Page 26 of Dust and Desire (Sagebrush Cowboys #5)

Dustin

I wasn’t sure if I was dreading the moment I’d see the rental car coming up the driveway or not.

Part of me wanted to see Ali. I had missed her since the day I’d left New York.

But the other part of me, the new me, wanted to keep those worlds apart forever, wanted to never step foot back in that lie I lived for so many years.

But it was too late to back out now. Ali already had a room in town, and her plane had touched down in Amarillo over an hour ago.

As if the universe was reading my thoughts, I saw a black sedan come over the top of the nearest hill, the sparkling clean car shimmering in the sun.

It looked so out of place, so obvious that it didn’t belong.

Sometimes I wondered if I looked like that too.

But now that Alex was in my life… well, I finally felt like I was in the right place.

And no matter what happened with Ali, this is where I was going to stay.

There were no doubts in my mind that Alex was the right choice, now and forever.

I shifted uncomfortably on the porch steps, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans.

The sedan kicked up dust as it approached, leaving a cloud trailing behind it like some kind of dramatic entrance in a movie.

Part of me wanted to laugh at how perfectly it captured Ali’s style, always making an impression, always slightly out of place yet somehow belonging everywhere she went.

The car pulled up beside my truck, engine cutting off with a gentle purr that seemed almost offensively polite compared to the rumbling engines I’d grown used to hearing around the ranch.

For a moment, nothing happened. I could see Ali’s silhouette through the tinted windows, and I wondered if she was having second thoughts too.

Then the driver’s door swung open, and there she was.

“Dustin!” Her voice carried across the yard, bright and familiar. She looked exactly the same, her dark hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders, designer sunglasses perched on her nose, a smile that could light up Times Square.

I stood, surprised by the genuine warmth that flooded through me at the sight of her. “Ali.”

She practically ran to me, throwing her arms around my neck. She smelled like expensive perfume and airplane air, and for a disorienting moment, I was back in our Manhattan apartment, coming home after a long day at the firm.

“Look at you,” she said, pulling back to examine me. “You’re tan. And is that muscle I feel?” She squeezed my bicep with theatrical surprise. “What happened to my pale workaholic?”

“Manual labor will do that to you,” I replied, suddenly self-conscious about my worn jeans and dusty boots. “How was your flight?”

“Awful. Cramped. Full of screaming children.” She waved a dismissive hand. “But who cares? I’m here now.” Her eyes drifted past me to the tiny house. “So, this is where you’ve been hiding.”

“Y-Yeah,” I smiled. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

She tilted her head, studying me with that penetrating gaze that always made me feel like she could see right through me. “You look happy, Dustin. Really happy.”

Something in her tone made my chest tighten. Was that surprise? Regret? Anger? I couldn’t tell .

“I am,” I said simply, because it was true. Despite the complications, despite Alex’s strange behavior at lunch yesterday, I was happier than I’d ever been.

“Well, aren’t you going to give me the grand tour?” She gestured toward the house. “Show me this rustic paradise that stole you away from civilization.”

I hesitated, suddenly aware of all the evidence of Alex inside, his hoodie hanging by the door, his extra pair of boots lined up beside mine, the two coffee mugs still sitting in the sink from this morning. “It’s pretty small. Not much to see.”

Ali’s perfectly shaped eyebrow arched above her sunglasses. “Dustin Corvus, are you trying to hide something from me? Because if you are, I’m going to be very offended that you think I can’t handle whatever it is.”

I sighed, knowing that tone. Ali had always been like a dog with a bone when she sensed a secret. “It’s not that. It’s just... things have changed since I moved here.”

“Things like what?” She crossed her arms, and I could practically see the wheels turning behind those designer sunglasses. “Wait. Is there someone?”

Heat flooded my cheeks before I could stop it, and Ali’s mouth fell open in surprise.

“There is someone!” She grabbed my arm, her perfectly manicured nails digging into my skin. “Oh my God, Dustin, you’re blushing like a teenager. Who is he?”

“How did you?—”

“Please. I was married to you for five years. I know that look.” Her expression softened slightly. “So? Tell me everything. What’s his name? What’s he like? Is he gorgeous?”

I found myself smiling despite my nervousness. “His name is Alex. And yes, he’s... he’s incredible.”

“Alex,” she repeated, testing the name. “And where is this incredible Alex right now?”

