Submitting to the Cowboy

ky

r rolling hills that opened out to swe

r, until the truck bounded along a road shaded by pines taller than mos

ars," Danica admitted. "I for

ahead of us. Eventually a dilapidated wooden fence appeare

e as she rolled down her window, warm midsummer a

n. The walls were once white but had chipped and grayed with age and disrepair. A large barn towered in the distance, gra

it," I m

can't believe this pl

eant by that. I couldn'

as...

esh, warm air touched my cheeks as I waded through waist deep grasses toward

t sound like someone ha

in decent enough shape despite the wear and tear on the exterior. The roof, however, was extremely rusted an

ed to pick those up from the bank in t

I don't know, barge in on you like that back in town and steal this moment from you. I just... G

ped around the whole house. I wanted to pick her brain about why Grady's face had twisted into a scowl, and then panic

in dust, untouched for two decades if Danica was cor

lder and stopped, peer

a house o

ip between her teeth before letting go

ell, but rose above us on a steep hill. There was a towe

ing the railing before leaning on it. "It wraps around Mason Creek and touches the reservati

en guy is m

" she

bly, and possibly stupidly, my property. I had no idea what the hell I was go

the Courtney name, and then you have the Hollis R

?" I asked with a short laugh, noti

st you

hy

porch and toward what

she smiled, ignoring

t's about to fal

are keys in there to th

, why

into the ceiling with a screech that startled the birds from

said at the same time, and

arp that covered what could only be a tr

et," Danica breathed, choking on a shoc

ocked into near silence as my eyes roved over t

ica grinning from ear to ear. "Found the keys. I

*

nica said, her arms sticking out the window as we bounced toward tow

d some work. We were headed to the bar now, her truck bouncing and trembling

as I scribbled on the piece of pa

ike a stellar life behind?" she laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, i

s not like I can l

x up the house and you'll never have to go back to Califo

I liked Danica. She was dry and sarcastic and a damn good time. She had someone coming up

amily of mine who'd lived here once. I didn't want to push it. She'd offered to let me stay with her tonight, so I did

d myself as we pulled along

hair over her finger as I wrote my name and phone number on

the inside of the bar, and she walked ahead of me, mentioning that she was going to get us some drinks wh

e fix up the house, wh

iss it. I stepped back to admire my choice of placement and to give myself a minute to decide i

to move out of the way before what fe

uld smell a faint hint of woodsy cologne on his black shirt. His shadow engulfed me completely, and he didn't move

ked, trying to

of paper I'd just pinned the board. Pieces of dark brown hair fell over his fore

nted to do was fade into the wall behind

e he was memorizing it, counting the freckles over t

ed up and do

man like him be

the wall, then gave me his back befor