Page 4 of The Cowgirl's Forever Love
“I thought you were having a quiet evening with your wife.”
“Thatwasyou I saw parked by the barn. Why didn’t you stop by the house?”
Josiah made a rude noise. “What kind of a friend interrupts a date? Especially since Tamara’s not feeling one hundred percent that often these days. Speaking of which—why the hell are you on the line with me?”
“Stop worrying. I intend to enjoy my evening, but I wanted to know how your weekend went.”
Anyone else Josiah would’ve accused of wanting the dirt simply for curiosity’s sake, but Caleb was a good friend and had been for a number of years. He knew what was going on.
Which meant he would know the instant Josiah started lying.
He tried anyway. Or at least attempted to skip the details. “It was good. I always enjoy going back to Rosebud and visiting my parents. They have a production ofOliverthey’re getting ready for the summer and I got to make suggestions for set design.”
“And…?”
Josiah sighed. “The wedding was great. Darlene and her husband are head over heels. He seems a decent fellow.”
Caleb offered a low rumble, something between sympathy and annoyance. “I can’t believe your ex-girlfriend asked you to give her away.”
“Hey, what can I say? I’m an awesome guy. Everybody likes me.”
“Of course, they do. She still shouldn’t have done it,” Caleb complained.
“It’s okay, really. We mutually called it off well over two years ago. It’s not as if I’ve been pining away with a broken heart.” Josiah chuckled. “My ego’s not broken. Although I’m starting to understand thatalways a bridesmaid, never the bridejoke a whole lot more.”
Becausethat’swhat made this annoying. This was the third time. Not the actual giving-away-the-bride part—this wedding had been a first for that oddity.
With Josiah’s college girlfriend, they’d both been clear what they were looking for. Companionship, some fun. Basically, a great time.
When she called it off, it was far from the end of the world. They were friends and liked each other, but it wasn’t going anywhere else, yada, yada. Josiah hadn’t been hurt, not even when she started dating someone else by the end of the week.
Within a month his ex and her new beau were engaged.
Josiah had laughed. He was happy for her—because even if he’d been considering getting more serious, which he hadn’t, no way he’d have been ready for marriagethatquickly. He’d attended her wedding and shared amusing stories, and it hadn’t seemed strange at all.
Not until the same thing happened with his next girlfriend.
The third time? Yeah, it was no longer funny.
“Josiah?”
Damn. He’d been so busy in his head he hadn’t heard his friend’s question. “Sorry. Woolgathering. What’s up?”
“Wanted to know if you’re interested in a poker night. Tamara insists I take the chance before the baby arrives. Of course, that means I’m volunteering your house.”
Caleb sounded apologetic, which was just wrong.
“Yes to poker. Of course, we can use my house. Stop sounding as if you’re imposing. I know you love your family, but Tamara’s right. Especially if she has a girl. You’re going to need an extra boost of testosterone just to balance the scales.”
“As it’s been pointed out more than once, with my four brothers, all the ranch hands, and how often you stop by, there’s a decided testosterone overload around Silver Stone.”
Josiah wasn’t sure he agreed. “Between your two little girls, your wife, and your brothers’ women—I think every one of them is worth at least four of us. Which means you’re coming over Tuesday night, yes?”
“Yes,” Caleb answered decisively. “Want me to extend the invite to my brothers?”
“Definitely.”
“Wait—how did you know I was hanging out with Tamara?”
