He turned and started to stomp out of the house. “Are you going in that?”
He looked down at his black shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots. “What’s wrong with this?”
“Nothing. For wrangling cattle.”
“I was unaware that the bank had a dress code.”
“I’d like to go innotlooking like we’re a pair of dissolute reprobates.”
“Well, that’s what I am.”
She rolled her eyes and walked past him out to the truck. “See,” he said, moving past her and getting in thedriver’s side, hanging out the halfway-open door. “I’m not sweet. And I’m not going to do what you tell me.”
He closed the door, and she growled, then stepped over to the passenger side and opened the door up. She got in and buckled ferociously. One thing she would say about Justice was that he was a safe space. Because in the past fifteen minutes she had cycled through jealousy, insecurity and deep, unending irritation. All with the same person. All with an underlying sense of security.
Yes, for a moment she had felt worried. For a moment she had felt insecure. But she didn’t have to feel that way with him.
“The real problem is the banker is still going to flirt with you,” she said as they drove down the long dirt driveway that would take them out to the main road.
“I know,” he said.
“You’re so confident.”
He lifted a shoulder. “In certain things. I have no reason not to be.”
That made her want to howl. Because she had so many reasons tonotbe confident right now. Apparently hanging out with Justice for the better part of her life hadn’t done anything to make her absorb any of that confidence.
“I’m going to need some of that,” she said.
“Some of what?”
“Your confidence. Because you are... You’re you. You know?”
“Yeah. I am me.”
“I don’t know how you have all that confidence. I’venever had it, I have always just wanted to be secure. And now I don’t even have that. I need... I need swagger.”
He laughed. A good flaw, really.
“Swagger. Is that what you think I have?”
“Yes.”
“Rue, swagger is for men who need to put on a show. I’m good.”
She slapped her hand on her thigh. “There it is again. Full confidence. No brakes. It’s insane, really.”
“Listen. I never put myself into situations where I can’t be confident. I know that when it comes to ranching I can get the job done. Ditto taking a woman to bed.”
Those words made her face feel hot. She gritted her teeth and didn’t overthink it. “Great. I had the one lover, who I thought was fine enough with my skills in bed. And now I don’t have that. Not even a little bit. I don’t know how to get back...”
She didn’t have a house. She wasn’t getting married.
“I am so tired of myself,” she said.
“There may not be a quick fix for it,” he said. “But this is the first stop.”
“I need music. But not sad music.”
