Page 22 of My Cowboy Boss
“I nearly froze and starved,” I say and the leaves rustle like they’re catching my words, taking the pain of that moment and carrying them off on the wind.
“Oh, Flint…”
I look at Arizona, at the tears trickling down her beautiful face. I wipe them away. “It’s okay, honey. I made it.”
“I guess we’re a couple of survivors.”
“What happened with you?” I ask gently.
“I lost my parents in a car accident and the shock was too much. At first, I’d hide in the attic. Then later I used to sit on this huge swing in our backyard. It’s where my parents would go to talk when they didn’t agree on stuff and needed to discuss something they didn’t want us to overhear.”
She twists her hands together and I cover them with one of mine.
“My dad built it. He was great at making stuff. And my mom…she could cook so well and they loved to dance together in the living room.” Arizona’s lips tremble. “I was sitting on that swing when the house got foreclosed on and just like that, I had no place to go.”
My heart burns at her words. I want to wrap myself around this woman. I want to protect her heart for the rest of my life. I want to be the place where she always has a home.
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she looks deep into my eyes.
“Today has been amazing. Thank you,” she says. “But…”
“But?”
“I’m about to be one with the tree if the bark digs any deeper into my ass.”
I laugh and climb down, then hold my arms up to help her down. I kiss her gently knowing that I’m all in with this woman, the only one I can imagine building a home for.
Arizona
Flint looks like he’s about to say something but when I ask him what, he shakes his head.
We ride back to the ranch in the late afternoon.
“Stay for supper?” he asks once we take care of the horses.
“I can’t.”My sister will be home for dinner, and I don’t want her to have to fend for herself.“I need to get home.”
He looks disappointed. “Then I guess I’ll see you Monday?”
“You will, boss,” I say and his eyes flash.
“I’m going to get hard every time you call me boss.”
“Oh, no, boss” I say, eyes wide.
He growls and takes a step forward.
“There you are!” Wilder calls, jogging across the yard to us. “Marshall needs our help. The bull broke through the fence, and we got go round his ass up.”
“He probably broke out to find River. He thinks they’re brothers or something.”
Marshall grins at me. “River rescued that bull when it was tiny, and it acts like a big dog now wanting to be petted all the time.”
“I’ll leave you to your bull finding,” I say, opening my car door.
Flint waits until I’m in, then he closes it.
I drive forward glancing at him in the rearview mirror. He stands in the driveway watching me until Wilder says something to him and then he turns away.
