Once Upon a Cowboy (8 page)

“Seriously? I’m soaked!” Jess laughed as she tried to duck her head, but he held her fast. There was nowhere to go. And honestly? Even with the cold water from his clothing seeping through the one remaining dry item
she
had on, she wasn’t in all that much of a hurry to pull her
body away from his.

“You’re not as soaked as I am right now.”

“You deserve every drop, cowboy. Turns out I still don’t like scavenger hunts after all.”

Cole smiled, then spoke low, right in her ear, making her shiver deliciously. “You will pay for this, cowgirl. You won’t see it coming, but I promise you. It’s coming.”

“Nope. Still no cold feet.” Daniel cracked open his beer and took a long slug, then set it on the bar.

“You say that now.” Cole took a matching draw on his own drink, looking around at the locals ponying up to Salty’s bar on this Tuesday night. The hats were real, the jeans were dirty, and the conversation was loud. It was a far cry from Friday nights, when Salty turned the place into
a line-dancing tourist trap.

“Okay, I’ll admit the whole big wedding operation isn’t entirely my thing. If she’d elope tonight, I’d take her anywhere.”

Cole shook his head. “Does every man end up wanting that, in the end?”

“Absolutely.” Daniel laughed. “But it’s all right. She deserves to have her fancy white dress and flowers and best girlfriends out here.”

“I have to admit, I never pictured
Hayley in a long white dress, especially walking down the aisle to meet a guy like you.”

“Thanks.”

Cole took another drink. “Eh, you know I’m happy for you. One less bachelor around leaves more women for me, right?”

“Sure.” Daniel tipped his head subtly toward the door. “Speaking of women, looks like someone’s back in town.”

Cole looked. “Oh, Christ. Marcy. Kill me now.”

He braced himself
as Marcy strutted over, her nauseating perfume getting there before her body did.

“Well, I’ll be! Cole! How
are
you?” She reached out both arms for a hug, and he reluctantly returned it. Her father was still on the town council, and Decker’d kill him if he did anything to piss her—and by extension, her daddy—off at this point.

“And Daniel? Oh my God! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Cole rolled
his eyes behind Marcy’s back as she slid her hand free and stepped toward Daniel, boobs first. “How
are
you?”

“He’s engaged. Wedding this weekend.”

Marcy pouted prettily, her hand on Daniel’s elbow now. “You warning me off, Cole?”

“Just saving you the trouble.”

“Well, then.” She huffed as she turned back toward him, but it was all staged. “Looks like the selection of bachelors in Carefree
is getting smaller, Cole. But you’re still single, right?”

“Nope. Moving to a commune. Gonna have me six wives.” He took a slug of his beer.

“Well”—she gave her tinkly little fake laugh as she ran her index finger down the buttons of his shirt—“maybe we can go out before you leave.”

Cole almost choked on his drink. “I don’t think so, Marcy.”

“Why not? You’re single, I’m single—”

Um, let’s
see. You’re crazy, I’m not.

“Sorry. No can do. It’s a brother code thing.”

“Oh, don’t be silly. Decker and I are old news. Call me, okay?”

Cole raised his beer. No sense arguing with a slightly tipsy version of an egomaniac. “You bet. Good seeing you, Marcy.”

She waved her fingers as she swayed her hips and boobs toward her friends at the other end of the bar, and Cole closed his eyes and
shook his head as she went. She’d only been back in town for a month, but had wasted no time getting his number.

“She’s just not getting the hint, is she?” Daniel said. “What is it about a woman that makes her think she can do a guy, then move on to his brother if it doesn’t work out?”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Y’know, it might be easier to get her off your scent if you
did
have a girlfriend.”

“Doubt it. Knowing her, it’d just make her try harder.”

“Maybe, but it’s something to think about. You know, at least for the wedding.” Daniel tipped his beer nonchalantly. “So you don’t end up getting mauled.”

Cole felt his eyebrows furrow. “Please tell me she’s not on the guest list.”

“Sorry.” Daniel cringed. “Couldn’t be avoided. Someday you’ll see how this works. It’s a whole dominoes game
of if-you-invite-so-and-so-then-you-have-to-invite-so-and-so and it goes on and on until you want to just elope, and then suddenly, bam. You’ve got a guest list three hundred people long.”

