Read Online A Ballad for Her Cowboys by Luxie Ryder - Free Book Online Page A

Not until the opportunity to invest in Aiden’s family business and finally put down roots of his own had presented itself. Seth sold his parents’ small house and moved his life to Lambert’s Creek.
    Seth smiled at Misty when she shook him out of his reverie by asking if he had a good day. He didn’t have it in him to lie and tell her everything was okay, so he let her read whatever she wanted to into his silence.
    An hour after they reached her apartment and they’d eaten the chili she massacred with the silence still hanging over them like a dark cloud, Misty marched into the center of the room and put her hands on her hips.
    ‘Okay, guys, I’ve had enough of this. What the fuck is going on?’
    ‘Ask him,’ Seth said, refusing to look at anyone.
‘Seth…’
    He heard the warning in Aiden’s voice, but it didn’t worry him, not when the moment came to put up or shut up. Could he tell her how he felt and what he wanted? Should he? Misty squeezed herself onto the sofa between him and Aiden, turned in Seth’s direction, and lifted his clenched fist from his lap. ‘Seth, talk to me.’
    Aiden put a hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her away, but her gaze stayed on Seth’s. ‘Don’t push him on this, Misty.’
    Aiden peered over her head and silently told Seth with a look not to say whatever he was about to. Misty seemed as intent on ignoring Aiden as he was. She leaned forward. ‘Tell me.’
    Seth stared into her face, searching for some sign that he should let her know what was in his heart. Her huge brown eyes seemed to beg him to open up to her, but a part of him dreaded to see them go hard and cold if she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He smiled when he saw tears welling up in them, not because it pleased him to see her cry rather because it showed him she cared as much as he hoped. But maybe just not in the same way he cared for her.
    Seth sighed, turned his hand over so she could place hers into his upturned palm. He wrapped his fingers around hers and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles while staring at them until he found the courage to speak.
    ‘I’m in love with you, Misty. Have been since the day we met.’
    Silence followed his whispered confession. He had to lift his gaze and look at her to be sure she’d heard what he said. The color drained from her face, and she’d closed her eyes. She heard him fine. Seth wanted to keep talking, to tell her that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way, but if Aiden wanted her to know, it was his job to tell her. Seth didn’t want to rob him of the right to do it on his own terms.
    The loud ticking of a clock on the wall made the only other sound Seth could hear except for his own heart pounding while he waited for her next move. He thought he might have to repeat himself, until Aiden spoke, surprising Seth probably as much as he did Misty.
    ‘I feel the same way as he does.’ Aiden groaned and sat forward, rubbed his jaw, and smiled ruefully as she turned to stare at him. ‘I didn’t want him to tell you, but now he has. There’s no point in my keeping silent about it. I love you, too.’
    Seth smiled at Aiden, remembering again how much he loved the man who backed him up even when he was dead set against what Seth had done. Aiden was his big brother in all but name and his friend. In fact, he was the only family Seth really ever had. If Misty rejected them now, it wouldn’t have been caused by Aiden’s inability to be honest with himself or her. Seth would always thank him for it.
    That just left Misty. Why hadn’t she said anything—done anything—to let them know how she felt? She still had her back turned to Seth, so he could only assume she didn’t yet know how to react. His gaze flicked up to Aiden’s face again, trying to find some clue as to how she took the news reflected in his expression. Aiden looked as confused and nervous as Seth felt.
‘Misty?’
    She jumped at the sound of Seth’s voice and got to her