Renegade Cowboy

by Sara Richardson

  He shook his head. Didn’t she understand? They couldn’t go their separate ways. They were a part of each other. Their past and present were woven together—linking their futures too.

  He stared at her for a long, silent moment, taking in the fear reflected in her eyes. If he pushed her too hard, he would lose her. She wasn’t ready yet. Wasn’t convinced he had any staying power. Which meant he’d have to spend the rest of her time in Topaz Falls convincing her that they belonged together.

  He put on the grin she’d recognize—the one he used to flirt. “When’s the last time you had a summer fling?”

  A humorless laugh slipped out of her mouth. “I’ve never had a summer fling. I haven’t had the time.”

  “Then this is it.” He pinned her gaze to his. “Once you move away, you’ll be even busier. So this is your last chance to let loose and have a little fun. Believe me, Cass, I’m good at fun.” He accentuated the word with a suggestive lift of his eyebrows.

  She seemed to consider the proposal. “So that’s it then?” she finally said, giving him a skeptical frown. “We have a summer fling, no strings attached, then go our separate ways in July?”

  “Exactly.” He said it as though they’d completed a negotiation, though he had no intention of sticking to it. To close the deal, he snaked his hand up her thigh and turned up the wattage on his grin. “I promise I’ll be the best fling you’ll ever have.”

  “You’ll be the only fling I’ve ever had,” she corrected boldly, but she didn’t brush his hand away.

  That was a good sign. “So when can I take you out?”

  Cass hesitated. “I work the next few days. Maybe next week?”

  “Perfect.” That’d give him plenty of time to plan the most epic date she’d ever been on. Something that would help his cause. “Since that’s settled, our agreement starts now.” He pulled her against him on the couch, unable to force himself to get up and go home. He wanted to hold her. Maybe kiss her some more. He’d love to do more than kiss her, but Lulu would be home soon.

  “Since we can’t head to your bedroom to start this fling off properly, maybe we should watch a movie.” He grabbed the remote and turned on the small television. “What’re you in the mood for?”

  “I don’t have time for movies.” Cass rested her head against his shoulder.

  He closed his eyes, only for a second to lose himself in her warmth against his body.

  “But I have about twenty chick flicks saved on the DVR.”

  “I love chick flicks.” He clicked through the vast selection of romance and comedies. “Ohhh, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Classic.”

  She wrinkled her nose with distaste. “I’m in the mood for something more historical. How about Pride and Prejudice?”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  She rolled her eyes at him and laughed. “I’ll bet you were.”

  “Seriously. Mr. Darcy is a smooth operator. Maybe I’ll pick up some new moves.”

  “You don’t need new moves.” Turning to him, Cass rose to her knees and kissed his lips.

  He breathed her in—the lemony sweet scent that was uniquely hers—and slowed the kiss into something more sensual.

  When she pulled away, her wide eyes were dilated with arousal. “Nope. Definitely don’t need any new moves.” Shifting, she nestled against him. “We should probably just watch the movie.”

  “Probably.” He forced his finger to click the play button. He was pretty sure he could have her gasping his name again in less than a minute, but then he wouldn’t want to stop. So he settled for holding her in his arms while they watched the idyllic scenes of the English countryside flash in front of them.

  With Cass cuddled against his side, every part of him felt warm and full. As though he were holding everything he’d ever wanted in his arms. This feeling of contentment had eluded him his whole life. It hadn’t mattered what he’d accomplished, how much he’d been paid, how many women invited him to spend a night in their beds.

  This was real.

  Against his shoulder, her breathing grew rhythmic. She’d fallen asleep. He shifted slightly, doing his best not to wake her but wanting to bring her in closer, to study the details of her face. There were still echoes of the precocious girl from his childhood—the sassy curve of her lips, those full, blushing cheeks. But she’d become a woman. Beautiful. Wise. Dedicated.

  “I love you, Cass,” he murmured, careful that she didn’t hear. “And I’m gonna make you love me too.”

