Page 38 of The Cowboy's Downfall
“I suppose you heard all of that,” she said softly, turning to him. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you about what she’s been saying. She has zero comprehension of consequences. Everything is a game in her world, and she doesn’t stop to think about who she might hurt.”
Nix scavenged his brain, trying to come up with a distraction appropriate for the current situation. He wasn’t sure he should share his thoughts as to why Taryn acted out. Their relationship was none of his business. It might be best if he had a heart-to-heart with Taryn instead and put an end to that rumor before it got too much traction. A story like that tended to stick.
“Your sister’s a problem for later,” he said. “We’ve got a few hours to kill. How quiet do you think we can be?”
Shauna laughed softly. “We’ve used up a fair bit of energy already. If we go slow and don’t get carried away, then we should be good.”
Nix tipped her onto the bed and unfastened her robe. “Excellent. I’m pretty sure I can find a few places I haven’t touched yet. And a few that I’m happy to touch again.” He bent forward and nipped one round, pink, pretty nipple with his teeth.
Shauna ran her hands up the insides of his thighs.
“I like your line of thinking,” she said. “I should probably do another check too.”
Chapter Eleven
Nix
Setting Shauna’s fenceupright on his way out only took a few minutes. It was so flimsy Nix couldn’t figure out what purpose it served.
He’d parked the ranch truck one street over. A thin frost rimed the windshield, and he set the defrost on high. Once a patch large enough to see through had cleared, he headed for home.
Spending the evening with Shauna had left him in a good mood—partly because of the sex, but mostly because she managed to turn unexpected interruptions into adventures. She’d led him through the dark house to the patio door with the stealth of a cat burglar that would put Remi to shame, then lingered over a kiss goodbye on the deck that left him longing to start the whole evening over.
He frowned at the black pavement through the widening circle of glass on the windshield. They hadn’t made plans for a next time. It had been an oversight on his part. What about hers?
Wondering put a pin in his good mood. Their arrangement, which suited him fine, nevertheless had its flaws. He couldn’t very well hang around her house every night, waiting to see if Taryn went out. Maybe he should invest in a phone, but even if he did, cell service on the range, where he spent most of his days, ran on hope and a prayer.
The bunkhouse was dark when he tiptoed inside, as expected, given it was a few hours shy of dawn. He didn’t turn on a light, but someone rolled over in their bunk and cast aspersions on his birthright as he tossed his jeans over a chair and crawled into bed. He fell asleep almost at once and didn’t wake up until the lure of freshly brewed coffee was too strong to ignore. No one ever really got to sleep in, not even on their day off.
“You had a phone call while you were out,” Handy said when Nix strolled into the kitchen. “Your wife again. She said she’ll call you again this morning at seven. Something about flight plans and arrival times.”
“Ex-wife.” Nix didn’t know why he bothered. Maybe he was reminding himself.
And there went the last of his good mood. He poured himself a large mug of coffee. It was barely five thirty. He could be well out in the badlands long before she called back.
Funny how things could change. He’d once loved Peg, probably more than was healthy. Spending time with Shauna was the exact opposite of his marriage. He enjoyed simply being around her. There was no stress. No worrying about saying or doing something that might set her off. No sense that he had to be or do better.
He liked his life the way it was now. He liked the physical labor, and the long hours spent outdoors. He liked having no mortgage or loans or other bills to contend with. Social media? No interest. He’d never be able to sit at a desk all day, every day, the way Shauna did. He even liked that they had only one thing in common.
Speaking of that one thing…
He added a generous helping of cream to his coffee, the spoon clinking the sides of the chunky white mug as he stirred. What would he think—how would he feel—if he and Shauna switched places right now, and she was the one standing here, waiting for her ex-husband to call?
Since he was sliding into home plate, as Taryn put it, then yeah. He was with Remi on that. He did think sex with a woman gave him certain rights. But it gave Shauna rights, too. He’d been cheated on and it sucked.
Maybe he should stick around for that phone call with Peg. Her flight schedules—or anything else that went on in her life—were not his concern anymore. She’d made that decision. Not him.
He’d finish his coffee, hop in the shower, then go get some breakfast while waiting.
The cookhouse was sandwiched between the bunkhouses and the barns. He trod the gravel path that joined all the buildings. Sunshine had burned the frost off the grass and the trees, leaving the air sharp and fresh. The group home boys ate breakfast later than the ranch hands, who were long gone by now, but the boys each had their morning chores to attend to, so they were also up early.
Inside, the cookhouse smelled of frying bacon and potatoes, fresh bread, and coffee. It operated cafeteria-style, with a glass counter, and five tables that could seat twenty people in total, although rarely did. He picked up a tray at the counter and loaded it with scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, then took his tray to one of the round tables. The window seat gave him a view of the room and the barns. Three teenagers ate at one table. Remi sat off by himself at another. He glowered at the world in general and Nix in particular.
Nix experienced a deep resignation. He and Remi were going to have words over Trouble, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. While Remi wasn’t all bad, the reality was, the boy was a wildcard with a bad attitude. He was at the Endeavour Ranch because he’d had serious run-ins with the law. Nix hadn’t been given the details—the kids had a right to their privacy—but he’d been warned to keep a close watch on him.
Nix was finishing his last strip of bacon when a lump in his pocket caught his attention. He pulled it out to see what it was, then quickly shoved it out of sight.
Shauna’s panties.
