Page 128 of Bad Cowboy, Tennessee

But I could no longer hide from the truth.

It was a little past eight in the morning, already walking out onto the land as the sun bathed the rock and grass in a dewy white sheen.

I stayed close to Max as we walked along the carefully manicured gravel path. After being away from the mountains for even a short while, their height seemed endless. The snow caps on each of them reached up to the sky, and we crossed the valley below.

Birds sang. Butterflies floated through the air, little and gold.

You’d almost think this place was paradise.

It was a shame that I knew better than that.

Another reason it’s time to tell him.

“There she is,” I told Max as I saw Veil.

Veil was visible even from far off, out on the far end of the stables and poking her head through the opening on the west edge of the structure.

“Wow,” he said as we approached her. “She seems… mystical. Like she belongs in a fantasy movie instead of real life.”

“Doesn’t she?” I agreed as we walked into the stables and crossed over to her stall. “Dominic used to say she looked like she should be inLord of the Rings.”

Max hummed, smiling softly at me. I never thought I could see a face as sweet as hishere, but a lot had changed in my life recently.

I’d given him a pale brown cowboy hat to wear and while it wasn’t his usual look, it was so goddamned adorable it almost crushed my heart.

What does this man do to me?

“Can’t picture you watchingLord of the Rings,” Max said.

“Excuse me?” I protested. “I love those movies.”

“But have you ever read the books?”

“Well, no. But Iwould.”

“I haven’t either. Maybe you should read them to me each night before bed.”

I ran my hand along his back. “I’ll be too busy fucking you to read you stories about hobbits and elves.”

Every alarm bell inside me still went off as I discussed anything relating to thefuturewith Max. I was just ignoring them, now.

Maybe a bad idea, but I’ve always been full of those.

I’ll tell him.

I just don’t know when.

I was pretty sure I’d ignore any good common sense now if it meant that I could have more of Max.

But there was still one more thing he had to know about me… and it needed to happen today.

“I’ll take Veil, because she can be… particular,” I said.

“Just like you?”

“Exactly like me. Over in the far corner, you’ll find a gelding with a red coat. That’s Jasper. You can take him, because he loves everyone.”

I headed over with Max and helped gather Jasper, his equipment and saddle.

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