One Night with a Cowboy - Sara Richardson Page 0,51
hadn’t seen in many other people. And the way she interacted with her kids…it only proved she knew how to love people well. Not that he wanted her to love him.
“You sure you don’t need any other adults riding in the parade with you?” she asked, straightening her son’s hat as though she was afraid to look at Wes.
He’d never learned how to play games, so he went with a direct question. “Do you want to ride with me?”
“Oh. Uh. Sure.” She stumbled over the words. “I mean, if that’s what you want. I’m happy to be an extra set of eyes on the kids.”
“Are you worried I won’t be able to keep an eye on them?” Maybe he shouldn’t ask, but he wanted to get to the bottom of her mistrust. Maybe it was based on what she thought of him. Or maybe it was based on what she’d experienced in the past. If he didn’t know, he’d never change her perceptions.
“I’m not worried,” Thea said quickly. “I just know how crazy this bunch gets, and I don’t want you to have to deal with that all by yourself.”
Or maybe she enjoyed spending time with him too. “I’d love to have you ride with me,” he told her. Stepping away, he dug through the costume box until he found an old brown fedora with a feather attached to the side. “In fact, I think you’d make a perfect Calamity Jane.” He placed the hat on her head.
Thea smiled her real smile—the one that had been hidden for the last few hours. “And I think you’d make a great Davy Crockett,” she said, digging out a coonskin hat and placing it on his head.
He was about to tell her he’d be anything she wanted him to be when the dinner bell rang. Just as well. Telling her that likely wouldn’t be following the new rules.
“Okay, everyone.” Since the chaos didn’t ease up at the sound of Louise’s signal, he’d best take charge. “Go ahead and put your costumes in the wagon so they’re ready for tomorrow. Then you all can head to dinner, and I’ll finish up here.”
The kids reluctantly pulled off the hats and vests, clamoring to pick out their seats in the back of the wagon. Thea removed her hat too. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and help?” she asked.
“Nah. I’m just going to make sure we have everything ready to rig up the horses tomorrow, and then I’ll join you all.”
She seemed to hesitate, as if it wasn’t in her nature to leave the work for someone else, but then she stepped away from him. “Thank you. Really.”
“It’s nothing.” He sent her off with a wave. She seemed so genuinely surprised every time he offered her a break, he had to wonder…how had her husband treated her? They’d had some bad moments, according to Ryan, but had it gone deeper than a few fights? He wanted to know. He wanted to know Thea more than he’d ever wanted to know any woman. Frustration tightened his jaw. He likely wouldn’t get the opportunity.
Wes stuffed the extra costumes into the box and stashed it in the barn a few feet away. When he walked back to the wagon, August was making his way down the hill. Wonderful. Just the person he wanted to see. “Why the hell would you tell Thea I’m leaving?” he demanded when his brother still stood ten feet away.
Auggie shot him a confused frown. “Why shouldn’t I tell her?”
He didn’t have an answer for that without giving himself up. With a grunt of frustration, Wes hauled his box of tools to the barn. When he came back, August confronted him with a knowing glare.
“You really were checking Thea out last night.”
“It’s not like that.” He didn’t have to check her out. He already knew she was attractive. That wasn’t why he found himself looking for her so often.
“Then what’s it like?” His brother narrowed his eyes. “Because I can tell you right now, Jane is going to be pretty pissed off if you go after her friend.”
“I’m not going after her. I like spending time with her, that’s all. And now she thinks I’m hell-bent on leaving when I was supposed to be the one to stay here and help her.” This time his frustration came out in a sigh. Why was he even talking to his brother about this? Back in the day, they’d been close, but now they might