Page 20 of Her Grumpy Cowboy
We turn back toward the house, slower now.
“You really think we’re allowed to have this?”I ask quietly.
Nate smiles.“I think we’ve earned it, Grady.”
I stop him with a hand on his shoulder.“Hey.I’m glad you found them.Callie and Danny.”
His smile is soft but sure.“Me too.And I know you’ll find your peace, Grady.”
I nod.“I think I already did.”
Chapter6
Angel
It’s getting late when I hear a knock on the coffee shop window.
I jump, heart in my throat, until I see it’s Grady.Snowflakes cling to his dark hair, melting on his jaw, and the wind shoves at him like it’s jealous that he’s here for me.He looks like he’s been carved out of storm and silence, and every time I see him, my lungs forget how to process oxygen.
He raises a gloved hand just as the lights flicker.Once, twice—then everything goes dark.
The espresso machine clicks off.The hum of the fridge dies.Silence drops like a curtain.
I grab my flashlight from under the counter and hurry to the door, unlocking it with cold fingers.
Grady steps inside, brushing snow off his jacket and kicking the door closed behind him.“Power just went?”
I nod, shining the beam upward to avoid blinding him.“Perfect timing.”
“I had a feeling,” he mutters.“Storm’s worse than forecasted.Power lines are going down all over the county.”
“Well, I’ve got battery candles and two layers of socks,” I joke, trying to shake off the unease.“I’ll be fine.”
He gives me a long look that’s somewhere between fond and annoyed.“You’re not staying here tonight.”
I raise my eyebrows.“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”His voice is calm but firm.
His voice is calm, but it crackles with authority.The kind that doesn’t come from ego but from a man who’s fought too many battles to play around when something matters.My knees nearly buckle from how badly I want to listen when he talks like that.
“You’re coming back to my place,” he continues while I attempt to reel my tongue back into my mouth like some cartoon character with a heart boner.“It’s better insulated, I’ve got a backup generator, and I don’t want you alone in the dark with that ankle.”
“My ankle is lots better.I’m not helpless, Grady.”
“Didn’t say you were.”
We stare at each other in the glow of the flashlight.I want to argue—just because it feels like I should.But the truth is, the coffee shop is cold already.And the idea of being somewhere warm with him… well, that sounds like heaven.
He softens a fraction.“Let me take care of you tonight.No pressure.Just warm food and a safe place to ride out the storm.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and nod.
“Good girl.Go get your coat.”
I turn to obey, feeling thatgood girlland between my thighs.
Once we’re in the truck, Grady gets the heat blasting, driving slowly through the icy streets.
