Page 10 of Danger

And it is. I am happy for her. For him too. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting a little though.

That was always something I wanted but knew I’d never get from him. Not the grand gestures—just the choosing. I used to think maybe if I stayed long enough, loved him gently enough, he’d find his way. That I could be the one he decided on.

Turns out, he just needed the right person.

Maybe that sayin’ “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” was aimed at women like me.

And I get it. I really do. Sawyer’s easy to love. Strong and bright and sure of herself in ways I never quite figured out how to be.

Don’t get me wrong. Deep down, I’ll always hope to find the kind of love that makes someone choose me the way Trouble chose Sawyer. The kind of love that doesn’t have a choice in the matter at all.

Honey leans closer. “They’re comin’ in after to celebrate. That’s why all the Stetson’s are here tonight.”

Oh.Of course.

“That explains him,” I sigh, eyes flicking toward Danger without saying his name.

Honey nods. “The others come in all the time. But him coming in lately? That doesn’t usually happen. Don’t blame him. Hard to leave when you’ve got a little boy at home.”

Because he’s not just a hot cowboy hiding behind Ray-Bans in a dark bar with a jawline that belongs in a moody, slow-burn TV drama. He’s a dad. A hands-on one. The kind who doesn’t waste nights out unless someone pries him loose.

Trouble used to say Danger shut himself down after Fisher’s mama left town. Like loving her once was enough for a lifetime. Like his heart clocked out early and never bothered to punch back in.

I never really bought that.

Men like him don’t stay closed off forever. One day, there’ll be a woman who fits into his world like she was made for it—someone who doesn’t burn pies, who knows when to push and when to let him brood in peace. Someone Fisher adores. Someone Danger softens for and doesn’t even realize it.

I just hope she—whoever she is—gets a version of him the rest of us never do.

CHAPTER THREE

danger

“It’sa new era for us, boys. Love is in the air.” Charming lifts his glass like he’s makin’ a damn speech.

“Remind me not to breathe, then,” I say, dragging my hat lower over my eyes.

“Oh, come on.” He elbows me, grinning like a fool. “You gotta admit—seein’ Trouble and Sawyer together makes you think it’s possible, right?”

Used to think it was possible. But truth is, love is just like Santa Claus—sounds good when you’re younger, and everyone wants you to believe in the magic of it. Then one day the lie is exposed, and you see it for what it is. Once you know the truth, there’s no stuffing that belief back in the box. It’s gone. Poof. Then you feel like a fucking idiot for ever thinkin’ it was real to begin with.

“No.” I take a long pull from my beer. “Actually, I think the opposite. They kiss during breakfast.Breakfast, Charming. Faces stuffed full of pancakes. What’s next—Sawyer’s gonna start chewing his food for him once they’re married?”

Rogue snorts. “They’re in love. Not baby birds, bro.”

"They're definitely baby-birding." Charming nods toward them. "Look at 'em."

I don't.

“It’s embarrassing is what it is.” I wave him off. “And don’t even get me started on the way he kisses her over the chute rail.”

Charming shakes his head like I’m hopeless. “You're one of the top bull riders in the PBR, and you're scared of a date? You need to get back out there. Have a little faith in the female species.”

Fuck no. Fuck feelings.Fuck dating.

I’ve seen how that story ends—my high school sweetheart—fleein’ town without me or my son.

Like we never mattered. Like my son didn’t matter. Since then, I don’t trust women. Not like that. I was a different person back then, though. Weaker. There’s more blood on my hands now. I’ve spent too many nights awake thinkin’ about what could happen if I ever let my guard down. My life is protecting my son, protecting my family. Everything else? I got no time for it.