Sassy Cowgirl Kisses: A Sweet Romance (A West Brothers Romance Book 5)

by Kathy Fawcett

  Grief and loneliness hit him, and he buried his face in a pillow.

  What have I done?

  A week later, Ash got up the courage to call Kat. “Have you heard from Sassy; is she alright?”

  Kat told him just enough to put his mind at rest, but not his heart.

  “Sassy,” Kat said simply, “has safely reached her destination.”

  “Great,” he said with a heaviness where his joy used to be.

  She went back to Illinois, it seemed, to her mother’s house. Ash didn’t even know where that was, otherwise he might be tempted to drive through the night to find her.

  “Would you… like me to give her a message when she calls, Ash?” Kat’s voice was soft and compassionate, he thought.

  Tell her I need her; tell her that no place feels like home without her. Tell her that I just might die without her kisses, and that I’m sorry for pressuring her the way I did. Tell her…

  “Naw, but thanks,” Ash said with a sigh before hanging up.

  Chapter 57

  “Yellowstone reported snow today,” Gunnar was sipping coffee at the ranch office, flipping through a local newspaper. Rowdy looked up with interest, but Ash kept his head down as he ate pancakes and link sausage.

  He’d worked quietly over the past few weeks, watching summer come to an end.

  In Wyoming, the transition from shirt sleeves to jackets happened overnight. Thankfully, Ash kept warm clothing in a locker at the ranch. He was ready for anything. Along the mountainsides, the deciduous trees had changed to a bright yellow, and pops of red and orange could be seen in the underbrush.

  While in Michigan, Ash reveled in the change of seasons. But this year, it only served to remind him of the mess he’d made of summer, and of the sweet kisses and golden girl he’d held in his arms, then pushed away in his stubbornness.

  “Come visit for the fall colors,” Erik had invited the last time they spoke, hoping to cheer up his friend. “We’re all going to Charlevoix for a massive bonfire. You and I can sail the big boat to its winter storage location. It’ll be a blast.”

  Ash promised to think about it.

  In the meantime, he told Casey to find another renter for his bungalow, because he couldn’t bear seeing the happy newlyweds who moved into the house next door to his, where Sassy and Freda spent so many weeks. He also avoided the main house of the ranch and all the family that resided there—especially Kat, who suddenly reminded him of Sassy.

  Why had he not seen the resemblance for himself?

  He slept in the bunkhouse at night like a seasonal ranch hand and kept to himself during the day. He avoided family gatherings and stayed away from town, and from Amber. Ash knew he owed her an apology and wanted to be sincere and contrite.

  She must not be too angry with him, because she’d sent a text only a day or so ago.

  “Stop by sometime and see me,” she said. “Do some early Christmas shopping.”

  Christmas! Life was truly moving on, Ash thought, with or without him. Especially if locals were starting their Christmas shopping already.

  A week later, Ash West walked down an empty main street in West Gorge, looking like a man heading to the gallows. An empty soda can lead the way, rolling around in the chill wind. He kicked it a couple of times before picking it up, then tossed it into a recycling bin by the post office.

  He sat down heavily on a bench and dropped his head in his hands.

  Lifting his eyes, Ash gazed at the town of West Gorge. What he saw was dry pavement and dusty awnings. One or two storefronts sat empty, and a flier for a garage sale flew down the street until it landed under a parked truck.

  “Is this the town I gave up love for?” Ash’s heart felt dry and cracked under the pain.

  Even so, Ash could see that the town wasn’t all grim. On the positive side, the main street held Daisy Shire’s gallery, the Donut Den, and a small breakfast and lunch diner. The early-rising locals frequented this café before the sun came up most mornings.

  There was also the large Mercantile. The window displays were as colorful as they could be as they promoted the functional clothing required in the rugged Wyoming wilderness. Sassy once said they sold shirts that felt like they were made from old tarps.

  Ash gave a half smile at the memory—she wasn’t far from wrong.