  * * *

  This was exactly what she’d wanted.

  For so long, she’d dreamed about it, thought about it, obsessed over it. Cassidy stuffed her cell phone back into her purse. The director of the pediatric residency program in Denver had called with the good news. She’d been officially accepted into the program. Which meant she’d leave Topaz Falls in just over a month.

  Instead of elation, a sense of grief crowded her heart. Damn Levi. Damn him for staying away for all those years and then suddenly coming back and tempting her to forget her future plans and get swept up by him instead.

  She gritted her teeth against the threat of tears. Luckily, there weren’t many patrons at the Farm, which meant she didn’t have to put on a happy facade. The rushes at the café tended to come right at the breakfast and lunch hours—eight o’clock and noon. The retirees in this town had a very strict schedule. That was why she liked coming mid-morning. That and Everly made the best organic green tea blends. Today Cassidy had ordered a plate of her homemade applesauce doughnuts too. Some days just called for pastries.

  “Here you go.” Everly strolled over to the table in her animated, cheerful way, carrying a small tray piled with the petite, frosted doughnuts that smelled of warm cinnamon and sugar.

  “Thank you.” Cassidy did her best to smile, even with the confusion clouding her heart. “I love these things.” She pulled one off the plate right when her friend set it down.

  “I’m so glad.” Everly’s smile brightened at the compliment, which made Cassidy smile too. Spreading kindness always had a way of improving her mood.

  “I’m glad you moved here,” Cassidy said. “It’s about time we had some good organic food in town.” She’d heard Everly had left some high-powered job in California, but despite the local gossip queens’ best efforts, no one really knew what it was. “Have you always been interested in food?”

  “Um, yeah. Can I bring you anything else?” The offer was clearly meant to deflect the question, so Cassidy let it go. She knew all about not wanting to discuss the past. Sometimes clinging to the future was the only thing that got you through.

  “How about three more teas? My friends are meeting me here soon.”

  A look of relief engulfed Everly’s face. “Of course.” She scurried away and called over her shoulder, “I’ll have them right out.”

  Cassidy watched her go, unable to hold off her curiosity. It was none of her business, but the woman sure seemed to keep to herself. Maybe she and Darla should invite her to hit the Tumble Inn for a girls’ night before she left town.

  “Doughnuts!” Darla and Jessa traipsed into the cozy room, bringing with them the cheerful chatter she needed to distract her from thoughts of Levi. Naomi waddled along behind them, looking even more uncomfortable than she had the last time Cassidy had seen her.

  “Finally.” She stood to hug them all and then took her time fawning over Naomi’s adorable belly. “Hey, sweet little peanut,” she sang, patting her friend’s tummy. Naomi happened to be one of those moms who invited everyone to touch her belly. It had been eleven years since her last baby, and she glowed with excitement. “You have to make your appearance soon,” Cassidy murmured. “So I can babysit you…” Before she moved away.

  “I get first dibs.” Jessa slid onto the bench and claimed her seat on the other side of the table. “We are related, after all.”

  “Which is exactly why she’s going to leave the baby with me.” Darla sat next to Jessa. They’d both
thoughtfully left the end seat for Naomi, seeing as how she’d likely get up to pee twice while they sat there.

  “Good luck getting Lucas to leave this baby with anyone,” Naomi muttered with an affectionate roll of her eyes. “You should see him. Already so overprotective. I don’t know if he’ll let anyone else touch the baby.”

  “He’ll relax.” Jessa picked a doughnut off the platter. “And if he doesn’t, you’d better believe Lance’ll have a talk with him.”

  At that moment, Everly came out with another tray and passed around their drinks.

  “Thanks,” Darla said with a warm smile. She could win the award for the friendliest person in town. She had a gift for gently drawing people out of their shells. The more they resisted, the more determined she got. “How are things around here?” she asked Everly.

  “Good. So busy.” A proud smile made the woman seem less guarded. “Some company recently contacted me about selling my preserves in their stores.”

