Read Online Cowboy Crushin' (Dalton Boys Book 3) by Em Petrova - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Em Petrova
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find Witt. He and Alex were completing evening chores together. As she watched the big cowboy instruct her son on the proper way to feed the chickens, her heart melted just a little more.
She sucked in a deep breath of fresh country air. Everything about this ranch and Witt seemed to give her and her son a peace and hope they hadn’t known since the divorce.
But she needed to put a little distance between them. What was she doing here anyway? She’d promised herself no more men. For Alex’s sake and hers too. She didn’t want a third ex-husband or a sixth ex-fiancé.
Mr. Dalton came out of the barn carrying a loop of rope and some tack.
“Can I help you do whatever it is you’re doing?” Alex’s voice carried to Shelby.
“Sure. You feeling brave?” He eyed the boy.
Alex nodded with so much enthusiasm, she feared he’d snap his neck.
“Come on, then.” He moved off with Alex running at his heels. Shelby watched them go with a smile.
She owed it to Witt that Alex was starting to allow her to touch him in small ways—a hand on his shoulder he didn’t brush off. Or a kiss on the top of the head he didn’t duck from.
“Is that okay with you?” Witt jerked a thumb toward Alex and his pa as he approached Shelby.
“Yes. I trust all the Daltons with my most prized possession. I know you’d never let anything bad happen to him.”
He nodded solemnly. “Can I talk to you?”
She gave him her attention, noting the sweat beaded on his tanned throat. Suddenly she wanted to lean in and taste him, to let him fill her nose with the scents of a hardworking man.
Got to get ahold of myself. “Um, sure.”
She let him take her hand and lead her up the porch steps to an old swing hanging from tarnished chains. He gestured for her to sit then crowded beside her.
Thigh to thigh, hip to hip. Shoulder to shoulder. He pushed off with a boot and they started to sway.
Silence fell over them and worry settled in her stomach. The swing creaked. In the distance, lightning zigzagged to the earth. Thunder followed. A big storm was coming.
“Whatever it is, please say it. I value that we don’t play games, Witt.”
He shot her a scorching look from under the brim of his hat. She joined her hands to keep from pushing off his dirty hat and digging her fingers into her hair as she kissed and kissed him.
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to discuss with you, sweetheart.”
Confusion took hold.
“I always expect honesty from people in my life, and I’m afraid you haven’t been completely honest.”
She released a noise of despair. “What?” She racked her brain for reasons he might think badly of her. Had he seen another horrible text from Vonny?
He gathered her hand in his. Warmth invaded but she tried to focus on his words. “I’m afraid you aren’t being true to yourself, Shelby.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ve been watching you all day. With old Mr. Latchaw when he talked about the best way to make coffee. You listened to him and the next pot you made was to his standards—not yours.”
She stared at his handsome features, unsettled.
“Then when Nell came in, she talked you into making a different kind of fudge and rearranging the case her way. You didn’t do those things because you wanted to.”
No, she hadn’t but what was he getting at?
“Again with Charlotte, I got the feeling that you didn’t share her belief that the clothes in that store were the best value or quality.”
“Well no…”
“Then why did you agree with her? With any of them?”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know, do you?”
“I keep peace with people.”
“Keeping peace doesn’t mean you have to like all of their ideas or agree with them. And it definitely doesn’t mean you have to change your ways because they think it’s best.”
Damn. This was the same behavior she’d fallen into early in her life. She’d liked her ex’s favorite things and had pretended to love sports like bowling to
She sucked in a deep breath of fresh country air. Everything about this ranch and Witt seemed to give her and her son a peace and hope they hadn’t known since the divorce.
But she needed to put a little distance between them. What was she doing here anyway? She’d promised herself no more men. For Alex’s sake and hers too. She didn’t want a third ex-husband or a sixth ex-fiancé.
Mr. Dalton came out of the barn carrying a loop of rope and some tack.
“Can I help you do whatever it is you’re doing?” Alex’s voice carried to Shelby.
“Sure. You feeling brave?” He eyed the boy.
Alex nodded with so much enthusiasm, she feared he’d snap his neck.
“Come on, then.” He moved off with Alex running at his heels. Shelby watched them go with a smile.
She owed it to Witt that Alex was starting to allow her to touch him in small ways—a hand on his shoulder he didn’t brush off. Or a kiss on the top of the head he didn’t duck from.
“Is that okay with you?” Witt jerked a thumb toward Alex and his pa as he approached Shelby.
“Yes. I trust all the Daltons with my most prized possession. I know you’d never let anything bad happen to him.”
He nodded solemnly. “Can I talk to you?”
She gave him her attention, noting the sweat beaded on his tanned throat. Suddenly she wanted to lean in and taste him, to let him fill her nose with the scents of a hardworking man.
Got to get ahold of myself. “Um, sure.”
She let him take her hand and lead her up the porch steps to an old swing hanging from tarnished chains. He gestured for her to sit then crowded beside her.
Thigh to thigh, hip to hip. Shoulder to shoulder. He pushed off with a boot and they started to sway.
Silence fell over them and worry settled in her stomach. The swing creaked. In the distance, lightning zigzagged to the earth. Thunder followed. A big storm was coming.
“Whatever it is, please say it. I value that we don’t play games, Witt.”
He shot her a scorching look from under the brim of his hat. She joined her hands to keep from pushing off his dirty hat and digging her fingers into her hair as she kissed and kissed him.
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to discuss with you, sweetheart.”
Confusion took hold.
“I always expect honesty from people in my life, and I’m afraid you haven’t been completely honest.”
She released a noise of despair. “What?” She racked her brain for reasons he might think badly of her. Had he seen another horrible text from Vonny?
He gathered her hand in his. Warmth invaded but she tried to focus on his words. “I’m afraid you aren’t being true to yourself, Shelby.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’ve been watching you all day. With old Mr. Latchaw when he talked about the best way to make coffee. You listened to him and the next pot you made was to his standards—not yours.”
She stared at his handsome features, unsettled.
“Then when Nell came in, she talked you into making a different kind of fudge and rearranging the case her way. You didn’t do those things because you wanted to.”
No, she hadn’t but what was he getting at?
“Again with Charlotte, I got the feeling that you didn’t share her belief that the clothes in that store were the best value or quality.”
“Well no…”
“Then why did you agree with her? With any of them?”
She shook her head.
“You don’t know, do you?”
“I keep peace with people.”
“Keeping peace doesn’t mean you have to like all of their ideas or agree with them. And it definitely doesn’t mean you have to change your ways because they think it’s best.”
Damn. This was the same behavior she’d fallen into early in her life. She’d liked her ex’s favorite things and had pretended to love sports like bowling to
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