Page 19 of Dusty Spur Ranch Cowboys

The second our eyes meet, he nearly loses his grip on everything he’s carrying.

Well, that’s adorable.

His ears turn red first. Then his cheeks.

Willy notices. The man doesn’t even have time to recover before Willy points at him. “Looking good, Emmett.”

Emmett rolls his eyes as his cheeks continue to flame. “Willy.”

“I’m just saying, Arizona should appreciate how rare this is. Usually he makes it at least thirty seconds before forgetting how to function.”

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

The poor guy looks like he’d rather wrestle a bull than continue this conversation. “Hi.”

I nod. “Hi.”

His smile gets a little bigger. Then he looks away. I have never seen anyone lose a staring contest they weren’t actively participating in.

Willy slings an arm around Emmett’s shoulders, nearly causing him to drop the tack.

“See this?” Willy asks me. “This is what happens every time a pretty woman talks to him. It’s like watching a horse discover stairs.”

Emmett shrugs him off. “Don’t listen to him.”

“Oh, I’m not making fun of you,” Willy says. “I’m bragging. We almost made it through an entire conversation before you forgot how words work.”

“I haven’t forgotten how words work.”

“Then prove it.”

Emmett opens his mouth.

Nothing comes out.

Willy points at him triumphantly. “Case closed.”

I laugh, and Emmett drags a hand down his face. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“I enjoy all the little things in life,” Willy says. “Sunsets. Good food. Public humiliation.”

“You forgot annoying the hell out of everybody.”

“That’s covered under public service.”

Despite the complaint, there’s no real irritation behind it. If anything, Emmett looks resigned, like he’s had this exact argument a hundred times and lost every single one.

Willy turns back to me. “You know what his worst one was?”

“No.”

Emmett shakes his head. “You don’t need to hear this.”

“She absolutely does.”

Emmett mutters a curse under his breath.

Willy grins. “There was a waitress over at a diner near Spokane. Smiled at him once. One smile. Next thing I know, he’s walking straight into a fence.”