Page 24 of Bad Cowboy, Tennessee

I nodded.

He looked down at the bar, like he was finally realizing just how serious the Lyons family was about the ranching business.

“So you are a real cowboy.”

“Don’t know what the fuck that means, but yes.”

His eyes met mine, a burning question in them now. “Do you own a gun?”

“I own multiple, Max.”

He swallowed. “Did you bring them here?”

“I did not.”

He nodded.

“I see.”

“My own personal ranch estate was used for horse rehabilitation,” I told him. “My own project. My family are much morefor-profit, and they liked to tell me I was wasting my time on the rescues and rejects. But helpless creatures deserve attention, too.”

“So you rebelled against your family by taking care of sick and injured horses?”

I set my jaw. “I rebelled in all sorts of ways.”

He glared at me. “Am I supposed to be intimidated by that?”

“That’s up to you.”

I thought of blood, spilling on the dewy morning grass.

Of hospital beds.

Stretchers.

My own knuckles, repeatedly broken.

Of all those mistakes that littered my path to here.

“Fine. You’re a real cowboy. Still don’t like you in my town, and still don’t trust you. And I don’t know why you're here tonight.”

I adjusted on the leather bar stool, kicking back a little.

God, I liked Max.

His sexy, boyish features and his endless light brown hair, sure. His perky ass that always looked so good under his shorts, and the way his nipples were sometimes hard beneath his tight shirts.

I wanted to fuck his ass fuckingraw, yes. But I also liked that he was so sweet-natured yet he didn’t try to hide a thing from me. He told me how he felt. He didn’t back down, even after he knew I could take him in a fight. Not even for a moment. I was nearly a decade older than him and I could remember how I felt when I was around his age—like the whole world was still cracked wide open to me.

Ready for me to take.

How was he so happy to stay here in this small town?

Why didn’t he dreambiggerthan this?

“You want to know why I’m here tonight?” I asked. “Maybe I’m looking for someone to bring me home.”

He gave me a death glare. “So you’re not just an asshole, you’re openly talking about cheating on my sister?”

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