  Looking at the town again, Ash saw the Amber Waves store had a steady stream of tourists and locals streaming in and out, carrying shopping bags and laughing at private conversations.

  Was Sassy right—should he be with Amber?

  It’s true that his old high school friend would never leave the town, or the state, or him for that matter. Was that enough? Could they be like couples of old who married based on necessity instead of romance; who poured their energy into taming West Gorge?

  Was Amber’s willingness enough to make them both happy?

  “No, you idiot!”

  Ash scolded himself. He knew he’d just be repeating the history he was desperate to avoid. By marrying Amber, he’d create a miserable family because he would be miserable. They would splinter apart through bitterness and regret. Ash knew he couldn’t possibly give Amber what she desired, and she deserved so much better than a half-hearted, insecure orphan disguised as a worthwhile man.

  Hanging his head again, Ash commiserated with the soda can, which was pushed this way and that by invisible forces. He was just as empty and rudderless.

  But then, something caught his attention. Voices carrying from Amber Waves that sounded familiar in an unsettling way as words travelled across the road to where he sat. Looking up, Ash’s mouth dropped open and he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  Chapter 58

  Sassy!

  Sassy Tate herself, for he’d know her anywhere, stood on the sidewalk in front of the store, and she was talking with—laughing with—Amber.

  “I like your idea for a display, Sassy,” Amber was saying, “we should totally do that.”

  We?

  Ash felt like he was dreaming. For one thing, Sassy left town, didn’t she? Weeks ago. Yet here she was in West Gorge. Even more confusing, she was talking with her nemesis, his old friend Amber. The girl Sassy was sure was still in love with him.

  Shaking his head, Ash looked again to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks. The two were gesturing to the storefront and talking together in very friendly tones. As they walked back inside, Ash’s guts felt like he’d swallowed a stone, and his heart beat wildly.

  Sassy was still here… but why? Why hadn’t she let him know?

  With legs like iron, Ash tried to remember how to walk as he made his way across the street. His heart beat wildly, and he didn’t know what he’d say when he reached the store, only, he had no other choice but to pursue the beautiful golden girl who’d gone inside.

  “Oh, hi Ash,” Amber said, nearly walking into him on the sidewalk. “I see you got my text. Did you come to do some shopping?”

  “No… I came to see…” Ash faltered miserably until Amber put him out of his misery.

  “If you’re looking for Sassy,” she said softly, “she’s up the stairs to the right. She’s renting from me—apartment B. Go on up.”

  “But, how long has…” Ash’s head was still spinning at the discovery.

  “A few weeks,” Amber said coolly. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got customers.”

  Ash gulped and nodded.

  “Thank you, Amber,” he said, moving towards the store. Towards the back, there was an old oak door with a sign that read Private. He walked through and saw a staircase leading to the second floor. Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached apartment B and knocked with a trembling hand.

  “Just a minute,” Sassy’s unmistakable voice resonated. When she opened the door, she gave out a quiet gasp at the tall cowboy who stood in the hall, with hat in hand.

  Sassy was barefoot, wearing faded jeans with rips at the knee, and a bleached white tee shirt half-tucked and half hanging over the waistline. Her o
nly adornment was her yellow, hair that draped over her shoulder and down her back. She was the most beautiful sight Ash had ever seen.

  He wanted to blurt out every thought and apology he’d had since she left, but she beat him to the punch by inviting him in.

  “Come in and sit down, Ash,” she said.

  “I thought you left West Gorge,” he said, hearing the croak in his voice.

  “Would you like a cup of coffee? I just made a fresh pot—I thought you were Amber coming to grab a cup.”

  “Um, sure,” Ash said. He had a million questions for Sassy, and not the least of which was when… how had she and Amber become so chummy?

  With shaking hands, Ash took the hot mug from Sassy, who sat across from him. The cup burned his hand but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her long enough to set it down.

