Catching the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch #2) - Kennedy Fox Page 0,47
heart.”
Her face drops. “Are you?”
I tilt her chin up to look at me so she can see how serious I am. “Not a chance in hell, Rowan. I’m risking everything because if I lose you, I lose a best friend and a family I’ve known my whole life, too. I’ve waited for you, and I’m not gonna fuck up this chance you’re giving me. Don’t think for one second I don’t know how lucky I am. I’m not taking a second of it for granted. You hear me?”
“You are risking a lot,” she says softly. “It’s only been a couple of weeks, and I’m already losing sleep thinking about you. The last thing I want is for our relationship to break apart friendships or cause any awkwardness in my family.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work, and if sneaking around is the only way I can have you right now, then I’ll take it. We’ll wait until you’re comfortable or when you think everyone else can handle the good news.”
She gives me an expression that makes me laugh. “We might be sneaking around a while then. Riley might never be ready.”
“Maybe after we move in together, get hitched, and you get pregnant with my baby, he’ll finally accept it. We wouldn’t have to make a big ordeal about it then because everyone would eventually just figure it out.” I shrug nonchalantly.
She snorts, laughing at my antics. “The never announcing it method. Sure, that oughta work. After the third baby, they might start putting the puzzle pieces together.”
I brush the wild strands of her hair off her face and tuck them behind her ear before leaning down and kissing her forehead. “We’ll figure it out.”
Rowan reminds me that she has to get back to work before Claire comes looking for her. We kiss goodbye, then I casually make my way out the side door. I wish I could stay and talk to her all night, but we both know I need the sleep.
Hopefully one day—one day soon—I’ll be able to go to bed and wake up with her in my arms, and we won’t have to hide our relationship. I’m falling harder for her every day, and it almost doesn’t seem real how strong my feelings already are. Then again, they’ve been lingering for years, waiting to be unleashed when she finally saw who was right in front of her the whole time.
Chapter Ten
ROWAN
I actually have the day off, so I’m killing time at the B&B with hopes to see Diesel later. Three weeks have passed since we’ve started sneaking around, and as much fun as it’s been, I’m constantly on edge and worried we’ll get caught.
It still doesn’t feel real. These feelings seem as if they’ve come out of nowhere, but Diesel acts like he’s been waiting his whole life for me. All the shit I used to give him now makes me feel guilty, though I keep telling myself it’s just a part of our history. Perhaps if I had seen him differently years ago, we wouldn’t be where we are now. I know us being together is still so new and early, but the timing seems right, and everything is so good. Trying to navigate a long-distance relationship while I was at college wouldn’t have been ideal for either of us. We both had some growing up to do.
“So how’s it feel to be back for good? Think you’ll miss going to Houston?” Maize asks as we hang out in the B&B kitchen. She’s making one of her Southern specialities for the guests and putting her amazing cooking skills to good use. Maize graduated from culinary school a couple of years ago and became the head chef at the bed and breakfast. It happened at a good time too since the previous cook in charge was retiring.
“Nah, I don’t think so. Actually, it’s not as bad as I was anticipating,” I say honestly, reaching for one of the paninis. “After Nick the Dick ruined my life, I thought life would suck.”
She perks up a brow, knowing there’s more to the story. More that I can’t tell her. “But it doesn’t?”
I shrug, purposely not making eye contact with her. If I do, she’ll know I’m keeping something from her. She’s two years older, and we’ve always been close. She knows all my tells, and I hate having to lie to her.
“Nah, I guess not. It’s nice to be back home and working for the fam. At least