Cowboy Up(20)

“Done!” I bark, standing from my seat so swiftly, the old wooden chair topples over. I don’t even look at the people cracking up at my discomfort. Stomping over to the two women who thought up this torture, I slap my paper on the table in front of them. “I’m not babysittin’ until those rugrats are potty trained.”

Quinn laughs her ass off. Leigh just smiles sweetly up at me.

I’m opening my mouth to tell them just how serious I am when Leigh looks over my shoulder, her smile growing. Then I hear a voice that’s been haunting my dreams for almost two months now.

“Hey . . . uh, I’m sorry I’m late,” the sweet-as-pie voice says from behind me.

Takes everything in me to not react when there’s one hell of a war raging inside of me from just hearing that breathy apology. I clench my teeth so hard, my jaw hurts, but I don’t turn.

“That’s all right, honey. I know you’ve been going through a lot lately so I’m just happy you came out.”

“She wouldn’t have missed it,” a new voice I don’t recognize says.

“Lucy loves babies.” My heart thunders in my chest when I hear her speak again.

Leighton stands and walks past me, I assume to greet the late guests. Quinn slaps my thigh and I look down at my sister.

“Get out of my way, you big giant.”

Realizing I’m blocking her ability to heave out of her seat, I reach down and help her stand. She shoves me aside the second she’s up with more strength than a tiny woman should have, and follows in Leigh’s wake. I steady my breathing and turn. I should have known nothing I could do would matter. When I saw her across the smoke-filled bar the other night, I felt that like a punch in the gut. Now, seeing her this close is enough to have my cock going from zero to sixty. She doesn’t notice me, or if she does, she isn’t making it obvious. Her eyes flicker around the crowded barn, looking at what seems like everything and anything at once. If I thought it was hard to ignore this pull without being face-to-face, it’s going to be next to impossible now. And I’m not even sure if I want to ignore it.

Fuck, I need to get out of here and figure out what the hell is going through my mind.

“You remember my big brother Clay right Caroline?”

I look away from the dark-haired beauty who has me licking my lips and praying for an apple pie to look at my sister. I know Luke called her Carrie that night, I heard it clear as day, and the name has stuck with me since. Just as the thought comes, I remember the name she was screaming in my ear that same night. Looks like we were both playing a damn game.

She looks up at me, her cheeks turning pink despite her olive skin. Her dark brown eyes search mine, but I don’t see recognition. One dainty hand comes out, timidly, and she gives me a weak smile. What happened to the feisty woman who came on my cock so many times I felt the vise grip days after I snuck out of that hotel room?

“N-nice to meet you,” she says softly.

Reaching out, I drag the tips of my fingers down hers and across her palm before engulfing her hand inside of mine. I know the exact moment she figures it out. Her plump lips part on a gasp and her hand spasms in mine.

“Pleasure,” I rumble, my voice just as thick as my cock.

“Davis,” she breathes.

“Yeah,” Quinn chuckles, drawing the word out and looking at her like she’s lost her mind. “My oldest brother, Clayton Davis, the family name and all.”

My eyes stay on hers as the silence turns awkward for those watching. Putting her out of her misery, I regretfully release her hand and take a step back, tipping my chin down in a quick nod. “I’ll leave you ladies to catch up.”

Still looking at Carrie—no, Caroline—I raise a brow and hope to God she sees the promise in my gaze. This isn’t over. Just touching her again was enough to make that thought clear as day to myself. No more denying this connection.

I might’ve been prepared to never give in to that again, but there isn’t a force strong enough to keep us from colliding. And that’s just what we’re doing. I’ve felt that tug twice now in her presence as the connection between us pulled and pulled. We aren’t going to ignore fate if she wants us to cross paths. I would have probably gone on my way without looking for this woman who’s haunted my memories for two months, but I’m not a stupid man and I damn sure won’t look a gift horse in the mouth now that this is proving to be inevitable.

We’ll finish this later.

Caroline and me.

In private.





8


CAROLINE


“Flatliner” by Cole Swindell & Dierks Bentley



“What the hell was that?” Lucy hisses after Clayton Davis disappears through the open door that we had just entered a few minutes before.