  “That’s amazing!” Jessa stirred a splash of milk into her tea. “I’m not surprised. Are you going to do it?”

  “I’m hoping to. I might need to hire more help around here though.” Everly glanced around, as though the prospect overwhelmed her. As far as Cassidy knew, she employed only four high school kids to help her out waiting on and busing tables. “If you hear of anyone looking for a job, let me know.”

  “We definitely will.” If only her mother were open to a restaurant job. While it might be hard work and a bit more stressful than the shelter, the Farm was a local hub. It could be the best place for her mother to connect with people.

  “You should try posting a job opening on the town’s Facebook page,” Darla suggested. As one of the chamber of commerce members, she was always advocating for people to interact on the town’s page.

  “Great idea. I’ve been meaning to join anyway.” Everly glanced over her shoulder, stress lining her features again. “I should get back to the kitchen. I have a ton of cleaning up to do before the lunch rush. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Thanks! Good to see you,” Naomi called.

  “Don’t worry about us,” Darla added. “We’re pretty low maintenance.”

  Everly gave them a grateful smile before she disappeared into the kitchen.

  Cassidy sighed. She used to be low maintenance. When she was working and going to school and didn’t have time for a social life or flings—or lusty make-out sessions on her couch. Life had sure gotten a lot more complicated since Levi had forced her to attend his rodeo.

  As though sensing her thoughts, Darla leaned halfway over the table and got in Cassidy’s face. “So what’s with the SOS text? Does this have anything to do with your hot dinner with Levi last night?”

  “You didn’t tell me things got hot with Levi last night,” Jessa said. Cassidy had called her to discuss details about her mom’s new job after Levi had gone home. But no, she hadn’t mentioned the extracurricular activities on the couch.

  “It wasn’t supposed to be a date.” She shot accusatory looks at both Jessa and Naomi. “You guys totally set me up. Sending him there with lasagna. You know I can’t resist your lasagna.”

  “Apparently, you can’t resist Levi either,” Darla mused.

  No. She sure hadn’t resisted him. And the way her body heated every time she thought about last night, she wouldn’t be able to resist him when she saw him again either.

  “So what happened?” Naomi asked. “Did you two…” She let the lift of her eyebrows fill in the blank.

  “No.” Cassidy shut them down before the chorus of squeals started. “But he did stay late, and we did make out on the couch.” The heat swirled low in her belly and flowed to her face. “And then he said he wanted to have a fling. Until I leave in July.”

  “Hold on,” Jessa said.

  “Back up,” Naomi added.

  “You’re really leaving?” Darla finished.

  Cassidy grinned at their tag-team conversation. They’d obviously spent too much time together. Or just the right amount of time, depending on how you looked at it. “The director of the pediatric nurse residency program in Denver called. I’ve been officially accepted.” Excitement swirled with apprehension, making her want to laugh and cry.

  Before she could do either, a small celebration broke out.

  “That’s so…great.” Naomi’s voice wobbled. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “Sorry. It’s just…I’ll miss you.”

  “But Denver’s not that far away,” Jessa put in quickly.

  “Yeah.” Darla patted Naomi’s shoulder. “We’ll totally come down for girls’ weekends.” Out of all of them, Darla would likely visit the most. She traveled to Denver at least once a month to go dancing. “You’ll love the city.”

  “I know. It’s just…” How could she tell them her hesitations without sounding pathetic? Or without letting it slip how far things had gone with Levi? She couldn’t go there or they’d totally encourage her. So she decided to lead with the less dramatic issue. “I’m worried about my mom.” Lulu hadn’t had a drink since the night of the tree incident, and Cassidy had found a solid AA program only an hour away, but she still hated to leave her. “I guess she’s made some progress. And working at the shelter will help, I think. But I’m worried about her being lonely.”

  Darla set another doughnut on her plate. “You’ve taken care of her for a long time, honey. But she’ll be okay. We’ll all be here. We’ll check in on her.”

