But I couldn’t keep my face straight. My lip wavered and Dad’s expression crumpled. I didn’t have to say anything. “Oh, sugar… I’m so sorry.” He drew me into a hug. “Are you okay?”
It was on my tongue to say no, but then a chocolate gaze metmy own over my dad’s shoulder. Lincoln was standing in the middle of the barn aisle, his hands in his pockets, watching us.
How could I not be okay with him at my side? Knowing there wasn’t a damn thing anyone or anything could do to keep him away from me? My mind was the last hurdle we had to overcome, and I was going to run that bitch over with my truck so we didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
Leaning forward, I squeezed my dad’s hand. “I’m okay, I promise. My daddy raised me to be tough as hell, remember?”
He chuckled, putting his hat back on. “I’m not gonna let him get away with this shit, Josie. He can make threats all he wants, but?—”
I couldn’t do this anymore. All I could focus on was Lincoln. “Uh, Dad? Do you mind if we talk about this later?”
Dad peered over his shoulder. “Right. I’m just gonna go,” he said, clearing his throat. He pressed a kiss to my temple before heading toward the house. “Y’all kids don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
His footsteps faded away, leaving Lincoln and I standing on either side of a line, and neither one of us was sure if we should cross. There was something significant and oddly terrifying about the moment. It was either an end or a beginning, and I didn’t know if I was ready for the answer.
What if he decided I wasn’t what he wanted? That I was too damaged or came with too much baggage? It’d be easier to cut his losses and get out while he still could. I wouldn’t blame him for it, either.
“Fancy seeing you here, cowboy,” I said, sticking my hands in my pockets to keep them from shaking. I eyed the scuffed black floor transition strip leading into the barn, wondering if I should say “fuck it” and leap into his arms.
“Oh, it ain’t all that surprising, is it? You’ve been watching methrough that kitchen window since I got here.” His eyes darted down to the line before he took a step closer.
“Well, I guess I’ll need to get better about that, won’t I? Seeing as you’ll be hanging around here for a little longer.”
If he hadn’t already said no.
Our relationship aside, it would’ve been a damn shame for Black Springs to lose Lincoln. Under my dad’s supervision, he could easily be recognized as one of the best in the country. There’d be no one better to continue the Hayes legacy once Dad retired.
“I haven’t said yes to anything yet, Josie.” Lincoln ran his thumb over his bottom lip, staring at me warily. “Don’t know if I have a reason yet.”
“It’s a great opportunity. Dad pays better than any other outfit you can find. We’ve got room and board, too. There’s another cabin like Bishop’s tucked away in some trees on the other side of the barn. If you stayed, you wouldn’t have to worry about permanently living with three other people.”
Please say you’ll stay.
Lincoln shook his head. “To anyone else, it’d be a dream, but I’m not in it for the perks, darlin’. You know that. There’s only one thing I’m looking for, and it’s non-negotiable.”
I looked down, noticing how close we’d drifted toward one another. There were only a handful of feet separating us. I could smell his musky cologne drifting through the summer breeze like a caress.
“What’s that, cowboy?” I asked, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “What could possibly tip the scales one way or the other?”
“Josie…” Lincoln whispered, glancing down at his worn boots. A deep crease formed between his brows that I wanted to smooth away. “Listen, I need you to shoot straight with me here. Last night, Ithought we’d come to an understanding. I thought we wanted the same things, but I saw your face when Doug mentioned a permanent position here. It sure as hell didn’t seem like you were happy at the news, and I’m not gonna stay somewhere I’m not wanted.”
That’s where he was wrong. I’d been horrible at showing him any different, but I’d never wanted anything more.
I wanted him seated at our kitchen table every morning, sipping his coffee that’d have way too much sugar as the sun haloed his silhouette. I wanted him in our bed at night, holding me in his arms and making love until the voices in my head grew silent.
And I wanted to sit in a matching set of rocking chairs when we’d gone grey, looking out over this land and remembering the day our lives together began.
So, I closed the space between us, standing toe-to-toe with the man I’d fallen in love with a year ago. Reaching up, I gently plucked the black felt cowboy hat from his head. “Well… We can’t have that.”
To a cowboy, that damn hat was sacred. It symbolized pride and tradition, a nod to the one who’d come before and paved the way to where we were today. Most carried it like a badge of honor, living their life adhering to a long list of superstitions only they understood.
But there was one universal rule that went above all others.
If you wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.
His jaw ticked as he watched me set it on my head. I peeked at him beneath the brim, biting my lip the way I knew he liked. “Does this look like you aren’t wanted?”
Lincoln shook his head, closing his eyes. “Don’t do that, Josie.”
