Page 72 of The Cowboy’s Reckoning

“I hope now that I’ve made it clear that the sale is off, and everybody and their uncle knows that we’re not buying the accidental cow shooting theory, that things will settle.”

“And hopefully Wade won’t have to build his stye.”

“Yeah. That remains to be seen.” Jordan lifted his chin to the breeze, thinking that he should probably ride out with Lil more often, help her put miles on the horses.

“Now that the sale is off, you’re going to move back home, right?”

Dudley felt Jordan’s reaction to her statement and took a couple jigging steps. He eased the gelding back into a walk. Despite what was going on between him and Lil, he was in no hurry to move back to his family ranch, now just visible through the pine trees ahead. As long as he was living on the Willow Creek … what?

He had a chance with Lil?

Deep down, he knew it wasn’t going to work that way, especially now, when she was not so subtly asking him for space.

“Things have been quiet,” she pointed out.

Her tone was pleasant, but she kept her eyes on the trail now. And there was a finality about her words.

“It’s probably time.” He let the reins slide through his fingers, giving the gelding his head. “I’ll move home and drive over for the next couple of days to finish the roofing and to reinforce the bull pen.”

“Sounds good.” She punctuated the words with a glance.

It might have sounded good to her, but it felt kind of like a gut punch to him. He’d been on board with her parameters in the beginning, believing that they wanted the same thing. And they had. Then.

He was the one who’d changed. He was the one who now wanted more. He couldn’t blame Lil for wanting what she’d asked for in the first place.

*

“I really liked working on the Tree Fork, and I might get more work there in the future, but it’s good to be back.” Dakota’s smile was infectious and Lil couldn’t help but smile back despite her less than jolly mood. “Wade’s hilarious.”

Two days had passed since Jordan had hitched the trailer to his truck and disappeared down the driveway, leaving the ranch feeling emptier that night than Lil expected. She still didn’t know how to handle matters between them, so she didn’t. Instead, while Meg put in hours at the school, prepping for her career, Lil focused on the business of feeding cows, riding her client horses, mowing and filling badger holes—a task that Dakota was about to take over.

A rhythmic hammering began from the direction of the machine shed as Dakota disappeared out the rear of the barn, shovel in hand. Lil steeled herself and headed to the house. Even if she could do the impossible and put Jordan out of her mind, it wouldn’t last long because he was still on the ranch. Only now, instead of exiting the trailer in the morning, sometimes leaving Lil snuggled in the sheets, he drove over from the Tree Fork, worked for most of the day, then drove home. When the roofing was done, he’d be out of her hair. His words, not hers. Words that meant intimate times were over.

And that was how she’d wanted things, right? To drift back to the friends zone?

Was that even realistic?

Why had she ever thought it was?

Damn it, she missed him but didn’t know how to come to a place that was good for both of them.

Jordan hauled a bundle of shingles up the ladder and disappeared over the peak of the machine shed roof shortly after Dakota drove away in the early afternoon. The heavy slap of the bundle being dropped made Dudley’s ear twitch.

“I know,” Lil murmured as she flicked the brush over his damp coat.

She was hyperaware too. Dudley was going home the next day, and Sara Crabbe’s mare would take his place. Hopefully, Sara would sing her praises because she hadn’t had many calls requesting her services, thank you cow shooter. She told herself that would change. The incident would be forgotten and life would go on.

She untied the gelding and started toward the corral when a skidding sound followed by a shout startled both of them. Dudley hit the end of the lead line at the same time a hollow thud sounded from the back of the shed. Lil dropped the rope and dashed to the shed, skirting the tractor and rounding the corner in time to see Jordan getting to his feet. Their eyes met briefly, then he grimaced and dusted off his jeans.

“You fell off the roof.” Her heart was still hitting her ribs and showed no signs of slowing.

“Appears so.” He rubbed his shoulder, rotating it beneath his grip.

“Did you break anything?” She stepped closer, wanting to touch him, but not daring.

“It wasn’t that bad of a fall. The worst part was skidding over the shingles on my belly.” He lifted the bottom of his shirt and showed her the road rash.

She gasped at the sight of his reddened skin. “What the hell, Jordan?”