Dearest Cowboys Box Set

by Mia Brown

  “Why did you go out with him?” I asked.

  She frowned. “What do you mean? What was I supposed to do? Hang around all day for you?”

  “Does that mean you wanted to be with me?”

  “Of course I did. Wasn’t it obvious?”

  “Uh, no. I thought you didn’t want to be with me. After we slept together that last time, you barely said goodbye to me.”

  She looked at me in surprise. “But that’s because you told me that we would be better off being friends. You said that I would one day make some man very happy. You didn’t say that I would make you happy.”

  I groaned. “Oh, I made such a mess of things. I guess things got confused while we were pretending to be in love. Somewhere along the way, I think things just got blurry. I’m sorry.”

  “Are you sure, though? Do you really have feelings for me?” she pressed.

  “Of course I do. Why do you think I’m here? Hey, you don’t believe me. Why?”

  She sighed. “Houston, you showed absolutely no interest in me until the wedding. The only time you started showing interest in me was when you were drunk. Also, you only seemed to really notice me when I was all dressed up and when I was wearing makeup. Look at me; I’m not that girl. I tried it out again when you left, but it doesn’t feel right. I don’t mind dressing up a bit, but for the most part, I still want to feel like myself. And the last thing I want is for someone to like the one side of me that is nothing like me at all. So, if you want a girl to look pretty on your arm, then I’m probably not the girl for you.”

  “You don’t really believe all that, do you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “I lived with you for about two weeks, didn’t I? I saw you wearing all sorts of things, and I still liked you. I wasn’t drunk when we had sex the second time or all the other times. Sure, we were drunk at the wedding, and yes, seeing you all dressed up made me look at you in a different way. But that’s not the reason I fell for you. I like you in a dress just as much as I like you without a dress. I’m attracted to you, not what you wear. If you want to go out in jeans and flannels, that is fine by me.

  If you want to hit the bar instead of The Grilled Duck, that’s also good. I don’t care where we are or what you are wearing. I just like being with you. I’ve been a complete fool this whole time. I’ve missed out on the greatest woman in the world. Someone who has been in front of me all these years. Now I can’t get you out of my head.”

  She smiled. “I can’t get you out of my head, either.”

  I grinned. “That’s good to hear. Cass, I’m an idiot. If you want to throw me out, I totally understand. But I’m going to do my best to convince you otherwise. I should’ve done this a long time ago. I wasn’t pretending when I was with you, and I’m not pretending now. I’m madly in love with you.”

  “Love?” she gasped.

  “I love you, Cassidy Thomas,” I said.

  “I love you, Houston Jones.”

  “Oh, thank goodness. I feel like we’ve done this all backwards, but I would love to be with you again.”

  “I’d love to be with you.”

  “Can I ask you a favor?” I asked with a grin.

  “Name it.”

  “Put your overalls on.”

  Thirty-Five

  Cassidy

  “What?” I asked Houston as I tried to make sense of his request. Had I heard him correctly?

  He smiled. He had a naughty look on his face. “Ever since the two of us got together, I’ve had visions of you wearing your overalls with nothing else underneath. Would you do it for me?”

  I stared at him in surprise. “You want to see me in my overalls?”

  “I told you it wasn’t the fancy dresses that made me like you. Uh, yes please,” he said.

  I laughed. “Wow, this is some request. And what exactly is going to happen once I put them on?”

  “Oh, I’ll just take them right off, but the image will stay with me forever.”

  I grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

  I rushed to my room to put on my overalls, making sure to have nothing else on underneath. I stood in the mirror first, assessing myself, and felt excited for the first time in what felt like forever. I tried to see myself the way he was about to see me, and I guess I could see the appeal. There was something a bit sexy about overalls over a naked body. I might be petite, but I’d always had big breasts for my small body, and they bulged out at the sides now, impossible to hide. I unclipped one side of the overalls, so it slung low over my breast. Even better. I took a brush through my hair, dabbed on some perfume, and headed out.

  “Hey, cowboy,” I said as I went outside.

  Houston turned to look at me, and the look on his face was something I wish I could bottle up and keep forever. The look of desire on his face was raw and real, and I knew in that instant that he meant everything that he had said to me before. He found me attractive. Not the me that paraded around in dresses and makeup, but the real me.

  “Oh, that’s even better than I imagined it would be,” he said with an open mouth. “You’re so beautiful. Just stand there. I want to admire you for a while because there is no way that those overalls are going to stay on you for very long.”

  I stood there, biting my lips in anticipation of what was to come. Every time I’d had sex with Houston I had wished that it wasn’t going to be the final time. The last time in the guest room had felt so final, and I had worried that I would never experience that again. It felt so good knowing that it was going to finally happen again. I couldn’t wait any longer, though. I undid the clasp of the other strap, and as it fell down, both of my breasts were now exposed.

  It was a cool morning, and my nipples were erect in the breeze. I thought of taking it inside, but there was so something so sexy about being outside. Someone could walk in at any moment and find us, but that only made me feel more excited. I pulled the overalls off and then ordered Houston to take off his clothes. I enjoyed watching the process and smiled as I noticed how turned on he was. He began walking towards me, but I stopped him.

