The True Cowboy of Sunset Ridge (Gold Valley #14)(24)

Like living in her own space. Being independent and not emotionally codependent.

“I am practicing,” she said into the room. “I am practicing.”

The first thing she did was set up her music so that she had something to sing to. And with that, she did her best to allay the lingering tension that she felt. Her mind continually straying back to the night she had spent in bed with him... Well, she was just reliving the climb.

It did not mean that she wanted to do it again. Didn’t mean she would.

She was being a mature adult.

“Welcome, Mallory,” she said to herself. “Maturity is yours.”



CHAPTER FIVE


“SHE IS MY DAMN TENANT.”

“What?” Jake was looking at him like he was insane, and he realized that he had not introduced this story with any kind of explanation. But then, he hadn’t decided yet he wanted to give his brother an explanation. Except... He’d said that, because it was the first thing that crossed his mind when he saw Jake on the back of his horse, getting ready to go out and ride.

“Mallory Chance.”

“Griffin’s sister?”

“The very same.”

“Why exactly did you say it like that?”

“Well, it may surprise you to learn, Jake, that I have seen her before. Before dinner on Sunday.”

“Really?”

He gave his brother a hard look.

“Oh,” Jake said, realization clearly sweeping over him in that moment. “Well, Griffin is going to kill you.”

“Griffin isn’t going to find out, because we are never doing that again. But, imagine my surprise to discover that the sexy stranger I hooked up with last week is not only related to my cousin’s husband, but she is living on my property.”

“Well, maybe it’s a sign you need to date her. You did sleep with her after all.”

“I don’t date. And anyway what year is it, Jake? You slipped into some kind of 1950s fantasy that I should be aware of?”

His brother cackled out loud at that. “Right. Can you imagine Cal the 1950s housewife? If I told her to put on an apron, she’d slap my face.” Though Jake didn’t look upset at the idea.

“Another ringing endorsement for marriage.”

“Hey, I’m glad to hear that you hooked up. I was getting a little bit worried about you.”

“I don’t deserve your happiness. It wasn’t something I should have done. It’s not something I’m interested in repeating. I promise you that.”

“I mean, do you think she’s hot?”

“You’re not listening. It’s Griffin’s sister.”

“No, I heard you. I guess I’m just wondering why it’s such a bad thing, because what it sounds like to me is you’ve got a little proximity and a lot of opportunity, and I don’t know why you’re so intent on denying yourself.”

“I don’t want proximity.”

He did not talk about this shit. But he was out here opening his damn mouth talking to his brother. That was the thing. They’d been talking lately.

Which was different for the two of them.

The entire family had always assumed they were close.

Because of course they had gone off to the rodeo together, so they must be the best of friends.

The fact of the matter was he and Jake might have gone off together, but once they’d left, they’d gone their separate ways more or less. They’d run in their own circles. Drank with their own friends. And he’d never talked about serious stuff to anyone.

But ever since Jake had gotten married it had changed.

When Jake had nearly lost Cal, Colt had been the one his brother had talked to about it, and it had been impossible for them to not end up talking about their lives. About their losses.

And the talk about the end of theirs parents’ lives had strayed into territory Colt didn’t want to wade into. Because it required mining those last moments of his father’s life, and Colt just really didn’t want to do that.

It was too painful.

Honestly, in general, he laughed about trauma stuff. Maybe that wasn’t enlightened, but mostly he just felt like if you could go on, you should. Just dust yourself off and keep walking.

Those memories... Those memories lived somewhere deep. And sometimes they overtook him and he was forced to play them out from beginning to end.

More often than not, he was pretty successful at stopping them. That was the best thing to do. It was the best thing he could do—just get on with things.

But he wasn’t sure why. That was the thing. Trent’s death had made everything feel closer to the surface.

Because death felt like it was everywhere. All around him. Inescapable. The aftermath of it. The unfairness of it. The feeling of being left when you should be the one that was gone. It was one of those things you never explained to another person. He could barely explain it to himself.

“I needed to change some things. I was headed to an early death.”

Except death seemed to skip him every time it came by.

“Yeah,” Jake said. “I worry about you. I guess my question is, why do you suddenly care?”

“You know why. If I kept on living like I did, isn’t that just spitting on Trent’s grave? He was going to be a father, Jake. He had so much to live for. And here I am.”