Cowboys Don't Believe in Fairy Tales by Jessie Gussman

Author:Jessie Gussman [Gussman, Jessie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessie Gussman
Published: 2019-07-23T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

The next evening, Ryder knocked off a little earlier than usual and took a shower.

In business almost every day, he forced himself to do things he didn’t want to do. Phone calls, meetings, even entertaining people he didn’t really care for, all to make his business successful and profitable.

But since Michelle came, he’d struggled to pay attention to her when his whole focus was on Nell. Where she was. What she was doing. If she needed help. He knew he was supposed to be charming Michelle so when he proposed his marriage and money arrangement, she wouldn’t turn him down.

But earlier when Preacher had asked if Ryder wanted him to take Nell and Vinton home, he’d declined. He hadn’t even thought about it. He’d been looking forward to the hours-long drive with Nell beside him. He’d have her to himself without her being able to avoid him, which she’d done all day today, or without Michelle interrupting them, like yesterday.

He’d wanted to talk to her, get to know her, what she thought and how she felt. He’d never had this all-consuming desire to know everything about someone. But he felt it with Nell.

He knew she was right. He had to choose Michelle, but that wasn’t for several weeks. And right now, he really wanted to know what it was about Nell that made him unable to stop thinking about her. She couldn’t be any different than any other girl. If he spent more time with her, he’d get his brain to figure that out.

After checking in with Brandon, who didn’t answer his phone, Ryder picked up his normal polo, his gaze landing on a pack of unopened t-shirts on his dresser. He set the polo down and ignored the dress pants he’d gotten out.

Five minutes later, wearing jeans and a tee and carrying his boots, he walked out of his room. Nell was just leaving hers, her bag slung over her shoulder.

Her eyes widened when she saw him. She froze.

He felt guilty that instead of being happy to see him, she almost seemed nervous. Maybe he could change that on the ride home.

There was no reason they couldn’t be friends.

“Hey. I’m driving you home.”

“Oh.” She looked at the stairs between them as though judging the distance to get away. “I thought Clay would be.”

Ryder was fairly certain Nell wasn’t the woman Clay was writing to. Her name didn’t start with “A” for one. But Clay was a nice guy. He would be perfect for Nell. There wasn’t any call for the surge of jealousy that pushed against his heart.

“No. Me.” He closed the door to his room. “Is that okay?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I hate that we’re inconveniencing someone.”

“I’ve been looking forward to doing it.”

Her eyes snapped to his. He couldn’t take the words back, and he didn’t really want to.

Before she could say anything, he walked to the stairs and stopped, not going over onto “her” side of the hall. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. What you said yesterday was right—I have to choose Michelle at the ball.

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