Page 24 of A Cowboy's Heart

“No shit,” he muttered.

“My husband was a real jerk.”

“He must have been if he let you go.”

She sighed. “It’s not a pretty story. Suffice it to say, he accused me of cheating with Rocky when in fact, he was sleeping with anotherwoman.”

“Asshole. Why would any man fuck around on you?”

“He thought he was God’s gift. Trust me, if he’s God’s gift, I’d rather have the money.”

Devin chuckled then reached for her hand. “Do you want to tell me about him?”

“We got married when we were both twenty-five. I was a virgin on our wedding night. I remember being disappointed because I thought there was more to it than that. Not until later did I know I was right. He was only in it for himself. I was miserable but once I got the job with Rocky, I put it behind me and put everything into the job. Then Edwin got jealous of Rocky and accused me of sleeping with him. We had a huge argument. The next day I decided to go home early, so we could have a talk. I was ready to tell him I wanted a divorce. I found a note from him telling me he was leaving me for another woman he had fallen in love with and who wasn’t cold in bed like I was—” Devin snorted but then she continued. “I filed for divorce that day and have never regretted it. She can have him. We were married twelve years. I know it wasn’t me with the problem.” Willa smiled as she stood.

“He’s an idiot, and I can’t believe you put up with bad sex that long. You have some catching up to do then. Let’s go inside.” Devin stood and glanced over the rail. “Come on, Dolly.”

****

Later when they lay in bed together, Willa had her head on his chest and her arm across his waist. His arms were wrapped tightly aroundher.

“How long have you owned Bur Oak?” she asked him.

“Five years now.”

“What did you do before then?”

“I was a bull rider.”

“Get out,” she exclaimed.

“Seriously? A thirty-nine-year-old woman says that?”

“Forty but who’s counting?”

“You are darlin’. I’m sure as hell not.”

Tilting her head back, Willa looked up at him. “Why did you leave bull riding?”

Devin sighed. “Jax and I talked about doing this for years.” He shrugged. “I told him when we each won another buckle, we’d start on it. I won mine before he did so I came here and took care of getting construction crews in to get started. Then two years ago, after winning his own buckle, Jax was on his way home from Idaho Falls with his wife when a drunk driver hit his car head-on. He’d been driving, and Bethany was asleep. The car was hit so hard that it spun around then slammed into a tree on the driver’s side, crushing Jaxon’s hip, and breaking his leg in several places.”

Willa gasped. “Oh my God. That’s horrible. I can’t imagine the pain he was in.”

“He had to have emergency surgery.”

“Wait. Jaxon is married?” She frowned.

“Bethany died at the scene,” he said in a quiet voice, the memory closing his throat.

Willa sat up and looked at him. “How awful.”

“He told me he begged her to hang on, but shetold him she knew she wasn’t going to make it out of the car.” Devin swallowed hard. “She was right. Jax said she told him to find someone new, but all he could do was beg her to stay with him. Our uncle, Declan flew us all to Idaho Falls then he flew Bethany’s body back here. For a year, Jaxon didn’t want to do anything. He blamed himself for her death. He lived here with me for a while then he finally started to work on the ranch and built his own home. He and Bethany had owned a small ranch not too far from here, but he wouldn’t go back to it when he returned to town. Mom and Dad packed up everything. The boxes are in their attic. Jaxon sold the ranch and has never asked to see the things packed away. He took her death really hard.”

“How long had they been married?”

“About three years. He saw her at a rodeo and fell for her the minute he saw her. We all loved her, but she was his world. I can’t see him finding another woman, but I still hope he does.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, and Devin wiped it away.

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