Page 25 of Cowhand Crush
Hoisting the backpack over my shoulder, I skirted past Dad’s office and slipped out the door. I didn’t have a plan, didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I had to get out of here to clear my head.
My phone buzzed. I scrambled to dig it out of my pocket, heart racing, hoping to finally get a response from Bowen.
Instead, it was a text from Birdie.
You need to see this. Rory sent it.
Attached was a video. I considered ignoring it, but something made me watch it anyway.
It was shaky and the audio was distorted, but I could clearly see Isaac tied to a rope, attached to the back of Bowen’s truck with Bowen in the front seat. He gunned the engine, making Isaac skid on the pavement.
“What do you say, asshole? Are we going for a spin around town?”
Holy shit. What the hell was Bowen doing?
Isaac’s voice was shrill with fear. I had to admit it was satisfying to hear the smug tone he typically used with me was completely nonexistent now.
“Okay! Okay!”
Bowen got out of his truck, standing over Isaac with his arms crossed. Jesus Christ, he looked hot—his shirt stretched tight across his broad, muscled back, delivering that menacing glower.
“Let me go, all right? Are you happy now? I’ll leave. Tonight.”
There was a pause. Bowen remained unmoving. Isaac finally spoke.
“And I won’t contact Avery again.”
The video ended. I watched it five more times, memorizing every movement, every gesture, every word. My heart swelled in my chest. Leaving the ranch behind, I went in search of Bowen.
Chapter 9
Bowen
“You’re a hard man to find when you don’t want to be found.”
I glanced up at the sound of Avery’s voice. She traipsed across the field, wading through knee-high grass. My heart squeezed at the sight of her. We’d been apart since this morning, but it felt like a lifetime.
As soon as I took a job at the Elroy ranch, I was put to work out here, driving posts into the dirt to build a new fence. Since it was a small spread of land—about twenty acres compared to the hundreds of acres at High Plains—there were only three other cowboys on the payroll and they were busy cutting hay in another field. I was grateful for the peace and quiet, along with the chance to sweat out my frustrations alone with a few hours of physical labor.
“You should have saved yourself the trouble,” I replied. “It would make your life a hell of a lot easier.”
Avery snorted.
“When have I ever picked the easier option?”
I tore my gaze away from her, focusing on the post as I settled it in the ground. It was dangerous to look at Avery too long—like staring into the sun, brilliant and beautiful.
“You haven’t been answering my calls,” she said.
I shook my head.
“I figured if I give you enough time, you’ll realize I’m holding you back.”
Avery frowned and stepped closer.
“You could never hold me back.”
The pinch of stress around her eyes was more visible now. I hated seeing her unhappy, even if she valiantly tried to hide it. I let the fence post drop to the grass automatically as I reached out to her. She curled into me, burying her face in my chest.