“I can’t believe you invited her. Decker’ll have your head.”

“Decker needs her father’s vote at the council meeting.”

“Shit.”

“I tried to save you and leave her off, but Hayley overruled me. Apparently we’re
the social event of the season, and it won’t do to alienate the locals.”

Cole shook his head. “This is how it starts, Danny. First they overrule you on the guest list. Next, they’re painting the bathroom pink and kicking your stuff out of the bedroom closet. Slippery slope. Might want to get out while you can.”

Daniel laughed as Salty delivered their burgers and fries with a clatter. He poured
ketchup over his fries, popping one in his mouth. “Enough about me. How are things going with Jess?”

“Fine.” Cole took a bite of his burger, mostly to avoid saying anything further.

“You seeing much of her?”

“More than I thought we would. Makes me suspicious.”

“Of?” Daniel raised his eyebrows.

“Don’t play innocent. I’m sure you’re in on it, too.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Cole took a swallow of his beer. “Fine. Then it’s probably my imagination that Kyla’s doing everything in her power to make sure Jess and I keep running into each other.”

“Coincidence, I’m sure.” Daniel smiled, then shook his head. “Cole, you know these women. Once they get an idea in their heads—”

“I know. They’re rabid. I liked it a lot better when
you
were the target of their efforts.”

“Your fault for still being single.”

Cole growled. “Being single shouldn’t be a liability.”

“Right.” Daniel laughed out loud. “I’d think with all of the women you guys get staying at Whisper Creek, being single would be a distinct advantage.”

“Definitely. It’s really too bad you let yourself get snagged by Hayley. Could’ve been fun this summer.”

“I’m sure you can handle yourself without a wingman.”

Cole shook his head, taking another drink. Yeah, he could handle himself just fine. Just seemed like this summer,
handling himself
had involved more evasive maneuvers than anything else.

Ten years ago—hell, five years ago—he would have given anything to be in the position he was now, with a new batch of women rolling in every other Sunday hoping to be cowgirls by the time they left.

Or if not
that, hoping to bag a cowboy or two while they were here.

But it had lost its appeal over the last year or so. Maybe things had started to go downhill the summer Jess, Hayley, and Kyla had come out for a vacation and ended up family of sorts. Maybe watching Decker and Kyla plan a future around each other had him spinning in a strange direction.

And now Danny was getting married. To Hayley, of
all women. If he’d asked either of them a year ago whether they’d ever be pledging their happily-ever-afters to each other—or anyone, for that matter—they never would have believed it.

So his brother was married, his best friend was heading down the aisle in a matter of days, and that left Cole as the last single man standing. It shouldn’t bother him—
wouldn’t
have bothered him not long ago—but
there was a feeling itching around in his gut that made him wonder why he
was
the last bachelor around.

He had a strong suspicion it was because he
was
still around…and maybe here wasn’t where he was meant to be, in the end.

When Decker had come back, Cole’d had his first spark of hope that maybe there were options for him beyond Whisper Creek’s borders. He’d spent ten years with the ranch firmly
strapped to his back, but if his brother was home—and staying—maybe it was finally
his
chance to see what else might be out there for him.

And if he was feeling this itchy to get out of town, then it wasn’t fair to pretend otherwise with
any
woman, most especially Jess.

Daniel signaled for two more beers, then turned to lean back against the bar and survey the scene. Cole took the new bottle
and turned as well. He took a swig, then almost choked on it when Daniel said, “So…you going to see if maybe there’s something there? Before she leaves again?”

Cole shook his head. “I need a little brother. Then you bunch of busybodies could worry about
him
instead of me.”

“Just want you to be happy, that’s all.”

“Hayley still holding out on you?”

Daniel put his bottle to his lips, not meeting
Cole’s eyes. “Yup.”

“You are so whipped, buddy.”

“Yup again. And loving every minute of it.” He turned to Cole. “Listen, you’ve been lusting after that woman since you met her. I think it’s high time you found out if the feeling’s mutual, don’t you?”

No. Yes.
“No.”

“Isn’t the wondering killing you?”

Yes. God, yes.
“No. I don’t want to rock the boat. Don’t want it to be awkward.”

“You mean
if she’s not interested? And then you’d have that whole
I-told-you-I-liked-you-but-you-don’t-like-me-back
thing going on?”

