“I’ll let Dave know I’m available, if you want.” Killian straightened his shoulders.
“I appreciate that, Killian. The more the better.”
“I’m in,” Hud said, his voice firm.
“Hell, me too.” Beau nodded
“Thanks guys. Check with Dave and if he says it’s alright, I’ll clue you in.”
The men nodded, then headed for Dave’s office with long strides while Rawley got back to the screen, the cattle rustlers’ tire tracks swimming before his eyes.
****
Skylar’s fingers danced across the worn keys of her keyboard, the soft clatter echoing through the quiet of her home. Morning light filtered through half-closed blinds, casting slatted gold stripes across her desk, cluttered with half-empty coffee mugs and scraps of plot notes. At long last, her stubborn hero had found his voice, and she raced to capture every passionatesyllable before he fell silent again. Even as she typed, a slow smile blossomed on her lips, the same smile that stole over her face whenever she thought of Rawley. He was remarkable in every conceivable way; his dark gaze, that handsome face, the way he made the world seem infinitely more vivid.
She paused, hands hovering over the keys, and drew in a soft, reluctant sigh. She knew what this meant; sooner or later, her heart would break. The dull vibration of her phone sliced through the tension, nudging across the desk like a small mechanical insect. Skylar reached out, picked it up, and smiled when Ryan’s bright, familiar face filled the screen. She tapped the green button then the speaker icon.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” Ryan replied. “How was your Sunday with Rawley?”
Skylar let out a nervous laugh. “I’m in so much trouble, Ryan. I know I’m going to fall in love with him.”
“Well, maybe he’ll fall in love with you, too.”
Skylar traced the rim of her coffee mug. “I don’t know. I’m scared, but not enough to stop seeing him.”
“When are you going to see him again?”
She lifted her eyebrows. “He said he’d be in touch. At least, he didn’t chuck me under the chin or call me babe.” She grinned as Ryan snorted into the phone.
“I’m so glad you moved here,” Ryan said. “Do you want to come out this Saturday for a cookout? Seth’s celebrating. He finally got that young horse to chase the flag.”
Skylar leaned back. “That sounds like fun.”
“It will be. He roped Ringo into manning the grill, they all swear he cooks the best steaks on a grill.”
Skylar laughed. “Steaks? That is some celebration.”
“Cull says Seth does this every time he reaches a milestone with a horse, only in summer, when the air isn’t frigid. You could bring Rawley since he and Seth know each other.”
She bit her lip. “Do you think I should ask him?”
“Absolutely. Why not?”
Her chest tightened. “What if he thinks I’m being clingy?”
“By inviting him to a cookout?” Ryan laughed.
Skylar made a theatrical huff. “Some days I really don’t like you. Today is one of them.”
“Bullshit, you love me. Seriously, ask him. If he turns you down, he either has plans… or he’ll think you’re being...clingy. God knows how clingy people get when they want to invite someone to a cookout.”
Skylar burst out laughing. “No, today I hate you. I’m hanging up. I’ll text him.”
“Can’t you just call?”
She shook her head. “I have no clue where he is, or what he’s doing.”
