effect made a few chunks stand out. Sexy and adorable. Staying here might be more dangerous than I’d thought. A handsome Dawson who swaggered through town like he was an untouchable bachelor was one thing. This Dawson, the one who watched sappy movies, let my dog inside, and joked around, could hurt me more.
What was I thinking? He wouldn’t fall for someone like me. I’d seen the girls he dated. I’d gone to school with them. They were the cheerleaders, the valedictorians, the nurses who helped bitchy patients. The women on the town council who actually contributed to society.
I was broke as hell and he’d dug me out of a ditch. Okay, it’d been a pasture, but close enough.
“My dating life isn’t nearly as exciting as people assume.” I didn’t think he’d say more, but he continued. “I dated who everyone thought I should in high school, but I wasn’t into the same things they were.” His devilish smile flushed searing heat through my body until I squirmed. It should be impossible to get turned on with a broken leg. “But I was still a guy and wanted to experience guy stuff, right?”
“And you’re not anymore?”
He ran a hand through his hair again. Different parts stuck up. “Oh, I’m a man.” His voice dropped and he eyeballed me. “But not many women can handle this.”
“Give me that throw pillow back. You need to be hit.”
He laughed and stretched his legs out like mine, minus the big cast. “No. I go on dates and we talk and it’s just . . . there’s no chemistry. It’s like I’m sitting there while we’re talking and I can just hear their complaints about why I’m gone all day. Why do I drag so much mud in the house? Why don’t I take weekends off? Why can’t I travel in the winter? My college girlfriend asked me all that. The neon-pink writing was on the wall.” He glanced at me. “Do you get that from guys?”
Commiseration kept me from holding back. “That’s why Marshall dumped me. I missed dinner with his parents because I was looking for that cow.”
“You were saving a life and he was pissed?” Disgust dripped from his voice.
“I’d already messed up the first dinner we’d planned and they’re not from here, so . . .”
“Messed up how?”
I wrinkled my nose, wishing he’d missed that. I gave him a version of the truth. “He hated what I was wearing.”
Dawson stared at me. “Please tell me you told him to fuck off.”
“No. He’s a nice guy and his parents had to drive up from Miles City.”
Dawson’s expression changed to doubtful. “Nice guys don’t send messages like his.”
“He’s nicer than anyone I’ve dated. At least he didn’t brag all over town that he’d banged me in the back of his pickup.” I seriously had no filter around Dawson. “There’s two minutes of my life I’ll never get back.”
He snorted. “I know who you’re talking about and I’m surprised he made it that long.”
“As if most guys make it longer?”
“If they can’t, they better damn well fill the rest of their time pleasuring their lady.”
I coughed out a laugh, but my body thrummed. The easy confidence in his voice told me that Dawson was good for more than two minutes and filled up a lot of extra time to boot. “Well, not many have tried.” And like climbing Mount Everest, not many had succeeded.
“I haven’t slept with all the girls I’ve dated. I don’t know why people think I sleep around.”
I sent him a dubious look. I went into relationships knowing that whomever I dated wouldn’t marry me, and he definitely wouldn’t live out at the ranch. There wasn’t any other point to dating.
He spread his hands out. “I haven’t. I know you’ve seen me out with women, but they weren’t all a roll in the hay.”
“Hay’s itchy.”
He grinned. “Tell me more.”
“No.” I couldn’t bite back my smile. Credits rolled on the movie I’d hardly paid attention to. The conversation had been more enjoyable than having internet access. Dawson hadn’t touched me but tonight he’d outdone all of my previous dates.
Dawson grabbed the remote. “The roast was frozen, so it isn’t done yet. Want to watch the sequel?”
“Sure.” I stuffed my hand into Daisy’s fur, ignored Marshall’s messages, and marveled over a Friday I’d never forget—and the sad irony that experiencing this would only make going back to my life that much harder.
Dawson
Water plopped in an uneven rhythm. Snow melted off the roof of