Page 51 of The Cowboy Complication

“I gave Evelyn a car when she got her license, and now I’m doing the same for you.” She shoved it closer to Isla’s face. “And when your little brother gets his license, we’ll give him one as well.”

Was she kidding?

Isla took the fob, feeling even more like she was in a parallel universe than when Griselda called her grandpa ‘lover.’ “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I didn’t.” Gram-Gram straightened the sleeve of her blouse. “I wanted to. I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished in the past six months.” In yet another shocking move, Griselda reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a brave girl, Isla. Great things can be yours. All you have to do is take them.”

She was stunned. Stupefied by so many parts of the conversation that she didn’t reply. Just stood there while Griselda gave her a little pat then walked out.

Like some sort of rich-lady fairy grandmother.

Isla spent the rest of the day marinating on everything Griselda said. All it meant.

Gram-Gram had obviously been paying attention for the past few weeks, witnessing enough to form an opinion about what was going on between her and Cooper. She’d seen things that made her think Cooper was interested. Isla had wanted to think the same, but didn’t trust herself. Not after the way she was so oblivious in her last relationship.

But did she trust Griselda?

Yeah. She did. She’d never seen her grandpa as happy as he was with her, so obviously the woman knew a thing or two about men.

Now she just had to decide what in the heck she was going to do about it.

Griselda called her brave, but was she? Did she have the balls to ask Cooper if he wanted to try taking things outside of ‘friends’ territory?

She’d sent sexy photos, walked past him in a towel, and made those very thinly veiled comments about climaxes, so maybe she was braver than she gave herself credit for.

And maybe Cooper was just as clueless as her grandpa had been.

By the time she was finished for the day, and going out to the car she’d assumed belonged to someone taking a yoga class—the car that was now hers—she still wasn’t sure what she was going to do. If anything. And it stayed that way while she showered and blew out her hair. While she ate dinner and scrolled on her phone.

It wasn’t until she was stretched across her couch, some random show playing in the background, that she remembered something. The whole reason she’d been frowning so hard when Griselda found her taking her frustration out on the kitchen sink.

I’ve only been in love once.

That was the secret he shared with her. The one she’d earned by passing her driving test.

She got shafted in that deal.

Why would he tell her that? Didn’t he know thinking about him with another woman would get her hackles up?

According to Griselda, probably not.

So maybe she should clarify things a little. Not ‘if you don’t take care of my needs I’ll find someone who will’ clarify. Something a little less aggressive. Something a little sweeter.

Something a little sexier, because darn it she could be sexy.

Grabbing her phone, Isla marched into her bedroom in search of that teddy from the week before. She hadn’t put it back on since that first impromptu photo shoot, but it was about to get another?—

Her eyes landed on something else hanging in her closet and an idea sparked.

Peeling away her oversized T-shirt and sweatpants, she grabbed the item off its hanger and pulled it on before going to her bed and snapping a few photos using the skills she’d picked up from the red-headed farmer on Instagram.

Looking them over, she decided to make a little adjustment.

After shimmying out of her panties, she laid back down, carefully adjusting the heavy canvas coat she’d picked out with Cooper to cover only what was absolutely necessary before trying again and looking over the photos.

Wowza.

A smile spread across her face as she checked the clock. If Cooper was working a mid-shift, he’d likely be getting off soon. She smirked as she typed out a message.

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