“Yes.” Cole rolled his eyes. “Because we’re in seventh grade again.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I don’t know. It’s more that I don’t want to pretend I want something that I don’t. I’m not in it for the long haul here, and Jess is too nice a woman to mess around with
if I’m not interested in more than a casual relationship.”

“Because you’re a rolling stone and all that?”

“Something like that.” Cole rolled his eyes.

Daniel turned toward him, narrowing his eyes. “What’s up with you? Something going on?”

“Nah. Not really. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“It’s me who’s supposed to have the wedding jitters, you know. Not the best man.”

Cole laughed. “I don’t think
it’s wedding jitters. I think maybe it’s just—I don’t know—wondering what coulda been, you know? If I hadn’t had to stay.”

“Ah.” Daniel nodded. “You ever think about how things might have been different if you’d gotten into Stanford?”

Cole stared at his beer bottle, spinning it slowly. “I did get into Stanford.”

Daniel twisted toward him. “What? How didn’t I know that?”

“I never told anybody.
That’s how.”

“Shit.” Daniel took a slug of his beer. “Are you serious? I thought after your dad died—that you just didn’t apply, you know, since you were—here.”

Cole shrugged. “I knew I couldn’t go, but I just had to know if I could have. It was a stupid waste of fifty bucks, but I had to know.”

“Do you ever regret it? Not going?”

“Course I do. I could have been Doctor Driscoll by now, right?”

Daniel laughed. “That’s frightening, I don’t mind saying.”

“Thanks.”

“Ever resent Decker for getting the chance?”

“No.” Cole shook his head. “Not the way he had to go.”

“I know, but you know what I mean. Maybe he didn’t choose to leave, but at least he got the opportunity to see what else was out there. You kind of—didn’t.”

“There’s no
kind of
about it.” Cole took a drink, set it down slowly.
“But I’m not dead yet, right? I could still take off and see the world.” He rolled his eyes like he found the idea ludicrous, because he knew that’s what people expected.

“You tempted to?”

“To leave? I don’t know. Maybe? Once Decker came back, it seemed like maybe I actually could, you know? Leave him to do the ranch thing instead of me. I don’t know.”

“Wow. I had no idea.”

Cole shrugged.
“I don’t exactly advertise it.”

“This why you haven’t had a serious girlfriend—like—in forever? You’ve got one proverbial foot out the door?”

“Well, that—and the fact that most of the girlfriend candidates out here are like—her.” He tipped his chin toward Marcy. “I don’t know, Danny. I just can’t get this feeling out of my gut that maybe there’s something else out there.”

Daniel took another
drink, thoughtful. “Maybe it’s me, but I’ve always thought you lived and breathed that ranch, and not because you had to.”

“I did. I do. But Whisper Creek isn’t what it used to be. I miss the days when it was just us and the horses. I even miss the damn cows, because it was simpler then. Fewer humans in the mix. Now the damn place looks like a ranch version of a spa, and
that
is something I thought
I’d never see.”

“Maybe you just need to step back a little and find the parts of it you still love. Thought of that?”

“No, Doctor Phil. Haven’t thought of that. No frigging
time
to think of that, with all the work we’ve got. I love Kyla like my own sister, but if that woman comes up with one more idea, I might have to lock up her damn notebook and pens.”

“Might help if Decker wasn’t so busy
with the development.”

“It would
definitely
help. Kind of hard for me to think about leaving when he can barely step foot out on the trail without getting a phone call.”

Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know, Cole. Hard to imagine Whisper Creek without you in the equation. And maybe I’m wrong, but I think your roots are firmly planted here, whether you believe it or not right now. I can
not
see
you walking around some sidewalk in some city, or living in a cookie-cutter suburban development somewhere in Ohio. Sorry. Does not compute.”

Cole laughed. “Not going to Ohio.”

“You’d miss it here. You’d miss
us
. You’d be calling home begging for a care package of Jenny’s cookies in two weeks, guaranteed.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Cole rolled his eyes.

“Well, in the meantime, since it looks like you’re
stuck for at least a while longer, I think you should take the risk and see what could happen with Jess.”

“And here we are, back to Jess.”

Daniel shrugged. “Just saying. Maybe your destiny’s here, knocking on the door for the
third
damn time. Maybe you’d better listen this time.”