One Night with a Cowboy - Sara Richardson Page 0,52

as well be strangers. An occasional quick text didn’t mean August knew him. He didn’t know Wes was always the first one to show up at the arena for an event. He didn’t know about the extra hours he’d put in working out and training. He didn’t know how many injuries he’d ignored in the pursuit of building a career.

August didn’t know how one single day—that day, the worst day of his life—drove him to search for redemption. But if he was being honest, Wes might admit he was looking in the wrong place. Every time he walked out of the arena, the rush faded. But the fire he felt when he looked at Thea…it had yet to cool. And the wonder he experienced when Ryan gave him a high five or confided in him about his grief had done more to fill the hole in his heart than anything he’d accomplished in his career. “Forget it,” he said to his brother. “You wouldn’t understand.” Those were feelings August didn’t think Wes was capable of.

“Holy. Shit.” His brother stared at him with one part amusement and three parts disbelief. “You actually like this woman.”

He didn’t deny it.

“She has kids,” Auggie reminded him, as though he wasn’t fully aware.

“Yeah, and they’re pretty incredible.” Spending time with Ryan had made Wes want to be better, to be there for the kid. They had a bond. Maybe because both of them knew what it was like to lose a father. And he may not spend as much time with Olivia, but he found himself feeling protective over her—watching out for her. “I’m not the same person I was back in high school.” Their father’s death had changed him. Life had changed him. Experience had changed him. “And I’d hope you’re not either.”

“No. I’ve changed too.” His brother got a pained look on his face. “Except for maybe my big mouth.”

Uh-oh. Wes recognized that expression of regret all too well. “What else did you say to her?”

“I might’ve mentioned how you don’t like to be tied down. How you’re always on the go, moving from place to place.”

As if his brother knew anything about him these days. “Seriously?” He didn’t bull-rush him like he would’ve when they were younger, but he let his disgust show.

“I didn’t know you liked her.” August had the balls to sound defensive. “If anything, I thought you wanted to have a fling with her.”

Why did everyone—including Thea herself—figure he wasn’t capable of more than a fling?

“I didn’t assume you were looking for a serious relationship.” The disbelief was still evident in his brother’s expression.

“Yeah, well, I’ve never really wanted one before.” But with Thea…he could see something more. He could see being there for her. He could see making her smile and laugh like she had earlier. He could see kissing her every day and never getting tired of that feeling she gave him…

“Whoa. You’ve got it bad.” August might not know him well anymore, but he could still read him.

“It’s not like it matters. As Thea pointed out to me earlier, they live in Texas, and I live all over the place.”

“Long distance is no problem these days,” his brother insisted. “There are plenty of ways to keep in touch.”

“Right. It’s pretty easy to keep in touch.” He let his smirk speak for him. Other than the occasional text, Wes never heard from his brother unless he called.

August seemed to get the message. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m too busy. I work way too much. Trust me. I’ve heard it all from Mom.”

“You’re not going to hear any lectures from me.” Wes hadn’t earned the right to lecture his brother on anything. “But it would be good to see you around here more.” He couldn’t claim to be the perfect son, but over the last year since Jane had moved back to the ranch, Wes had done his best to spend a couple of weeks here, and he’d actually enjoyed feeling like their family was back together again. “We miss you around here.” He knew their mom did anyway.

Instead of getting defensive again, Auggie nodded. “I’m hoping now that I’m at the top, I can get more time off. And there’s a chance I might move back. If our new business venture opens up.”

Now it was Wes’s turn to stare in disbelief. “Really?” He’d thought his brother wanted nothing to do with Silverado Lake.

“A small chance. But yes.” August had never been easy to read. Wes couldn’t tell if