Page 85 of Cowboy Bull's Promise

My hooves slow.

She’s at Max’s place. I already know.

Max told me Avery wrangled her up for lunch.

Apparently, the girls—Avery, Jezebel, and Penny—have lured her into some kind of book-boyfriend-read-a-thon thing.

I don’t know what the fuck a book boyfriend is, but it took ten long minutes before I stopped seeing red.

He said it was a Girl Club Meeting slash Book Club slash Goddess-only-knows-what and men were not permitted on the premises.

Even Rosie Posie was in on it and Mrs. O’Hare, Max’s old nanny turned housekeeper.

I have no idea what they’re doing.

And yeah, I’m grateful she’s not alone, that she’s surrounded by people who’ll protect her if she needs it.

But that doesn’t stop the fear clawing at my insides.

Because those women don’t hold back.

They’re honest. Brutally so.

And if they tell her everything, every last bit of the chaos she’s stepped into, well then, my girl might come to her senses and run.

She might leave this ranch. Leave me. Hell, she might even leave town.

And worse?

She might curse my name on the way out.

And I wouldn’t blame her.

But the thought of losing her?

It guts me.

So I keep working.

Muscles straining.

Ground breaking.

Trying to plant something that’ll grow, even as everything inside me feels like it’s about to break.

Because I’ve already started building a life here. And now I can’t imagine any of it without her.

“That about does it, Kian,” Jed says, voice gravel-thick and raspy, like he’s been yelling at goats or smoking fence posts.

Probably both.

I blink and stare because what the actual hell?

Dolly Lee, his latest little goat kid, is perched square on his chest, lounging like she owns him. Which granted, she kind of does.

And the best part?

She’s in a Baby Bjorn.

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