Page 9 of Forbidden Cowboy
“Mmhmm,” she replied, with that same air of amusement she had often used on teenage boys that had tried to flirt with her when we were younger.
“Let’s just go,” I said.
She stopped in the doorway, and I turned to see her looking at Beau. He obviously couldn’t acknowledge her worried stare, but I placed a hand on her shoulder.
“He’ll be fine, Squish,” I said quietly.
She let out a small laugh.
“Don’t call me Squish,” she replied, and turned away from Beau.
Of course, she stopped at the nurses’ station, to double and triple check that they had the right phone number for her, and that they would call if anything happened. After a week of nothing happening, however, I thought it unlikely.
* * *
Lunch turned out to be brunch, since we were too early for the lunch menu to be up.
In any case, the small restaurant was a nice escape, and I could see Sierra visibly relaxing as we laughed about new films and old school memories. Neither of us strayed too close to the subject of graduation, and I was grateful for that.
When we stepped out of the restaurant, I saw her eyes flicker up to the hospital.
“He was fine through lunch, right?” I asked, stepping into her line of vision.
She refocused on me, and bit her lip in an entirely unfair way before nodding.
“I’m just scared,” she admitted quietly, and my heart ached for her.
I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and reassure her that everything would be okay, but for two reasons, I couldn’t. One, it would break the fragile trust I had built between us by staying at arm’s length, and two, I wasn’t sure that everything would be okay. I didn’t let the concern show on my face, knowing I had to keep up the stronger side, to support her. As much as I considered him one, Beau was really her brother.
“I promise, we will be back in minutes if they call,” I replied solemnly, and she squinted into my eyes like she was searching for any sign of my misleading her.
I kept my face open and honest, and finally, after what felt like an eon, she relented.
“What exactly are we doing in town?”
“I’m so glad you asked!” I smirked.
I led her to my truck, and she laughed in one of the first real ways I’d heard since she arrived. It felt cleansing, and as soon as the echoes of her laugh faded, I knew I’d do anything to hear it again.
“Wow, you upgraded, didn’t you?”
“Oh, my God, Iforgot,” I said, and then I was laughing too.
She was staring at my truck, in all its ridiculously large and expensive glory. It had muddy tires and splashes of dirt from driving around the ranch that morning, but overall, with its smooth black finish and shining grill, it was definitely an upgrade from the last vehicle she’d seen of mine.
“God, when your mom made you drive that Bug after you totaled your Chevy, I thought you’d die from embarrassment!”
“I’m pretty sure I repressed that memory,” I groaned, unlocking the cab and holding open the side door for her. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Beau and I used to laugh so hard when we saw you pulling up to school, all folded up in the front seat like it was a little clown car! And remember when your mom made you go collect the feed?”
“Hey, I fit six sacks of cow feed in the back of that little Bug, don’t forget that!” I countered.
She was still laughing about how ridiculous I looked when she gripped the handle and swung herself in with ease. She was still strong, I noted with admiration, and I couldn’t deny that the fluidity in the way she moved was definitely appealing to me.
After I shut the door behind her and she was busying herself with the seatbelt, I took a moment to clear my head and swallow heavily, pushing the resurfacing, vibrant emotions back down.
She didn’t need a lover, she needed a friend, and that’s what I intended on being.