands it to me. “He loves them,” he says.
I hesitate a moment before lifting the carrot toward the horse, but Cole shakes his head. “Flat on your palm,” he corrects, but gently, without judgement. I adjust how I’m holding the vegetable and Rowdy leans forward, snaffling it from me.
I stroke his nose while he eats and then Cole says, “What do you think? Want to go for a ride?”
I glance at him. “Do you mean now?”
“Sure do.”
I glance from him to the horse, my stomach in knots. But there’s something about having told Cole about Christopher that feels like I’ve stepped through the door, and on the other side there are possibilities I hadn’t really considered. Why shouldn’t I do something else unexpected tonight?
“I guess so,” I say, fidgeting with my fingers, and for once, I ignore Christopher’s chastisement.
Cole’s eyes flash with something like surprise, then he nods his approval. “Wait here.”
I watch as he opens the stable doors and saddles up Rowdy like he’s done it a million times—which he probably has—then leads him into the central area of the barn, and beyond it, the yard out front. He glances back at me. “Ready, City Girl?”
My lips pull in a half smile as I walk after him. “Let’s do it.” Then, my smile slips. “But how do I…?” I wave toward Rowdy’s back, which is higher off the ground than I realized. I have no idea how to get on a horse. People make it look easy enough in movies but if I shove my foot in that dangling stirrup, and try to hoist myself up, I’ll probably fall flat on my ass, right onto the dusty ground at Cole’s feet.
Not exactly the impression I want to make.
“You get the hang of it,” he says, brushing past me so he can touch the stirrup. “The trick is, be fast.”
My eyes are huge. “I don’t think I can do this.”