  “No, sit down,” I said. I was surprised by how authoritative I sounded. I liked it. Clearly, Houston did too.

  I made my way over to him, beams of sun pouring over me as I sat down and wrapped my legs around him. The sofa was big, and there was ample space for the two of us. I was already so wet from the excitement, and the moment I sat on him he slid inside me, and I groaned. Oh, I had missed this. I looked down at him and smiled. Houston was the most handsome man I had ever met. No wonder I hadn’t ever felt anything for Tad or even for Jake. How could I ever like anyone after being with a man like this?

  I leaned down so that our mouths touched one another’s, and we kissed with fiery passion. Lips on lips, tongues dancing together. Having him with me was like coming home after being away for a very long time. I rocked over him gently at first, still kissing and enjoying the sensation of him inside me. I sat up now so that he could get in even deeper, and as I sat up straight, he moved his hands over my breasts, squeezing my nipples lightly. He pulled me closer so that his lips were now over them, sucking each one while I moaned at the sensation.

  He held onto my waist while I rocked over him, and as the rocking got faster and he became harder, I knew that I could no longer hold on. I was about to tell him to slow down before I came, but before I knew what was happening, it felt as if the entire world had blacked out. I could no longer see anything. The only thing that I could do was feel. My body vibrated with pleasure over and over again. I felt him coming inside me, and that only made me come even more. With one final spasm, I collapsed into his arms. I kissed his neck, and he shivered. I moved to his mouth, and we kissed slowly and gently. He was still inside me, and I didn’t want to move. I stopped and looked at him.

  “I’ve missed that,” I said.

  He smiled. “I’ve missed that, too. I will never get that image of you in the overalls out of my head.”

  I laughed. “In a
good way?”

  “Oh yes, in the best way,” he said.

  I slid off him and then scooted my way close to him so that he could wrap his arm around me. I looked out into the field and smiled.

  “That’s a first for me.”

  “The overalls?” he asked.

  “Well, yes. That too. But also this. Sex outside.”

  “Yeah, I never expected that to happen today. There’s something quite exciting about the fact that someone could’ve walked in on us,” he said.

  I laughed. “I thought the same thing. Although I’m now starting to realize what a bad idea that is. You and I already have a bad reputation around town. Imagine someone walking in on this.”

  “Ah, let them talk,” Houston said. “Although I am starting to get a bit cold.”

  I chuckled. “Me too. How about a shower and some more coffee? I didn’t get a chance to finish the first cup you made me.”

  “Deal.”

  We took a shower together, which was wonderful. We didn’t have more sex, but we spent time with each other’s bodies, and we did a whole bunch of kissing. It was the best shower I had ever experienced in my life. Afterwards, we got changed and then went to sit back outside on the sofa. We had coffee, snacks, and a blanket, and we decided that we were going to spend the day doing as very little as possible.

  “Oh, I have something for you,” Houston said. He reached into his pocket and got out a small box, and my eyes widened. Was he going to propose to me? “It’s not a wedding ring,” he said, and then chuckled nervously. “Sorry, I just realized as I was handing it over to you what it might look like.”

  I giggled. “Thanks for the heads-up. What is it?”

  “Open it.”

  I opened the box and gasped when I saw my necklace inside with the little horse pendant.

  “I thought I had lost this.”

  “You did,” he said. “I found it in my bag. It must’ve fallen in there somehow. At that time we weren’t really speaking, so I just held onto it. I couldn’t throw it away. I knew how much it meant to you. I’m sorry, I should’ve brought it to you a long time ago. For a while, it sat in my room, and I looked at it every day. Then it all got to be too much, so I put it under my bed where I couldn’t see it. But I always knew it was there. It was like I had a part of you with me this whole time.”

  “I’m so happy you found it,” I said. I put it on and smiled. I felt so much better having it on me. I had considered trying to find a new one for quite some time, but it didn’t feel right. “Now I feel like myself again.”

  “You look like yourself again,” Houston said.

  “What does that mean?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if he was offering me a compliment or an insult. He was smiling though, so I hoped that he was saying something nice.

  “It means you look beautiful,” he said as he leaned over to kiss me. “And happy.”

  “You make me happy. I feel so peaceful right now.”

  He grinned. “Poor Tad would be so jealous of me right now. Which is such a wonderful thought.”

  I groaned. “Tad better never come near me again.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, I will make sure of it,” Houston said. “Cassidy, will you officially be my girlfriend?” he asked.

  I chuckled. “Your real girlfriend or your fake one?” I asked.

  “Oh, definitely my real one this time,” he said.

  I smiled. “Then yes, I would love to be your real girlfriend. I could think of nothing better in the world. No more pretending for you and I. We’ve had our fair share of lies. The truth from here on out.”

  It felt so good to finally be together again, and to have finally both spoken our truth. One small little lie had led to some of the craziest months of our lives, and we would now never be able to lie again. I couldn’t be upset about it, though. That one lie had led to this moment, and for that I would always be grateful.

  “I hate to say it, but I sort of feel grateful that the witch invited me to her wedding,” I said.