  “Of course we will,” Naomi assured her. “We can invite her to our family dinners. And we’ll make sure to stop by the house regularly too.”

  “I’ll see her most days at the shelter,” Jessa added. “So I can keep you posted if there’s anything you need to know about.”

  “Thank you.” She’d been holding off the tears as best she could, but they finally overpowered her. “You guys are amazing.”

  “You deserve this.” Darla gave her hand a good squeeze. “Now about the thing you mentioned with Levi…”

  “Fling,” Cassidy corrected. “It’s not a thing. It’s only a fling.”

  The whole table erupted into laughter.

  “A fling?” Darla repeated. “You’re going to have a fling?”

  “Yes.” The word came out a little too defensively. “We agreed. No strings attached. Friends with benefits. Until I move.”

  Naomi and Jessa shared an undecipherable look. “That’s what Levi said he wanted?” Jessa asked with a doubting smirk.

  “That’s what we both want.” Cassidy lifted her mug and sipped her tea in an evasive maneuver. Truthfully, she was with her friends. She had no faith in her ability to carry on a fling while keeping her heart detached. Maybe it would be possible with someone other than Levi. But they were already so connected…

  “Levi is a damn idiot,” Jessa mumbled. She bit off a big hunk of a doughnut and scowled while she chewed.

  “What she means to say,” Naomi corrected in her soft, sweet way, “is that we were under the impression he was interested in a committed relationship with you. Long term. That’s the only reason I sent the lasagna last night. I never would’ve encouraged a fling.”

  “What’s wrong with a fling?” Cassidy demanded.

  “Absolutely nothing,” Darla, aka the Queen of Flings, said. “You deserve this. You deserve to have some fun after all the stress you’ve been under. And Levi Cortez is a special brand of fun.”

  Jessa shushed their friend with a disapproving look and studied Cassidy. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  No. Yes. Maybe what she wanted and needed were different things. She had to be practical. Levi made her feel good. More alive. But he wasn’t ready for a commitment any more than she was. “I don’t want anything tying me down when I move to Denver. I’ve never lived anywhere else. I didn’t get to go away to college and have all of those experiences.” That was easier than telling them the truth. That her heart was still broken. That she’d never healed. That she couldn’t give s
omeone all of herself.

  “Sure. We get it.” Naomi wasn’t smiling.

  “Just be careful,” Jessa warned. “A fling might not be a big deal with someone you just met, but you and Levi grew up together—”

  “Which means I know him,” Cassidy interrupted. “Don’t worry. I know how he is with women.” Ever since high school, women were like a challenge to Levi. A game. “But I do need to have more fun in my life.” Even just those few hours with him last night had made her feel lighter, not so burdened. “As long as I keep my expectations in line, everything will be fine. It’s not like we’re going to spend every minute together.” They’d simply hang out once in a while, make out, maybe spend a night together here and there.

  The thought revived those sensuous longings she’d experienced last night. Hopefully they’d spend a night together…

  “As long as you know what you’re doing,” Jessa muttered.

  She didn’t. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

  Chapter Thirteen

  When Levi walked into Jessa’s kitchen, he was mighty tempted to do an about-face and walk right back out.

  His sisters-in-law both sat at the table glaring at him. He’d agreed to meet Naomi at the ranch so she could show him the website and registration process she’d set up for the clinic. Basically, the woman had happily taken charge of all the administrative details, telling him not to worry about a thing, but he’d seen that look on their faces before.

  His mind jogged backward over the last week, trying to figure out what he could’ve done to piss them off. Nothing came to him.

  “Where are Lance and Lucas?” He held his ground a good twenty feet away from the women. Something told him he might need reinforcements for this conversation.

  “They left early to head up to Casper.” Naomi’s stern tone held no mercy. “They’re looking over a possible new purchase.”

  Likely another champion bull. When Lance had started their stock contracting operation after retiring as a bull rider, things had floundered until Lucas came on full time. Man, he should’ve tagged along with them instead of walking into some kind of ambush.