Page 75 of The Cowboy’s Reckoning

All things considered, he had to go with afraid. And she wouldn’t be afraid if she weren’t worried about loving and losing. She probably saw that as a pattern in her life. Her mom. Her dad. The ranch. There were probably a few loyal pets in the mix. He’d known about her losses from the beginning but thought it was auxiliary to preferring the single life, not the cause.

Was it the cause? If so, how did he deal with something that deeply rooted?

“I’m thinking of looking up Libby Weston. You know, like you wanted to look up Joe Whitney a couple days ago. Get some answers.”

“You know where to find her?”

“I have her phone number. If she hasn’t blocked mine, and I don’t think she has, because she still wants the Willow Creek, then I’ll ask to set up a meeting.”

“With the ranch as bait?”

“What else do I have?”

“What if she doesn’t agree?”

“Then I guess we live without closure.”

Lil glanced down, afraid her expression would give her away. Living without closure was becoming a way of life for her, but she was too damned chicken to get it.

*

“You should be afraid of cows.” Lil knew from whence she spoke.

She bent to pull a small weed in the garden that Aubrey had stopped to inspect. The garden was in good shape for a change, because Lil had needed something, anything, to do to stop thinking about Jordan.

The sense of loss would fade. It had to, right?

But unlike her other losses, this loss was a phone call away.

“Okay. I’m good there.” Aubrey furrowed her brow. “I just don’t want to flinch when I’m near them.”

She had managed to slip her number to the cowboy singer they’d met at the Graff. And to Aubrey’s surprise it turned out that he was really a cowboy with a penchant for wild boots and dude-like dress. She’d met him for coffee and now she was interested in seeing more of the man.

“He has a herd of ten.” Lil lifted her eyebrows.

Technically ten qualified as a herd, but still.

“Scottish somethings?” Audrey said. “Really cute. He sent pictures.” She scrolled through her photos then held out a photo of the man with his arm looped over the neck of a Scottish Highland.

The cow peered at the camera from under her bushy bangs looking adorable despite the lethal horns.

“He said they’re registered.”

“Nice,” Lil said appreciatively.

She’d always had a soft spot for the hairy cattle.

“Cow or guy?” Aubrey smiled cheekily, then dropped the phone into her bag. “I thought if you had a nice cow we could get close to, then I could build up my tolerance?”

“I do not have a nice cow. I have cows that tolerate me and Meg and do not tolerate strangers.”

“That doesn’t sound promising.”

“We can go out to the corral and see if there are any cows lounging around there.” Sometimes her girls took a siesta in the warm dirt after coming in for water.

“I’m game.” They left the house and crossed the driveway to the alley leading to the chute and corrals. “Where’s Jordan’s trailer?” Audrey commented as they walked past the now empty parking spot.

“He went home. There was no need for him to stay longer. He has his own life to live.”