Page 54 of Cowboy Stole My Heart
Sam’s face heated, like a volcano had erupted under his skin as he stared back at Ryder. “What did you say?” he asked, voice so low it was a wonder Ryder even heard him.
“Easy,” Nate cautioned, moving closer and putting a firm hand on Sam’s shoulder.
“Oh fuck, no I didn’t mean I’d been there doneher.” Ryder chuckled. “I meant been there in the all messed up over a woman department.” Ryder gestured inside to his wife. “Withher.”
Sam settled, the temperature cooling, no longer feeling like he was going to explode.
“Yeah, well, either way you can all fuck off, because I’m not messed up over her. Nothing’s going on.”
Nate and his two brothers burst out laughing. “Yeah right,” Nate said through his laughter, “and watch the F-bombs around my daughter, would you?”
Sam looked down at the child in his arms. He bet she’d heard a lot worse, but he said a silent apology to his nieceand stretched his legs out in front of him. So much for a quiet night with friends to keep his mind off Mia. If it wasn’t for his nieces, he’d have told the lot of them to go to hell and stormed off back home.
“Seriously, if you like her? Go for it,” Nate said, sounding nothing like his best friend since elementary school. “Life’s complicated, but your love life doesn’t have to be.”
Sam scoffed. He was about to tell him that Nate had had the most complicated love life on the planet before he’d married Faith, but he held his tongue. They didn’t need to rehash that conversation.
“You remember you used to have that rule of no women coming back to your place?” Sam asked.
Nate nodded. The other two were already in conversation about something else, so it was just the two of them now.
“Well, rules exist for a reason, and I have the same kind of rule. Whatever happens between me and Mia? It doesn’t mean anything.” Which was why he wasn’t planning on seeing her until Monday. He didn’t want to get too close to her, and that meant respecting their boundaries.
Nate swilled his beer and Sam leaned back.
“I get it,” Nate finally said. “Trust me, I get it. And so do these other two meatheads here. But sometimes it’s worth risking…”
Sam shook his head. “This conversation is over. I don’t need all the goddamn sensitive, new-age bullshit from you.”
Nate shrugged. “Fine. Come watch me turn some steaks. I won’t mention her again.
“Good,” Sam replied.
Steaks sounded great. He could stand there, stare at the meat and watch Nate. And he could eat it, then he couldget the hell away from all the people trying to matchmake him and make a getaway for home.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he grudgingly retrieved it. Whoever was calling him on Sunday could go to hell; it was probably his agent and…damn. The one person he was trying not to think about.
Sam cleared his throat, wondering if he should have just let it go to voicemail.
“Hey, Mia,” he said, shooting Nate a sharp glare when he turned to face him. Trust him to be listening.
“Sam, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to call you but there’s been an accident.”
Her voice was flat, cold, quiet. The hairs on his arms bristled in response, his throat catching. “What’s happened? Are you ok?”
“I’m fine,” she said quickly. “It’s Tex. He’s had an accident and he’s behaving terribly. The vet won’t treat him.”
Sam relaxed, instantly calming when he realized she was fine. The horse he could deal with, but not her.
“I’ll drive over now, but it’ll take me an hour, maybe just under.”
“Thanks, Sam. I really didn’t mean to trouble you on a Sunday.”
He nodded even though she couldn’t see him. “It’s fine. I’ll see you soon, and just leave him be. He’ll be calmest with no one around him.”
Sam hung up and turned around, and found Nate standing and staring quizzically at him.
“What?” Sam scowled.
