Page 91 of Thaw My Heart

“Good,” she smiles, going back to her records. “Damn. You have so many good country albums. Which is really surprising since you don’t listen to ordinary sad country boy music.”

I did like sad country boy music, but admitting it to her would only add more fuel to the fire. “I told you. I’m not a cowboy.” And firmly, never going to be one, traditional or otherwise. Besides, country music wasn’t just for cowboys.

“Stop living in denial, Cowboy,” she smirks.

For such a small person, she sure can annoy me more than anyone else on this earth. “I’m not.”

“You may think you’re not. But your soul says cowboy,” she points at my heart. “The sooner you accept that, the better it’s going to be for everyone.”

I huff, shaking my head.

“Wait a minute,” she puts a hand up, mind going elsewhere. A bright smile breaks across her face. “Oh my God, of course,” she gasps, reaching for another album.

She places a new record on the player, grinning from ear to ear as she stands in front of me. Before I can ask what she’s up to, the song starts playing. A song I recognize by the guitar intro.

A groan rumbles in my chest. “Sadie,” I scold, but she ignores me.

“I said I want to touch the earth. I want to break it in my hands,” she sings along, putting her hands on me, and fuck, it’s cute.

Annoying, but cute.

My eyes narrow. “Sadie⁠—”

She grabs my hands, continuing as she sways her hips. “I want to grow something wild and unruly…” she continues, singing the next few verses, wrapping my arms around her when the song calls for it, pulling me into a slow dance. “On a pillow of blue bonnets⁠—”

“In a blanket made of stars.” I gruffly sing along, caving. Like the goddamn sap I’m becoming with her. And sadly, I know this song by heart.

Her eyes go wide with delight. She sings the next few verses, belting it out at the chorus. “I said, Cowboy, take me away.” Her arms wrap around me, and we sway side to side.

As silly as this is to me, she’s happy, and I don’t want to take it away from her.

My mind roars with everything that happened last night, but she’s lost in this, and I’m lost in her smile. Kissing her in between verses while keeping my hands low. We’re going to have a talk about why she doesn’t like her back touched, and soon. It’s driving me crazy that it bothers her so much.

Besides, I’m a fixer, and I want to fix whatever fear she has or at least have an opportunity to understand it.

My phone vibrates in the pocket of my sweatpants.

“It’s Blake,” I say to her, and she immediately turns down the music. “Hey, what’s up?” I say through the phone.

“We got a situation here,” he starts. “The fuel truck was supposed to come yesterday, but apparently, they went to the wrong place.”

“What?” That doesn’t make any sense. I signed off on those papers myself. Days ago.

“He ended up halfway across Montana in the other direction,” he continues. “Now he’s asking for double, but I told him to kiss my ass. Respectfully,” he clears his throat.

What a fucking mess.

“Call him back and apologize. I’ll be there soon.” I hang up.

“Everything okay?” Sadie asks.

I sigh, reaching my hand to her face. It would’ve been perfect to spend all day in bed with her, seeing as she has today off too. But of course, I’m needed elsewhere. “I’m sorry. This might take a while. There’s plenty of food in the fridge and⁠—”

“I have a house, Kit. I’ll be fine.”

Right, I still haven’t told her.

“Your furnace is still broken. I’m waiting for the parts to come in. Might take a few days.”