  “I did leave West Gorge, but then I came back. I checked in on my mother then I came back. Kat said I could stay at her condo for as long as I want, but I really need my own place. I answered an ad for an apartment and it was this place,” Sassy held her hands up and indicated the cozy room with the tall street-side windows, “and Amber is the landlord.”

  Sassy smiled and shrugged, and Ash was speechless.

  “Turns out,” Sassy said with a smile, playfully tossing a throw pillow at Ash, “she and I get along just fine without you in the middle, muddling things up.”

  “I’m just… forgive me but…” Ash stumbled, “I’m so surprised to see you. My heart just about broke when you left without saying goodbye.”

  Sassy’s smile faded.

  “My heart broke too, Ash, when you were so angry with me about my secret.”

  “I was wrong, Sassy.”

  Sassy looked at Ash for a long while, then spoke as if she hadn’t heard what he said.

  “As it so happens, Kat, my sister, wants to spend time with me. Imagine that.”

  “Oh wow,” Ash started to say, “that’s really great.”

  She told him how she and Kat spoke every day after their lunch at the condo, and how Kat’s heart was softening towards her—something she wasn’t sure would ever happen. Even her mother, Sassy said, encouraged her to come back.

  “Can you believe that?” Sassy asked.

  Ash struggled to get his footing. He never expected to see Sassy when he came to town, or talk with her face to face. He also didn’t imagine that they’d be talking about Kat. But Kat is what brought Sassy to West Gorge in the first place.

  “So, you came back for Kat,” Ash said. His heart ached with sadness. He felt like a stone had replaced his heart and was pounding away in his bruised chest.

  “I came for Kat.”

  Sassy got up from her chair and moved over to sit by him on the sofa—no doubt to ease the pain of her blunt words, he thought.

  “The first time I came to West Gorge, I came for Kat,” she continued. “But I came back for you, Ash. For us. To give us a real chance to get to know each other. With no secrets between us.”

  Tentatively, she reached over and placed a hand on one of his own. She began to pull it away when he didn’t respond, but he grabbed it in time and held tight. Tears rolled down Sassy’s cheeks and she struggled to finish what she was saying. Ash took her other hand and moved closer to her.

  “I thought you might like to know that I’ll be here, in Wyoming, at least until Christmas, maybe longer. The accountants that handle West Ranch offered me a job, and the offices are right in town.”

  Ash leaned over and gently kissed away a tear from her cheek.

  “Also,” Sassy said as Ash kissed the other cheek, “I told Amber I’d help her through the busy holiday season.”

  Ash kissed her forehead.

  “Plus, I want to stick around for Freda’s December wedding to James Timothy.” “There’s only one problem with that…” Sassy said with half a smile, looking up into Ash’s eyes.

  “What’s that, cowgirl?” Ash continued to kiss her face, then whispered into her ears.

  “I… don’t have a date, and I hate going to weddings alone.”

  “Well, I don’t know,” Ash drawled with a tease in his voice, “I try not to make plans so far in advance. But I’ll see what I can do.”

  At that, Sassy let out a surprised laugh. That’s when Ash wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her full on the mouth with salty tears still on his lips.

  Chapter 59

  When Sassy’s tears had turned to laughter, thanks to Ash’s kisses, his phone rang.

  “Excuse me, I should take this,” he said, and then, “hello… oh, uh huh… yep… uh huh.” He stole a sideways glance at Sassy, and handed her the phone. “It’s for you.”

  Skeptical, she took the phone and spoke tentatively.

  “Hello?”

  On the other end, Kat greeted her.

  “Sassy, good, I was hoping to catch you. Are you settled in?”

  “Just about, thanks for asking.”

  Sassy could hear the warmth in Kat’s voice, and longed to be with her.

  “Perfect. I want to plan a dinner.”

  “Oh, at the condo again?” Sassy was remembering their lunch at Kat’s place in town.

  “No, Sassy, at the ranch,” Kat said. “It’s a family dinner, and everyone will be there, I hope. Especially you, my guest of honor.”

