The Cowboy's Marriage Mistake by Jessie Gussman

Author:Jessie Gussman [Gussman, Jessie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessie Gussman
Published: 2020-01-21T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

ROSIE WATCHED AS THE looming shadow of Cord’s barn became larger and larger in the windshield. Her chest felt hollow. Like a tree that had been gutted by birds and wild animals. But in there somewhere, her heart still beat. She knew it because Cord might be holding her hand, but he had touched her heart tonight.

While the way she’d acted had been inexcusable.

Funny, that on the trip out to his place, she’d been more upset about the way she’d treated him than she was about her house, such as it was, burning down. Or about losing the library.

She’d meant every word she’d said to him. And more. More that she couldn’t say. Words and thoughts and feelings that balled up in her mind and in her heart but couldn’t be allowed past the gateway of her mouth.

She had no idea what she was going to do. Cord would probably check on his horses. And she was tired. She’d think about her problems in the morning. That included what in the world she was going to do with her life now. Since the Council could barely be convinced to pay the small stipend that they’d agreed to pay the librarian, they certainly weren’t going to be convinced to shell out the money to rebuild the library.

“I’m gonna check on Sadie and Bill. You coming with me?” Cord shut the pickup off and turned toward her. Maybe he’d forgotten about their joined hands lying on the seat between them, but she sure hadn’t.

That was another thing she didn’t know what to do about. Probably the best thing she could do would be to pack up and move away.

She’d think about it in the morning.

“Sure,” she answered him, but she didn’t want to be the one to pull her hand away.

Maybe Cord didn’t either because he sat still as well. His thoughtful gaze rested on her for a moment before it dropped to their linked hands. She followed his gaze down.

They were best friends. He’d held his hand out to help her many times. Pull her up to the hayloft, help her up on the tractor, go upstairs, or climb bleachers even. But this, their hands linked, lying on the seat between them, was different. They both knew it.

But apparently, he didn’t know what to do about it any more than she did, since he didn’t move and didn’t say anything. Maybe he was just as afraid as she was of ruining their friendship.

“It’s been a pretty wild evening,” he said. Although the silence around them had been deep, his voice wasn’t nearly as loud or confident as it normally was. “I’d like to talk to you.” His hand squeezed hers. “About this. About some other things. About what you’re going to do. But you’re tired, and so am I. Let’s sleep on everything that’s happened, before we talk about any of that.”

“That’s fine,” Rosie said softly. Her chest didn’t feel so empty when she thought that maybe Cord was in this with her.

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