Page 36 of My Cowboy Valentine

Looking at me earnestly, he adds, “You may be wondering if I deserve you after you see the most recent internet tabloids. I’ve definitely earned the nickname Rowdy all over again and not in a good way. The press is making me out to be the redneck dick in our relationship, and now Shelley’s threatening to sue the company on sexual harassment charges.”

“Shelley works for Raphael Pharrell,” I say quietly, watching shock and recognition wash over his face. “He admitted it tome earlier today. She’s the one who sent photos of the new line, and she purposely undermined the first fit testing. I believe Pharrell planned to handicap your brand from the get-go, so he could swoop in as the savior investor. My guess is that’s what the sexual harassment suit is about, too. Thinking back on it, I wonder if he was behind the string of bad luck with my brand that crippled it, forcing me to relinquish total ownership.”

“Damn, the fashion industry’s cut-throat. Makes eight seconds on a bull downright tame,” Ronald says, shaking his head.

“Yes, and I’d be lying if I said all this time in New York, being in this world driven by manipulation and deceit hasn’t changed me for the worse. I’m not the Lesley you grew up with…” I pause, burying my head in my hands and sobbing as Ronald puts his arms around me. “But I want to be her again. Please don’t give up on me. You’re the only lifeline I have to get back to who I want to be.”

“I will never stop with you, Lesley. I aim to keep that promise.”

“God, I don’t deserve you,” I exclaim, wiping more tears from my cheeks. “But I love you, Ronald. More than I ever thought I could love another person. These past three days away from you have given me the clarity to see this. So, you’ll have to figure out how to put up with me as I work on doing better.”

He palms my cheek and turns my face towards his, his eyes red with emotion. “I want nothing more than to put up with you for the rest of my life. Love is about staying in it for the long haul, no matter what. That means not running away to New York City every time the going gets tough. Love is you and me facing the world and its challenges together, as one force to be reckoned with. Can you agree to that?”

“Yes,” I sniffle, my eyes swimming with emotion. “But technically, I left you a note making it pretty clear I wasn’t leaving you for good. I just had stuff I needed to fix.”

“We can fix stuff together from now on, Lesley.” He levels his gaze on me, his eyes tender and love-filled. Retrieving my folded note halfway from his pocket before shoving it back and patting the spot on his duster. “But thank you for this. If you hadn’t left it, and all I saw on the counter was the ring? That would’ve been tough for me. At least this way I knew to come looking for you.”

“But how did you find me at the stables? I didn’t even know I was coming here until the thought hit me after I met with Pharrell.”

“After you left, I started plotting ways of finding you. That included calling Island in the City and throwing my name around and my PRCA past with the stable owners. It didn’t take much for them to tell me every appointment you had on the schedule and promise to call me if you stopped by sooner. I flew in this morning and planned to hunt you down at your apartment when I got the call to head here.” His face darkens as he adds, “So, you met with Pharrell. How did that go?”

I shrug, exhaling deeply and smiling. “I gave him everything he wanted from me. The entire Red Brand.”

“Lesley, I’m sorry. I know how much that company means to you.”

“Technically, he already owns it,” I remind him. “I just finally heeded the writing on the wall, freeing myself in the process. It’s a marvelous feeling despite the loss.”

“I can’t imagine how difficult that must’ve been for you.”

“It’s worth it to have my freedom again and, more importantly, to have you,” I say with a big smile. He returns it with a closed-mouth grin, but it’s not as big as I’m used to. Something’s still gnawing at the back of his mind. “What else do you need to say, Rowdy?”

“I need you to tell me the truth from now on. No matter how ugly it seems. I’m supposed to be the one person who knows you better than anyone else in this world. So, it hurts more when I get taken by surprise about you. Can you promise me that?”

“I promise, Ronald. And I’m sorry for hurting you like that,” I answer firmly, leaning forward and stroking his square jawline. “But get ready for a horror show. I’ve tended to be the villainess more than the heroine of my life up to this point.”

“Thankfully, you’re also sexy as hell, which means I don’t mind putting up with a little villainy…in the bedroom.”

I chuckle as he rubs his thumb over my cheek, wiping away my tears.

He adds, “Villainesses don’t cry this much, though, Lesley, which makes it pretty damn clear you’ve got a tender heart beneath those abrasive outer walls you’ve constructed around yourself. All I ask is you let me into that soft spot inside you. I promise to protect it with my life if need be.”

“Yes, Ronald. I will. But you’ll need to be patient because being myself doesn’t always come easy for me.” I can’t help but snicker at the ridiculousness of my own words, even though they couldn’t be more sincere.

“I will always be patient with you, Lesley. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I need you more than you can possibly imagine.”

“Oh, I can imagine. These past three days without you have been pure hell,” I confess.

“For me, too,” he says with a relieved smile, motioning for us to ride together. We do in silence for a few minutes before the cowboy stops, and I follow.

“Now, I’ve told you what I need from you. What do you need from me?” He sits back in the saddle as if preparing to take a punch to the face.

“Well, your reputation with your female employees isn’t looking so hot these days. So, leave the fairer sex to me at work, okay?”

“You sound jealous,” he says with a lopsided grin.

“More jealous than you’ll ever know,” I reply with a soft growl. “So jealous I’m going to take it out on your body later. You know, let out some of that villainy.”

He laughs deep in his chest. “Good, because three days without you’s made me hornier than the devil, and I’m ready to make up for lost time. Race you back to the stables?”

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