Page 37 of Dirty Cowboys
Duke lets go of my hand, and Sarah Beth pulls me toward the quiet corner near the jukebox.
“Okay, spill,” she says with a huge grin. “When did this happen?”
“When did what happen?” I ask, confused.
Sarah Beth stares at me, then bursts out laughing. “You’ve got no idea, do you?”
“No idea about what? Why is everyone staring at us?”
“The hat,” she says, pointing to my head. “You’re wearing Nash Wilder’s hat in public.”
“So?”
“So, that’s as good as a wedding ring around here. When a cowboy puts his hat on a woman’s head, especially in front of the whole town, he’s claiming her. Marking his territory and saying, ‘This one’s mine’ for everyone to see.’”
My mouth falls open. “What?”
“And you’re not just wearing a hat. You are also wearing Walker’s jacket, and Duke was holding your hand. That’s—” She shakes her head, still grinning. “That’s crazy. They have never shown an interest in anyone before.”
“But they make me wear their hats all the time,” I protest. “I thought they were just trying to keep me from getting sunburned.”
Sarah Beth’s laughter gets louder, drawing attentionour way. “Oh my gosh, you’re serious! Indie, how long have they been putting hats on your head?”
“Walker made me wear his while we were fixing the roof when I still lived at the Patterson’s place, and Nash is always...” I stop, realization dawning on me. “Oh.”
“Yeah,oh.”
I look over at them standing at the bar, all three of them not taking their eyes off me even for a second.
“Order’s ready,” Marge calls out, sliding brown paper bags across the bar.
“They’re staring.” I’ve stated the obvious, but Sarah Beth just pushes me back toward them.
“Go on,” she says. “Your cowboys are waiting.”
Nash’s hat feels different on my head now that I know exactly what it means. When I reach them, Duke places his hand on my back, and Walker’s fingers brush mine as he takes one of the bags.
“Ready?” Duke asks, and I nod.
As we head for the door, I catch Marge’s eye. She winks at me and calls out, “Wear a hat, ride a cowboy.”
My face flames red as we leave the bar, Marge’s laughter echoing behind us. Duke just wraps an arm around me as he leads me to the truck. When Duke opens the passenger door for me, Nash leans forward from the back.
“Keep the hat,” he murmurs. “It looks good on you.”
“I know what it means now,” I admit.
Nash’s grin spreads from ear to ear. “Good. Then you know exactly what we’re telling everyone.”
As we drive away from Dust & Whiskey, I catch my reflection in the side mirror. The hat sits perfectly on my head, and for the first time since I arrived in Copper Creek, I look like I belong—and that is all I ever wanted. My boots are now well worn, as are all my jeans. Sarah Beth was right when she said I just had to give it time.
We all sit around the large table to eat dinner, and I can feel them watching me. I want to ask why they claimed me. I have been scared to ask more questions because I expected them to only want to fuck me and help me with my kinks, but it has been more than that between us.
Dinner is over fast, and when I stand from the table and clear my plate, I feel the weight of the three of them still staring at me.
“Go upstairs. Change into something you can run in,” Duke says, and a shiver runs through me.
“No underwear,” Walker adds.
