And then maybe we can sneak away for some alone time...
I checked the clock. It was only eight.Thank God.
After a cold shower, I threw on an old T-shirt and jeans. I grabbed a hat on the way out, hoping to block the sun’s warm rays. It was only a seven-minute walk to the big house, but it was already too fucking hot for my tastes. At least Tennessee cooled off some at night.
I drew a deep breath of dew-laced air, letting the crispness settle in my chest. Black Springs really was something else. Mornings here came alive with birdsong, and the sun always seemed to paint the skies gold. The pastures were sprawling, brimming with potential—flat stretches of land perfect for grazing or hay cutting, rolling on for miles just as Bishop had shown me on the maps that first day. Farther out, the land grew wilder, the forest thickening into untamed terrain. There were even a few rivers marked on those maps, and I couldn’t wait to see them for myself.
Maybe Josie and I could ride out, spend the day exploring with only the responsibilities we owed ourselves.
In the back of my thoughts, I worried she might’ve changed her mind in the span of a few hours. Things looked different in the dark, especially when you were left alone with nothing but silence to keep you company.
I knew Josie well enough, and that woman had a damn goodtrack record of getting lost in her head. It hadn’t mattered how many times I’d told her I was dead set on making her mine; there was always a reason she found not to believe me.
But I was here to stay—with or without Doug’s job offer.
I wasn’t sure when I’d decided to linger in Texas—maybe my mind was already made up before my plane landed. Now that I was here, I couldn’t imagine leaving. The only way it’d happen is if Josie asked me to.
My life was filled with people who let me down in one way or the other. As painful as it was to admit it, Josie had even been among them. Now, everything I ever wanted was within reach. The thought of it being taken away from me before it’d even begun was terrifying.
At damn near thirty-seven years old, I was sick of running, chasing something that was always out of reach. Life had dealt me a shitty hand early on, and I was no longer ashamed to admit that I wanted more.
I wanted a big house with land to call my own. I wanted a job that was as exhausting as it was exhilarating, something that filled me with pride when I looked back at the end of my days. Most of all, I wanted a woman who was fiercely loyal and kind and beautiful. Someone I could settle down with, build that dream life, sit on our front porch, and watch the sun rise and set.
I wouldn’t settle for anyone other than Josie Hayes—the storm-eyed cowgirl who’d knocked me off my feet the moment I laid eyes on her.
Chasing that life meant saying goodbye to things from my past. Truth be told, it was gonna be damn hard to watch the last bits of Frank I had be spread out amongst the highest bidders. I’d likely need to go back for a short time. Get things settled and a plan made. Some local folks had expressed interest in Frank’s bar after he passed, and the land would sell fast.
I didn’t give a shit about the money I could make; it wasn’tabout that. The only thing I cared about at the end of the day was making sure Frank’s legacy was honored.
Sweat beaded beneath my hat as I neared Bishop’s cabin. It was about a quarter of a mile from the barn. His Dodge was parked beneath a metal awning, the gravel worn beneath the tires. He’d told me to leave the keys in the truck so that he could grab them when they got home.
I’d nearly cleared the carport when his front door swung open, slamming against the outer wall. Lennox came storming out, her blonde hair streaming behind her as she ran down the porch.
She wore the same clothes she’d been in last night, only they looked rumpled. Like they’d been lying in a heap on a certain cowboy’s bedroom floor.
A shirtless Bishop came out a moment later, taking the steps of his porch one by one as he called her name. Lennox didn’t pay him any mind. She turned around long enough to throw two middle fingers in the air before disappearing toward the barn.
Bishop ran a hand through his hair before letting loose a string of curses and kicking the old tire planter in his yard. And then he looked up, seeing me standing on the other side of his truck.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he mumbled before crumpling on the top step of his porch. He looked exhausted, not the same man I’d seen only hours ago at the bar.
“Well, I’d say good morning, but I don’t think it is for you,” I drawled, stepping around his old truck. “Rough night?”
Bishop huffed and dug into his jeans for a pack of cigarettes. It was old and falling apart, looking more like a keepsake than something he used regularly. I’d never seen him smoke before. “You could say that again.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
He turned toward me with furrowed brows. “Why the fuck would I wanna talk about it?” he asked, hanging his head low. Hisfingers traced the peeling plastic. “I want you to forget you saw anything.”
I raised my hands in surrender and stumbled forward. “Who would I tell? I don’t know anyone here.”
Bishop chuckled, but it was full of resignation. “You know the people who matter.” He set his elbows on his knees and looked out toward the barn. “No one can know she was here, Lincoln. I mean it.”
That bit caught me off guard. “Why?”
“Because shit wouldn’t end well. I can’t risk this job. It’s all I fucking have. And Doug treasures his girls more than he treasures this land. He’d fire me in a heartbeat if he thought I was out here breaking hearts.”
“And are you?” I asked, leaning against his sun-warmed porch. “I’ll admit it didn’t look good?—“
