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He stopped and rubbed his jaw. “Uh, look, you don’t have to come if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“I thoughtyouwould be the one who didn’t want to go. I don’t know everything that happened, but from what I do know, he was a lousy ‘friend’ to you.”
A shy grin hid behind his hand, and his eyes twinkled. “Yeah. Yeah, he was.”
“So, why are you running to help him out now? What can you possibly do but let him try to use you again?”
“Well…” He tugged my hand again, and this time, I followed him. “You know how it is. With him all banged up, he’ll need help. Animals won’t feed themselves, and I won’t let animals suffer.”
I tilted my head and arched my eyebrow. “And?”
He shrugged and looked down, but the edge of his mouth curved. “And it kind of feels good. You know… not getting the short end of the stick for once.”
I laughed. “He deserved to be decked for the stunts he pulled. He was awful to you, and he told me so many lies he almost had me fooled into thinking he was the right guy. I’m surprised you never gave him a black eye yourself.”
“Oh, I wanted to. Especially when I thought he was going to have all the happiness I’d ever dreamed of! Yeah, I would have cheerfully knocked his teeth out, but now… I’m glad I never got the opportunity.”
I slid my hands up Dusty’s chest and nuzzled the underside of his chin. I loved how he smelled, and I loved the possessive way he dug his hands into the back pockets of my jeans to pull me closer. “Really? You’re sure that’s how you feel about it?”
“Well…” Dusty winked. “Let’s just say I’m feeling especially generous today.”
Dusty
Austen didn’t say much when Jess walked into that hospital room beside me, her hand locked firmly in mine. His gaze just skipped over us, and his shoulders sagged.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Like I got stomped on by a ton of angry hamburger.” His face was swollen from a dozen bruises, his lip decorously adorned with a neat row of stitches, and his arm was in a cast.
“Is it serious? How long will you be down?”
Austen glanced at Jess, then stared at his lap. “Broken arm. It was bad enough they had to put a plate in, which is why I’m still here, but the rest is just sprains and a heck of a lot of bruises.”
“How did it happen?”
He shrugged. And still wouldn’t look up. “Danny quit the other day. I was out by myself yesterday afternoon, trying to move stock into shelter before the storm hit. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about since that bull had been so friendly.”
“It’s almost spring,” I reminded him. “Bulls get a little frisky when the season changes.”
“Yeah. I figured that out.” He gestured to some papers beside his bed. “Anyway, I was hoping I could ask you for one last favor. I know you probably don’t want to, but…”
“I’ll make sure your cows get fed and checked. We’ll stop by there on the way home and see what needs to be done.”
Austen shook his head. “I’m done.” He finally met my gaze. “I’m selling out. Not the life for me.”
Jess’s fingers tightened in mine, and I heard a soft sigh of relief. I hated to confess it, but I agreed with the sentiment. Austen was really terrible at ranching, and I didn’t like seeing a place and a herd go downhill because they weren’t getting the right care.
Plus, I was kind of tired of seeing him around town.
Jess and I traded glances, and then I looked back at Austen. “Anything I can do?”
“You can buy my place.”
Could I?It would give Jess and me a place of our own to begin our new life together. We’d figured on starting out in the bunk house while we built a house on my portion of Walker Ranch, but this would mean our own house, a lot sooner. His ranch wasn’t big, and it was still in need of a lot of work, but it was large enough to keep us fed, give us something to grow with.
But it wasn’t just my decision. I looked down, and Jess’s starry blue eyes found mine. And, ever so slightly, she shook her head. She didn’t want anything to do with that ranch.
That was good enough for me. “Sorry, Austen. We’re not interested.”
