Page 60 of Home to the Cowboy

Her heart stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“He misses you.”

Sighing, she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I miss all of you too.”

“Has he mentioned that Arlene told us about the fight our dad had with Uncle Jackson?”

She shook her head. “No, we’ve talked about movies and music, but he hasn’t mentioned that.”

“I don’t think knowing what happened back then actually changes anything for us. Somehow, though, since Arlene told us what happened, Dylan and I find it easier to talk about the past.”

She wanted to ask what Arlene had told them, but it wasn’t really her place, and if Dylan hadn’t mentioned it, he obviously didn’t think it was important for her to know about it. “I’m glad Arlene has talked about it.”

Looking very uncomfortable, Carson rubbed his neck. “I’m going to ask you something very personal.”

“Ask away.”

“Do you have feelings for my brother?”

It was on the tip of her tongue to give her usual flip answer, telling him she had no idea what love was, but in that moment an image of Dylan flashed in front of her. Her heart burst wide open, and she finally knew why she’d been so restless. For a moment she could see him so clearly, her heart ached.

“Yes,” she exhaled, “I haven’t been certain what I feel, but now that you’ve asked, the answer is yes, I love him. It’s so easy to be around him, he accepts me as I am. He even likes my freckles. But he’s not interested in anything permanent, remember? I haven’t even heard from him this past week.”

As a sound in Carson’s background reached her ears, he turned his head to look at something or someone behind him. “How long have you been standing there?”

June inhaled sharply. It couldn’t be Dylan, could it? The butterflies in her tummy woke up.

“Long enough to hear you asking June whether she has feelings for me.” It was Dylan’s voice. “What the hell, man?”

Grinning, Carson got up. “Well, someone had to get this thing going seeing as you’re just moping around.”

For a moment June stared at the empty chair, her heart pounding like a drum, the butterflies going crazy.

Carson was still talking. “If you’re too dumb to ask the obvious questions, someone else has to.”

The next moment, Dylan’s face filled the screen of her laptop. Exhaling slowly, she looked her fill. Oh, how she’d missed him. It took her another second to realize he wasn’t looking happy. In fact, he was seriously ticked off.

Sighing, she rubbed her face. “I’m sorry you heard that, and I know you don’t feel the same way …”

“Why the hell can’t you tell me how you feel, but you can talk to my brother about it?” he just about bellowed.

“Because I’ve just realized I love you!” she cried out. Gulping back the tears, she wiped her eyes. “I know it’s not what you want, I know—”

“Damn it, June, I love you too!” he just about shouted. “I love everything about you! I love your smile, your freckles, your hair, your body, I love how you light up around kids, I love how you care about everyone around you. I love being with you, I love watching you, and I love, love, love making love to you.”

“I’m outta here!” Carson cried out before a door was slammed shut.

For a moment June stared at Dylan. He’d obviously just returned from work. His hair was standing on end, his face was dirty, but those blue eyes blazed with a light she’d never seen before. Could it be true?

“Tell me again,” she said. “Without shouting.”

For another moment he frowned before a beautiful grin nearly split his face in two. “I haven’t texted this past week because I’ve been trying to understand why I can’t go a day without talking to you. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to figure this out, but when I heard your voice just now, my heart literally leaped up in my body, and I just knew. I’ve told you about my childhood. I was scared I wouldn’t know how to love someone, but then I met you and the love was just there. It has taken me a while to understand what my heart already knew the moment I saw you. I love you, June. I know your work and life is in Seattle and mine is here and I don’t know how all of this will work, but I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

Touching the screen, she traced the outline of his face. “I’ve told you about my past, so I have no map to help me figure out what love and family really are, but when I’m with you, I … I believe I’m where I’m supposed to be. For the first time in my life, I feel that I belong, that I’ve come home.” The last words were a mere whisper.

Dylan cleared his throat. “I don’t know much about it either, but you and I? We’ll figure it out, together. Arlene has told us what she knows about the fight my dad and her husband had.”

“I’m here if you want to talk about it.”