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“Nothing to explain, Rowdy.” He shakes his head and lets out a long breath. “My brother may never forgive you, but thank you for doing the best thing for him.”
I let out my own breath. “You’re not mad?”
He shakes his head. “No way, man. I tried to tell Adam for months he should reconsider getting married, but he wouldn’t listen. I begged Dakota a week ago to call it off, but she shot me down. I can’t decide if I’m pissed at her for ditching Adam at the altar or grateful she didn’t go through with it and end up leaving him a few years down the road.”
“Yeah.” I nod. Adam and Dakota splitting up was inevitable.
It's been years since I dated anyone longer than a few months. Early on in my rodeoing career, I had a few relationships with women on the circuit—but coordinating two wide schedules was nearly impossible. And the fall out when things went bad wasn’t only personally difficult but professionally too—the pro-rodeo world is too small. After the first few years, I focused on the riding instead.
“Did Adam see me help Dakota get away?”
“A bride on the back of a bike is kind of hard to miss.”
Now I do take off my hat and run my hand through my hair before putting it back on. “You think he’ll ever forgive me?”
“Someday. But not soon.” Zach chews on the inside of his lip, not hiding his worry. “You and I are going to be in the doghouse for a while, but we both did the right thing. For Adam and Dakota.”
“Agreed.”
I barely have the word out before the door opens behind me. Zach steps around me to greet whoever has walked in, and I walk toward my office.
But then I hear a voice that stops me.
“I’m looking for…” It’s the woman from yesterday, and I turn around at the same time she says, “Rowdy Lovett.”
Our eyes meet, and a blush creeps across her cheeks. “Hi, again.”
Zach raises his eyebrows at me.
“Hi,” I say, walking toward her. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Her cheeks grow darker, and I regret using the wordsee. The air goes tight and I try to find somewhere else to look to keep my brain from replaying exactly what Isawyesterday.
“I brought your shirt back. Had to do a little investigating to figure out where to find you.” She thrusts a hanger toward me, which holds my shirt, looking freshly cleaned and ironed.
Zach clears his throat with meaning, and I know I’ve got even more explaining to do. “You two know each other?” he asks.
“We met yesterday,” I say as she turns toward him. “This is…” I put my hand near her shoulder—not quite touching it—trying not to think of everything below it. I open my mouth to introduce her before remembering I don’t know her name.
“Tessa Blake.” She sticks out her hand.
Zach takes it and offers her the perfect smile that used to melt all the high school girls into piles of goo—even the older ones. “Zach Thomsen.”
That smile is a force to be reckoned with, and I don’t like the jealous feelings it’s bringing back, as though Zach and I are still in high school. I’d fought him over more than one girl he’d stolen away with that dang smile of his.
“I’m looking to buy a place in the Little Copenhagen resort,” Tessa says to me over her shoulder, pulling her hand from Zach’s. “When I Googled real estate agents and your name popped up, I figured you could help me out of an easier predicament than you found me in yesterday.”
Again, I have to force my eyes away from her at the memory of her “predicament.” That image isn't going away any time soon.
I face Zach and catch his smile drop.
“Yeah,” he says slowly, stepping back a little. “The houses there aren’t really for sale, but I’m sure Rowdy can help you find something else.” His phone rings and he gives us a wave as he heads into his office to answer it, closing the door behind him.
Tessa’s eyes follow Zach, her eyebrows creased, before she turns to me. “I thought the cottages might go up for sale once the long-term lease ends. That’s what my Aunt D told me.”
I thought so too, and I'm a little suspicious of Zach's quick answer, but he knows more about what's going on with the Little Copenhagen than I do. So, I point toward my office.
“Let’s sit down, and we can talk about what you’re looking for.” I lead Tessa to my office, and hard as I try not to, I'm still thinking about her in my shirt and not much else.