  Sassy had a catch in her throat and held her hand to her trembling lips.

  “You’ve met everyone, but I want to introduce my little sister properly.”

  All Sassy could do through her tears was nod, which Kat couldn’t see, of course. Ash gently took the phone from her hands and spoke.

  “She says Yes, Kat,” he said. “She wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  END

  Keep reading for free book offers, the next chapter in Ash and Sassy’s love story, and more from Kathy Fawcett.

  Will Ash and Sassy’s love story get wrapped up in a nice package with a pretty bow?

  Find out in Christmas at West Ranch, coming soon. There’s a wedding being planned on the ranch, but who is the bride? Can the big event possibly come off without a hitch? Catch up with the West family as they celebrate the Christmas season together. There will be stolen kisses, sleigh rides, surprises and snow!

  Ready for more of the West Brothers Romance series? Read Her Unexpected Cowboy free!

  She was looking for a cowboy, not a nerd. Then a dangerous bull moose reveals a cowboy heart beating in the chest of this city slicker.

  Jaycee’s aunt thinks she should broaden her horizons beyond the dusty cowboys she normally dates. But her aunt’s latest set-up with Josh, a nerdy city-boy doctor, is way outside her comfort zone. He’s nothing like the rough and tumble men she’s normally attracted to…until they have a run-in with a rogue moose, and Josh shows Jaycee that being a true cowboy is about a lot more than wearing pointy boots and a hat.

  Click here to download your free story, or go to KathyFawcett.com

  Read all the books in the West Brothers Romance series

  Her Quarantined Cowboy

  West Brothers Romance #1

  Their blind date is a disaster, and both are happy it's cut short. But a virus forces Kat to lock down the hospital—with Gunnar inside. He hates being stuck anywhere, with anyone. And thanks to a life of privilege, he’s been able to call his own shots. But Dr. Kat is the new sheriff in town, and she won't let him bend the rules. Forced to work together, anger turns to admiration, which turns to romance. Can it last when the quarantine is over?

  Drawing Her Cowboy

  West Brothers Romance #2

  Beautiful and rich, Paislee has a perfect life—or is her controlling fiancée smothering her? Her grandmother suggests a road trip to unravel a family mystery, and she jumps at the chance. But Paislee finds more than she bargained for when she follows cowboy Pike West to an old settler’s barn. Trapped by a blizzard, Paislee is soon wearing a prairie dress and dining by candlelight with the cowboy who caught her imagination. Will he
catch her heart, too?

  Stirring Her Cowboy

  West Brothers Romance #3

  Colton West is expecting Chef “Lou” to arrive at the ranch, but he’s caught off guard when the beautiful Chef Liu Chen arrives instead. This Asian beauty is a no-nonsense cook who feeds his bottomless appetite, while stirring Colton’s desire for love and romance. But Liu has ambitious goals, and a very protective Chinese family. In this conflict of cultures, can Liu keep the cowboy at arm’s length? Or will Colton win over the Chen family, and Liu’s heart?

  Her Sunset Cowboy

  West Brothers Romance #4

  After her lowlife ex took everything, Casey Parks rebuilds her real estate empire in small town West Gorge, Wyoming—and she does so with a vengeance. Until her ambition collides with Ridge West, town legend, billionaire, and major thorn in her side. Has the handsome widower set his sights on her territory, or on Casey herself? Time will tell—something Casey and Ridge are running out of during a gripping mountain rescue. In the end, who will rescue who?

  Sassy Cowgirl Kisses

  West Brothers Romance #5

  Sassy is hired for an internship at West Ranch. Arriving with more than a suitcase, she brings a bombshell of a secret that she expects will rock the West family to its core. What she doesn’t expect is tall and handsome Ash West. The young cowboy was very good at getting her out of scrapes, distracting her, and kissing her the way no man ever had. Is this just the magic of a Wyoming summer? Or do Ash and Sassy have something worth fighting—and forgiving—for?

  Christmas at West Ranch