Page 31 of The Cowboy Complication

After drying off, she swiped a layer of scented lotion over her skin. Her movements were a little jerky as she forced her mind to stay on the task instead of the never-ending list of what-ifs trying to fight their way in.

When there was still no message from Cooper, Isla turned to her hair. Pulling up a tutorial she’d saved on Instagram from one of her favorite creators, she went to work, adding another layer of distraction for her brain. The whole process took what felt like forever, but by the time she was finished winding each section around a stubbly brush over and over again, she was left with big, bouncy curls that almost made her feel…

Sexy.

Was that a thing? Her being sexy?

Probably not, but pretending might be what got her through this next little bit, so she decided to roll with it. Digging through her make-up drawer, she pulled out a tube of mascara and a compact of bronzer. Another tutorial from her new IG bestie showed her how to sweep the scarily brown powder over her forehead and along her jawline. It ended up being surprisingly discreet and resulted in an understated sun-kissed look instead of the streaky mess she was expecting.

A layer of mascara made her dark eyes pop a little. With everything else going on, her lips seemed like they were missing something, so she swiped on a bit of tinted gloss. She’d never been a big makeup person—mascara was usually the extent of what she wore, and even that only happened when she was working. The bronzer had been an impulse buy she’d tried once and then abandoned after a single use. But tonight it looked different.Shelooked different.

Or maybe she was just starting tobedifferent.

Turning in the mirror, she looked over her fluffy hair and shiny lips. Even wearing an oversized T-shirt, she looked sort of glamorous.

When her phone vibrated on the counter, she nearly jumped out of her skin. The distraction tactic had actually worked, leaving her so engrossed in this new version of herself, she almost forgot her fears for Cooper.

Almost. They came flooding back like a dam broke as she snatched the cell up and swiped across the screen, her heart racing as his message popped open.

False alarm. Teenager snuck out then tried to sneak back in. Unsuccessfully.

All the air rushed from her lungs.

I’m glad it was nothing. Do you have long left on your shift?

Cooper worked all sorts of crazy hours. He picked up extra shifts all the time, taking hours for guys who needed to go to their kids' events or take care of their sick wives. It was just one of many examples of how selfless he was. Yes, he made more money when he took on more time, but the man had to be exhausted. Tired from his sleep schedule being so fucked up.

And yet he always had time for everyone else. Time to help Grady with the goats or his horses. Time to take on yet another shift for a coworker.

Time for her.

Not too long. Thank God. I’m ready to crash.

His response was almost like he’d been reading her mind. It happened that way a lot and had her smiling even though she felt terrible for him.

I was just thinking you must be tired after having to deal with me and the Bridge Bitches all night.

Cooper’s response popped up right away, and again it was like he could read her mind. Because he gave her exactly what she was hoping to hear.

I never get tired of having to deal with you.

But the girls wear me the fuck out with their shit.

Isla laughed as she typed.

Literally, tonight.

She rubbed her lips together, the gloss making them glide smoothly against each other. Glancing up into the mirror, she made sure the motion hadn’t spread the stuff all over her face.

Gosh she felt pretty. It had been so long since she’d looked in the mirror and saw something besides the unsexy, boring girl Eric claimed she was staring back at her. Tonight, someone else’s eyes met hers. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure who it was, but she was ready to find out.

And it had her doing something she’d never done before.

Without thinking, Isla posed, putting on a little smile as she snapped a picture. When it displayed in front of her, she couldn’t believe how good it was. How shiny her hair looked. How bright her eyes seemed.

So she did the natural thing and sent it to Cooper. He was sort of becoming her best friend. Her confidant. The person she shared just about everything with. Might as well share this too.

As it sent, she tapped out an explanation.

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