Page 9 of Fern's Date with Destiny
Until today.
Tonight, to be exact.
If anyone asked him later, Cody Gabrielle would blame it entirely on that damned ringlet of hair she’d left loose on purpose—or fate had—because every time she tilted her head, that dark curl bounced and twirled like a hypnotist’s watch, telling himforget every promise and taste her one more time.
He dragged his gaze back to his half-empty beer, willing his brain to remember all the reasons kissing Fern was a bad idea.
Rough Cut Pub was full tonight with ranch crews off shift and locals mixing it up with out-of-towners.Chance and Rose were tangled together on the dance floor as if the world didn’t exist beyond each other.
From a booth on the far side of the room, Tansy waved but her focus remained tight on the two female friends at her side.
Cody was having an okay evening, that bouncy curl aside, until he caught sight of Shim, the clean-cut Silver Stone ranch hand with the polite manners and too-handsome smile, spinning Fern in a lazy two-step under the string lights.
Cody sipped his beer, slow and deliberate.Accidents happened all the time on ranches,he reminded himself.Fence posts fall, horses spook, guys named Shim find themselves face-first in horse shit.
Fern laughed, full and bright, and Shim’s grin widened as if he thought he had a chance in hell.
Cody swallowed down a growl and focused on the last of his beer.
Before he could plot any more suspicious barn mishaps for the guy, which was a total waste of time considering Shim worked at Silver Stone and not Red Boot, Fern spun away from the young man and beelined for Cody, her gaze locked on his.Her sunshine yellow dress paired with cowboy boots that showed off her legs to perfection.Tonight she wore her prothesis, the midnight black and silver section on her left arm glittering in the dance floor lights.
He didn’t move.Couldn’t have if he’d tried.
“Hey there, cowboy,” she teased, breathless from dancing, cheeks flushed a soft rose that did bad things to his pulse.“Why are you brooding over here like a tragic hero when there’s good music playing?”
“I’m not brooding,” he lied.
Her eyes sparkled with wicked delight as she grabbed his hand.“Liar.Come on.”
She tugged him up, no protest possible, and dragged him right into the press of bodies swaying to the next song.Before he knew it, she’d laid her left arm lightly over his right, her right hand resting on his chest right where his heartbeat threatened to give him away.
“Happy?”he murmured, dipping his head to catch her words over the music.
She hummed a yes and leaned in.“Very.”
They moved together, easy as breathing.She smelled like summer and soap and a hint of the spiced cider she’d been drinking.Cody breathed deep, soaking in her scent.
“Work going okay?”she asked, lifting her chin so her eyes caught his in the shifting light.
“Busy.Bookings scheduled into the New Year.My bosses have threatened to hire more hands for me to wrangle.”He smirked.“Poor souls.”
Fern laughed, and all her dark ringlets bounced, catching the light like blue-black diamonds and torturing him all over again.“You’ll make a lovely tyrant.”
“And you?Gallery still your kingdom?”
“Always.”Her smile widened, triumphant.“Chance keeps trying to boss me.I let him pretend it works.”
“You could run the entire county if you wanted, Fern Fields.”
She tilted her head, mock serious.“I probably could if I wanted to.Now to figure out if that’s what would really make me happy.”
Before he could tease her back, something failed in Rough Cut’s electrical system.A loudpopsang from the speakers right before sudden darkness swallowed them.Even the dim red of the exit signs flickered out.
As the crowd gasped, then half laughed and half complained, Cody’s protective instincts roared to life.His arm slid around Fern’s back, pulling her in tighter before she could so much as blink.
“You okay?”His voice rumbled against her hair.
She pressed her cheek to his chest, voice muffled but teasing.“Kicking into hero mode, are you?It’s just the power, cowboy.”
