Page 100 of Cowboy Seeks Husband

“Wait. Andy paid you?”

“Yeah, he even paid me for an extra week. I hadn’t expected it either.”

“That little shit,” Walker said under his breath.

“What?”

Walker shook his head as he pulled the thick socks on. “He told me he wasn’t going to pay you because you were leaving early.”

“He’s been great, actually. He paid for my ticket home and there was a car waiting when I landed. He even called to find out if I needed help paying hospital bills.”

Walker’s lifted his eyes and watched him carefully. “And do you?”

“No. The hospital stay was included in her health insurance. She’d reached her lifetime max while I was gone. Thank God.” That was one thing he never had to worry about, but it was messed up, wasn’t it, to be grateful about that? “They didn’t cover the new treatments she would’ve needed. But she didn’t hold on long enough for those.”

“I’m so sorry, Roan.”

He nodded and grabbed a mug, taking a moment to get himself under control. As he poured coffee, he said, “So you want me to put a lasagna in the oven? It’s past lunchtime.”

“I’ll do it. You sit down.”

“You don’t have to—” Roan fell silent when he turned around and Walker was right there.

Walker reached out and dragged his hand down Roan’s arm. “I want to. Let me.”

Roan nodded and held his mug in both hands, clutching it to his chest. “Okay.”

“How did therest of the show go?” Roan asked. They were sitting in the small living room, curled up on the sofa barely big enough to fit them both. Roan had laughed when Walker made them hot chocolate, but he was grateful for it now. Each hot sip was like liquid comfort warming his belly.

“Predictably terrible,” Walker said, making a face. “It was Chad and Mike in the end. Ben left after you did.”

Roan cleared his throat. “I know. He came to visit me.”

“Did he?”

“Yeah.” Roan frowned. “Just once. It was weird. He didn’t come again.”

“And how did you feel about that?”

“Glad. I didn’t have the space for him.”

“And if he showed up now?”

“No space for him now either.”

Walker tilted his head earnestly. “Roan, you don’t have to let me stay if you need—”

“I have space for you,” Roan said. “Space. Feelings. Whatever.”

“Feelings?”

“Yes. Real feelings.”

“That’s good to hear. That’s great.”

“What happened with Mike?” Roan played with a loose thread on his sweatpants.

Walker reached out and covered his hand. “Mike is firmly in my past.” He squeezed once, then let go. “He and I are over.”