Page 39 of Untaming the Cowboy
“No, I do. You think you’re protectin’ her by stayin’ away. But you’re just punishin’ both of you. Get outta your own damn way, Marine. Go get your girl back before this place — and you — go dead.”
Beau walks off, leaving Luc alone with Cookie.
The mare finally lifts her head, staring at him through the half-light — and that’s when it breaks him. She looks the way he feels: hollow, waiting for something that isn’t coming.
That night, Luc can’t sleep. He walks the property barefoot, the wind carrying Dahlia’s voice in his mind — her laughter, her sass, her warmth.
He passes the barn where her sage bundles still hang, dried and brittle.
The scent hits him like a prayer.
He whispers,
“You broke somethin’ open in me, DeeDee. Guess it’s time I stop runnin’ from it.”
And that’s the moment he decides — he’s going after her.
20
Dahlia
EPILOGUE
The mid-afternoon sunslanted through the barn doors, catching motes of dust in the air. Luc leaned on the open stall gate, watching Dahlia move down the aisle, a halter draped over one arm and a clipboard of stall assignments in the other.
They were still working down the line of stalls, making sure every horse had its space, when the sound of tires crunching on gravel drew his attention toward the driveway. A black pickup with a gooseneck trailer eased to a stop, sunlight flashing off the windshield.
“Looks like they’re here,” Luc said, pushing off the gate.
The driver’s door swung open, and his youngest brother, Chad, climbed out—boots, jeans, and that familiar easy swagger that had gotten him in and out of more trouble than Luc cared to count.
Dahlia stepped closer for a better look, squinting through the dust and glare. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, hell no.Chad?”
Chad’s brow furrowed as his gaze landed on her. “DeeDee?”
Luc’s head jerked between them. “Wait—how do you two know each other? You didn’t?—”
“Hell no!” Chad cut in, shaking his head. “Sorry, DeeDee, you’re beautiful and all, but not my type.”
Dahlia smirked, sliding a hand over Luc’s chest. “It ain’t like you’re my type either. First of all, you’re too young. Secondly, compared to my man Luc, you’re short. And last—most important—you don’t even own a ranch. Where was I gonna take my babies?”
Luc chuckled under his breath, but before he could add a jab of his own, a voice floated in from deeper inside the barn.
“Ouch, DeeDee, who you in here cutting deep like that, girl? And I think I want Havoc. He’s the cutest thing ever.” Teylor stepped out from the tack room, phone still in her hand.
For a heartbeat, the barn went still. Chad froze mid-step, his expression flickering from surprise to something Luc couldn’t name. Teylor stopped too, eyes locking on him like she’d seen a ghost.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Chad muttered under his breath.
Teylor’s brows drew together, confusion and realization colliding. “DeeDee,” she said slowly, “did you know?”
Dahlia blinked between them, her expression shifting as understanding seemed to settle in.
“I knew you dated a Chad,” she said carefully, “but I didn’t knowthisChad was his brother.”
Luc’s gaze cut from one to the other. “Hold up,” he said, trying to follow. “You two . . . know each other?”
Neither answered right away. The air between them shifted, tension stretching tight before Teylor looked away first, drawing in a breath.