  Houston laughed. “Yeah, if it wasn’t for the witch we might never have found each other. She was good for one thing, at least.”

  “You know, despite everything that happened, I have to admit that the wedding was the best wedding I have ever been to. I went to 11 weddings in two years, and that was the only one I enjoyed.”

  Houston laughed. “Same. Although, be honest, Cassidy. It was my dance moves that got you in the end, didn’t it? The moment you saw me tear it up on the dance floor you knew that you wanted me in bed.”

  I sighed and nodded. “It’s true. Your dance moves were the best I have ever seen in my life. I was mentally undressing you with my eyes the whole time.”

  He laughed. “I’m actually surprised you still wanted to sleep with me after that.”

  I grinned. “Oh, you made up for it in the bedroom, that’s for sure.”

  “Best wedding in the world,” he said. “Thank you, witch.”

  I chuckled. “Thank you, witch.” And that was why Houston and I were such a good match for each other. I had spent years of my life hating Lara and wishing that I had never met her. Now, because of Houston, I was so glad that she was in my life. Somehow, even through all the bullying and the hard times, I had come out the other side a better and happier person. My fingers found the little horse on my necklace, and I smiled. I was home.

  “I love you, Cassidy.”

  “I love you too, boyfriend,” I said, and chuckled. I really liked the sound of that. I had waited a long time to find love, but the wait had most definitely been worth it.

  Thirty-Six

  Houston

  It had been a week since Cassidy and I had finally come together again, and I felt content. It simply felt right with her in my life. There was only one more thing to do, and that was to speak to my father. I thought of a million ways of talking to him, but in the end, I settled on what I had always planned to do. I changed into some work clothes and headed out to his ranch to begin my work.

  “Houston, good to see you back,” one of the ranch hands called out.

  I smiled. It was good to be back. I worked solidly for the next two hours. Near the end, I noticed my father nearby, and I knew that he had seen me, but it took a while for him to finally come over to me.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk. I need to stretch my legs.”

  I nodded, washed my hands at the nearby faucet, and followed. We walked for a while, neither of us saying anything, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

  “So, back to work I see,” he said, gruffly but not unkindly.

  “I should’ve come back to work a long time ago,” I said. “It’s not right that I get paid without working. I’ve never wanted to be that sort of son. I want you to know that. I’m going to work even harder to make up for it.”

  “You’re not that sort of son. You never have been. You’ve always been a hard worker, Houston. It’s good to have you back. Between you and me, the other guys don’t work nearly as well as you do.”

  I smiled. A compliment was a good sign. “I like working here. I always have.”

  “I like having you here. It’s been strange not having you around, son.”

  “I’m sorry. I messed everything up.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I can be so stubborn sometimes. Why did you lie to me, though? Why didn’t you tell me the truth from the start? I don’t understand why you did what you did.”

  “I tried to explain it to you so many times, but you wouldn’t listen,” I said.

  “I know. I’m listening now.”

  I nodded. He seemed remorseful, and I was glad he was letting me talk. I explained the whole thing for him, detailing it all from the start. I wanted him to know what sort of woman Lara was and how much she had hurt Cassidy. I wanted him to know that Cassidy was not a liar and that she had only done it to protect herself.

  “And then you went along with it to protect her?”

  I sighed. “Yeah, pretty much. After that,
the whole thing spiraled out of control. Then, when you found out, it made it even worse. I have never seen you look so happy before. It…it broke my heart to tell you the truth. Although, I did try to tell you. I just didn’t try hard enough.

  It was nice to see you this way. Dad, uh…I haven’t seen you look that happy since Mom was still alive. I know that’s a sorry excuse, but I really wanted to hold onto that a little bit longer. Just a bit more. I didn’t realize how much I missed seeing that happy side of you until now.”

  “Oh, Houston, I’m sorry. I really am so sorry. I haven’t been a good father to you.”

  I stopped and looked at him then, and I suddenly realized how much older he looked. And how fragile he seemed to me. I hadn’t noticed that before. He had always seemed invincible to me. This strong man who would never let anything bring him down.

  “Dad, you’ve been the most incredible father to me. Don’t ever think otherwise. The very reason why all of this has been so hard for me is that I thought that I had let you down, and that was the worst feeling in the world. I didn’t know how to make it better. In fact, I made it worse.

  I moved in with her and created this whole idea in my head of how I was going to tell you that we tried to be in a relationship, but it didn’t work out. Looking back, the whole thing is just so ridiculous. But that’s what happens when you get too deep into a lie, I guess.”

  “For what it’s worth, it will make a good story one day.”

  I laughed. “That’s true.”

  “I thought this whole thing was my fault, you know. It’s why I’ve been so distant. I was angry at first, and after that, I just felt so terrible about it all.”

  “Your fault?” I asked with surprise. “Why would it be your fault?”

  “I thought you got married quickly because you thought that maybe you didn’t want me to be a part of the wedding or something. Then, when I confronted you like that, I thought that maybe you split up because of me. That maybe I caused an argument or something. I figured you were better off without me hanging around and causing problems for you. That was why I didn’t come see you again. I thought I was only going to make things worse for you.”