“Working. He’s a ranch hand here. ”

Ali’s eyebrows shot up. “A cowboy? You fell for an actual cowboy?” She threw back her head and laughed, the sound bright and genuine. “Oh, this is perfect. My uptight corporate lawyer ex-husband is shacked up with a cowboy in the middle of nowhere Texas.”

“We’re not shacked up,” I protested, though the words felt hollow even to me.

“Honey, his boots are by your door and there are two coffee cups in your window.” She gestured toward the kitchen window where the evidence of our morning routine was clearly visible. I’d forgotten how observant she was. “You’re absolutely shacked up, and I… I couldn’t be happier about it.”

There was genuine joy in her voice, but that strange undertone was there again. It felt like there was something she wasn’t telling me. “You’re... happy about it?” I asked, wanting to make sure.

“Dustin.” She pulled off her sunglasses, and I saw something raw in her light brown eyes. “You look more alive right now talking about this man than you did in the last two years of our marriage. Of course I’m happy about it.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. “Ali, I’m sorry. I never meant to?—”

“Stop.” She held up a hand. “We’ve had this conversation a million times. I don’t need another apology.” She paused again, taking a deep breath. “But maybe you should show me around. Then I should get some rest. I’ve got my own heartbreak to process still too.”

“God… I’m sorry,” I replied quickly. “I didn’t even ask?—”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she smiled, though I could tell it was fake. “Just show me your world. I want to forget about mine for a while.”

I nodded, understanding the need to escape from painful realities. I’d done the same thing when I’d fled to Texas. “Come on then. Let me show you around.”

I led her up the porch steps and through the front door.

The tiny house felt even smaller with Ali’s presence filling it, her energy too big for the compact space.

She moved through it like she was cataloging everything, taking in the simple furniture, the small kitchen, the unmade bed visible through the open bedroom door.

“It’s so... quiet,” she said finally, not unkindly. “I can’t hear any traffic. Or sirens. Or construction.”

“Takes some getting used to,” I agreed, watching as she examined the books stacked on the coffee table. Romance novels, mostly. Another thing that would have been embarrassing before Alex but now felt like just another part of who I was becoming.

“You’re writing again,” she observed, nodding toward my laptop on the small dining table. “I can tell by the way you keep glancing at it like it holds all your secrets.”

“Just some stories. Nothing important.”

She gave me that look again, the one that said she knew I was deflecting. But instead of pressing, she moved to the window that faced out toward the rolling hills. “It’s beautiful here. There’s not a building in sight.”

“They’re over that hill,” I said, pointing up the driveway. “You saw them coming in, right?”

“I didn’t know what they were,” Ali grinned. “I’m a city girl, remember? They didn’t exactly take us on farm trips in elementary school.” She looked back out the window. “I’ve never been anywhere this green.”

“Want to go see the arena?” I offered. “I’m sure Caroline wouldn’t mind you petting the horses or something.”

“ Pet them?” Ali scoffed, lifting an eyebrow. “And get my fingers bitten off?”

“They don’t bite!” I laughed. Then I paused. “Well… most of them don’t.”

“You’re making a very convincing case…”

“Oh, come on,” I smiled, grabbing her arm. “What’s the point of coming out to a Texas ranch if you’re not gonna at least go look at it? ”

Ali laughed, a sound that was both familiar and strange in this new context of my life. “Fine, but if I get trampled by some wild bronco, I’m haunting you forever.”

“Deal,” I said, leading her back outside and down the lane toward the main ranch buildings.

As we walked, Ali kept glancing around like she was trying to memorize everything.

The way the grass moved in the breeze, the sound of our boots on the gravel, the endless expanse of blue sky overhead.

It struck me how different she looked here, her designer clothes and perfect hair almost comical against the rustic backdrop.

“So, tell me about him,” she said as we crested a small rise. “This Alex. How did you meet?”

I felt that familiar warmth spread through my chest at the mention of his name. “He showed up looking for work a few weeks ago. Logan hired him as a ranch hand.” I paused, remembering that first day I’d seen him. “He’s... he’s nothing like anyone I’ve ever been with before.”

“Good different or bad different?”

“The best different,” I said without hesitation. “He makes me feel like myself. Like the person I was always supposed to be.”

Ali was quiet for a moment, her heels clicking against the gravel in an oddly soothing rhythm. “That’s beautiful, Dustin. Really.” Her voice was soft, almost wistful. “I’m glad you found that.”