Page 5 of Claimed By the Cowboy
The slurred words combined with his sheepish grin make my chest flutter. Most men would try to tough it out, pretend everything is fine. But he stands there with dental-work speech and a crooked smile that somehow makes him impossiblymore attractive.
“Root canal,” she echoes, grimacing. “Ouch.”
“Tell me about it. Nothing says ‘welcome to Montana’ like greeting your bride with a facesh that won’t cooperate,” he replies, though his eyes never leave mine.
The heat in my belly intensifies.
Delaney notices me staring. Of course she does.
She shifts her stance, sliding a little in front of me, protective and steady. “This is my sister, Kitty.”
Tom’s expression changes slightly, confusion flickering in his eyes. A pause. A recalibration.
Delaney lifts her chin. I know you were only expecting me, but I couldn’t leave my sister. I should’ve said something ahead of time, but we were in a rush to get here.” She offers a tight smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Sorry about that. But I didn’t want to take the chance that you’d decide an extra person was too much.”
Tom blinks, caught off guard. “She’s… stayin’?”
Delaney nods. “Yes.” Her grip tightens on the suitcase handle. “We both need a fresh start. Kitty’s not here to interfere, just to be… safe. With me.”
My big sister is used to protecting me, to stepping in first and asking forgiveness later. Her tone dares him to argue, but beneath the bravado, I recognize the way she’s bracing for rejection.
Tom’s gaze slides back to me.
“If that’s okay,” I add softly.
He doesn’t answer right away.
Finally, he nods. “Yeah. ‘Course.”
Because it’s not okay. Not really. Not when he’s staring at me likethat. Not when I feel it too—the impossible, overwhelming wish thatIwas the woman he was here for.
And in that instant, I know that walking off that bus didn’t just change our location.
It changedeverything.
Another round of sneezes overtakes me. I give a little wave, heat climbing my neck. “Sorry about the sneezing. New place, new allergens.”
His crooked grin does strange things to my nether regions. “Nopineapple this time?”
I blush. “It's ridiculous—a TikTok remedy I discovered three months ago—but it works better than explaining to strangers why I sound like a broken squeeze toy half the time.”
He holds my gaze for a beat too long before turning to Delany and holding his hand out for her to shake. “Welcome to Clover Canyon. Life on Havenridge Ranch isn’t exactly… calm, so I hope you ladies don’t shcare easy,” he says, the slur making it sound more likeshare easy.
“We don’t,” I say before I can stop myself, lifting my chin with more spirit than I’ve shown in months. “We’ve survived worse.”
His expression sharpens. “Have you now?”
He says it like he wants to hear the whole story, as though whatever we've survived matters to him.
He extends his hand for me to shake, and when his fingers close around mine, warmth shoots straight to my core. His hand engulfs mine, rough and strong and absolutely perfect.His thumb brushes across my knuckles, such a small touch, but enough to unnerve me.
Delaney clears her throat. “Should we head to the ranch?”
Tom blinks, seeming to remember where we are, and releases my hand with obvious reluctance. He gestures toward his truck. “Thish way.”
Tom’s truck is exactly what I'd expect—a big, sturdy Ford that's seen some miles but looks like it could eat steep terrain for breakfast.
As we follow him across the parking lot, Delaney moves close to my ear. “Do you need your medicine? You look flushed.”
