Page 54 of A Cowboy's Trust
“I’m very happy with my situation,” Sydney offered slowly. “It works for me. Yes, I’m being careful. No, I’m not looking for more. I’ll let you and Petra be the starry-eyed romantics of our happy trio.”
The idea shook Tansy for a minute. “Petra is the romantic. I’m the pragmatic.”
The burst of laughter from Sydney was instant and annoying. When she calmed down, she patted Tansy’s shoulder comfortingly. “No, sweetie. You can tell yourself that all you want, but you definitely have romance in your core. I’d guess, if anything, you lean toward pragmatic romanticism.”
“Big words for I’m nervous about tonight?” Tansy asked quietly, finally admitting the truth. “I really like him, Syd. Things have been going well between us but this is right about when something usually rises up and kicks me in the teeth.”
While he’d been so sweet and not at all intrusive over watching her pick open a lock the other day, Jake had to still be wondering and worrying. It was in his nature.
Sydney squeezed her fingers. “No teeth kicking. You’re surrounded by people who care about you. Your family, me and Petra. Jinx, and many others. And now Jake, plus the other X-chromosomes in the house.”
“So no need to worry?”
Her friend smiled. “You already did the worrying. Now it’s time to let that romantic heart of yours enjoy the night. Trust me, he won’t mess this up.”
Suspicion rose. Tansy examined Sydney closer. “What did you do?”
“Me?” Sydney pressed a hand to her chest in mock innocence. “Your girlfriends wouldneverthink of interfering in your love life.”
Tansy smacked Sydney on the arm with her purse. “I hope the power goes out at the key moment of the movie and you never find out how it ends.”
“What a beautifully evil curse, but totally useless. Horror movies—everyone dies. Rom-coms, they fall madly in love. It’s fated and true.” Sydney shrugged as she rose to her feet and guided Tansy to the door. “No use fighting it.”
13
When he caught himself adjusting the utensils on the table for the twelfth time, Jake knew he needed to get his ass in gear.
It was a heady feeling, ignoring his instincts and following the advice of people he had come to trust. Jake took one final look around his small apartment, ninety-nine percent sure he’d remembered everything. He pulled the door closed behind him, then got his truck started so the interior would be toasty warm when he picked up his date.
The thirty-second drive from his apartment under the art studio over to the main house wasn’t long enough for his nerves to drop out of overdrive.
He stopped on the front porch, hesitating before simply walking in like he usually would.
A mocking laugh escaped. He was literally living in the house. There was no reason why he needed to stop and knock.
Which meant he was chuckling softly as he swung the door open and got his first glimpse of Tansy.
He’d caught her in mid-motion, twisting away from the kitchen where Petra and Sydney leaned against the kitchen counter. The brief glimpse of her friends was all that registered before the only image dazzling his gaze was Tansy. Her body enveloped in the softest-looking blue cloud, hair tousled around her shoulders, just waiting for him to run his fingers through it. Her eyes?—
She lifted her chin slightly as if in a challenge, and mischief flashed. With something else. A softness, just the trace of an emotion that said what he needed to do right now was to be very clear about exactly how beautiful she was.
“Christ.”
Tansy’s lips quirked upward.
Damn it to hell. That wasn’t what he wanted to say, but he couldn’t seem to find actual words and make them come out. All he could do was stare, mouth working up and down in his best fish imitation.
Thankfully, Tansy seemed more pleased than worried by his faulty communication skills.
“You have struck him speechless,” Petra pointed out helpfully. “I knew Aiden would be pissed not to be here to see this.”
“We can fix that,” Sydney offered. She pulled out her phone and held it up as if she was about to take a video.
Jake thrust his hand toward them, his gaze still firmly fixed on Tansy. “Hello, beautiful.”
A full smile bloomed on her face. “Hello, handsome. Are you ready to take me away from here before they start the next round of torment?”
Jake stepped forward and offered his arm. “I’d say something about rescuing the damsel in distress, but I think you’re rescuing me just as much.”
