Taming a Texas Rascal (Bad Boy Ranch #6) - Katie Lane Page 0,55

who has found his own happiness.” She paused. “Is that why you didn’t fight for Lauren? Mattie’s happiness is more important than yours?”

He shrugged. “What good would fighting have done? They love each other.”

“Fighting isn’t just about the winning. It’s about feeling like you have the right to be mad and the right to fight for what you want. But with Mattie, you don’t think you have a right to want anything, do you, Sawyer?”

He looked away, and in the light coming from the bathroom, she could see the tears glistening in his eyes. “I’ve already been given everything. I was born with it, while Mattie was born deaf.” He looked back at her. “He will never hear the beauty of music. Or the sounds of nature. Or his mother’s voice. Or his children’s laughter. How can I possibly take anything else from him?”

Maisy stared at him as the truth dawned. “You didn’t take his hearing, Sawyer. That wasn’t your fault. For whatever reason, God made that choice. Not you. And you need to stop paying for it. You don’t owe anything to Mattie, except your love.”

He closed his eyes and let his head drop back to the pillow. “I know that, but I can’t seem to stop feeling like I do.”

It broke her heart to see Sawyer suffering, but she knew sympathy was the last thing he needed or wanted. She sat up and straddled him. When his eyes opened in surprise, she leaned closer to his face and spoke in a no-nonsense voice.

“Now that’s about enough of your pity party, Sawyer Dawson. You were blessed with good hearing and you need to be thankful for that. And having hearing certainly hasn’t made your life any better than your brother’s. Or his any worse than yours. He’s a successful veterinarian while you’re a poor rodeo bum. He’s happily married while you’re sleeping with every buckle bunny you run into—all because you decided you needed to be the bad boy. Well, the jig is up, Saw. You’re not that bad. So stop letting guilt ruin your life and start enjoying what God gave you. If you don’t, I can’t be your friend anymore. I’m not friends with idiots.”

He stared at her for a long moment. She figured the cuddling was over and he was going to kick her out. But instead, his mouth tipped up into a huge smile.

“You never let me get away with anything, do you? I give you a sob story, and you pretty much tell me to get over myself.” He laughed. “That’s what I love about you, Maisy Sweeney.”

Love? Before she could fully absorb the word he’d chosen, he slid his hands through her hair and drew her down to his waiting lips. Then she forgot about everything as he made her feel like she belonged once again.

The following morning, she woke feeling like she’d been rode hard and put away wet. But her achy muscles didn’t compare to the feeling of contentment she felt waking up in Sawyer Dawson’s bed. She opened her eyes thinking she’d find him lying next to her, but he wasn’t there. She rolled onto her back and found him sitting in a chair by the window. Gone was the fun, teasing cowboy she’d made love with the night before and in his place was a pensive, serious man. He stared out the window as if searching for answers.

She knew what answers he was searching for. How did I end up in bed with Maisy Sweeney? How can I get rid of her without hurting her feelings? She could answer both. He’d ended up in bed with her because he was trying to mend a broken heart. He could get rid of her easily.

She got up and started searching for her clothes.

“You’re leaving?” he asked.

She glanced at him and tried not to notice how sexy he looked sitting there naked with his hair all tousled and his eyes all sex-drugged. “It was real fun, rodeo bum, but the party’s over.”

She put on her underwear and dress and waited for him to say something. Anything. When he didn’t, she had all the answers she needed. As she sat down to tug on her boots, she tried to come up with some sassy remark that would convince him her heart didn’t feel like it was being stomped. But she had nothing. She wished she could walk out the door and never have to see him again, but she couldn’t just leave him