Page 230 of Cowboy Daddies

“You’re giving me a safeword?” she whispered.

“Yeah. If that’s easier for you. I know that sometimes it can feel intimidating to tell someone older than you, or in a position of power exactly what you need or want. To tell them no. I want you to know you can always say no to me. Or ‘red’ if that’s easier.”

Casey was silent for a long moment. “You seem to think I’m scared of you. Or maybe intimidated.”

“You aren’t?”

She shrugged. “No, I don’t know. I guess maybe I should be? But I’ve lived with someone scary. He liked to yell a lot and throw things. He would stomp through the house and you’d want to run away. Sometimes I would hide, but that would make him more mad.”

“What the fuck? Who was that?” he snapped. “Your fiancé?”

“What? Oh no. Derick was nothing like that. I mean, I never lived with him. But he was always nice to me when we were together.”

“So who were you talking about?” He was a bit confused. She sounded very unconcerned when she spoke of her fiancé. As though he hadn’t meant much to her.

How had their relationship ended?

“Oh, my father. But I don’t want to talk about him. My point was that you don’t do anything like that. Sure, you get mad sometimes, but mostly when you’re worried or concerned. You don’t yell. Although you are very bossy. Yes, if I had to offer some feedback it would be that you could tone down the bossiness.”

“I don’t believe I asked for feedback.”

She shrugged and patted his hand. “Consider it a bonus.”

A bonus?

Jeb shook his head. “I’m not going to be less bossy. In fact, you need bossy. You need someone to give you some rules and enforce them in order to keep you safe.”

“That’s rude,” she grumbled. “I don’t think I need that at all. I think I’m doing very well at taking care of myself. I got myself all the way from Connecticut to here without any incidents. I think it’s this place. It seems to bring something out in me.”

Or maybe it wasn’t the place.

Perhaps it was him.

“Not sure I agree with that. I’m shocked that your family let you travel across the country on your own.” There was disapproval in his voice.

“They didn’t want me to. But they couldn’t really argue with me.”

“Why not?” he asked curiously.

“Because I didn’t tell them that I was leaving,” she said.

“What?” He gaped at her. “You didn’t tell your family that you were going?”

“No. It was hard to keep my plans a secret too, since I lived with them all. I have four older brothers and they all live at home with my father.”

“Why didn’t you tell them?” he asked.

“Uh, because they would have argued. And my father would have found a way to stop me.”

“He sounds like a controlling asshole,” he muttered.

“Yeah, he is.”

“What about your fiancé? You were already broken up?”

“Uh, I called him as I left. I know that wasn’t a good way to break things off. But he really sounded relieved. I mean, it wasn’t like we were in love or anything.”

“You weren’t? Why were you engaged to him, then?”