Page 30 of Rogue Cowboy (Montana’s Rodeo Cowboys #3)

R iley pulled out the tucked-in mirror in the trailer’s bathroom and carefully applied some Lumi foundation, which added a sparkling glow to her complexion.

Then she added some color to her cheeks and a lotion from Lush that had a hint of sparkle to highlight her eyes.

She slicked on a little lip gloss and, after hesitating, she carefully applied a smoky-blue eyeliner and mascara.

“No false advertising,” she advised, and even as she said it, Riley felt solid with her decision to take it up a notch tonight.

She’d been a bit of a tomboy growing up—who wouldn’t be with three older brothers—but she’d always loved to play with makeup and add a little bling and glitter for big events, especially when she’d been performing on stage.

And wasn’t attending the steak dinner with Cole tonight a performance?

But also real.

“My husband.” She tried out the words and felt a little thrill snake through her belly.

She had no idea how it would work—if she could be a wife, become a mother to his children.

Where they would live? What they would do?

But somehow all the questions didn’t seem so important or so impossible to answer after last night.

She’d felt silly dreaming about him all these years.

Embarrassed by her excitement over every text.

And the last year and half, she’d started initiating conversations, and she’d even begun convincing herself that perhaps he’d been smitten that weekend in LA just as she had.

That maybe he hadn’t just been wearing a white hat when he’d proposed marriage to protect her.

Maybe they could find their happy?

She finger-combed the curls she’d worked on for the past twenty minutes, and took one last spin in her dress despite the trailer’s tight quarters.

“Wish me luck,” she told her reflection as she added her new necklace.

But tonight felt epic.

She turned away from the mirror—she’d been selfish taking so long.

Cole would probably want to shower before the dinner.

He’d been helping Boone and Rohan with the Telford-Wilder bulls at the chute, but he’d been done for some time now.

Normally she never would have missed the bull riding end to the rodeo prelims, but she wanted to have enough time to get herself ready. She felt woefully out of practice.

He opened the door, and there stood Cole—black jeans, black boots, black western shirt with black satin piping and mother-of-pearl buttons. His hair was wet and slicked back, and he held his hat in his hand.

“Wow,” they said simultaneously, and Riley laughed at how shy and awkward she felt.

“We both cleaned up,” she said, making light of her effort.

“You had far more success,” he said and reached out his hand to take hers.

She walked down the trailer step, and Cole drew her hand to his lips, kissed each knuckle and then teased the pad of her thumb with his tongue.

“Gorgeous, Riley,” he said. The depth of sincerity made her feel breathless. “I am the luckiest man in all of the western states.”

She laughed. “Slight exaggeration. Maybe just Montana.”

“No, Montana may be the Big Sky country, but you, Riley, are so much bigger than that.”

She cupped his cheeks and let herself look her fill. She heard the opening band warming up and for a second she played with the idea of saying ‘to heck with it,’ and dragging him into her trailer. But her family would be waiting and soon there would be questions she wasn’t sure how she’d answer.

“Ready to be on full display?”

“Pretty confident I’ve been on trial every day.”

“We can always take the Fifth,” she said flippantly.

He caught her hand as she turned to join the throngs walking toward Crawford Park where a luminous glow romantically lit up the night.

“I want to tell them, Riley.”

“Tell who what?” she asked, her hazy desire shot straight to alarm.

“Your family. About us.”

She didn’t like that idea. Not at all, though she knew she wasn’t being fair. It wasn’t like Cole should be a dirty secret.

“After the rodeo,” she stalled, hoping he wouldn’t push.

It was after all her story, and if tonight went as well as last night, maybe he’d agree with her that the past could stay in the past. “Everyone has a lot on their mind. This rodeo’s important, and after the Ballantyne Bash Sunday night, we can talk about the future. ”

“I’d like that, Riley. A future with you.”

She nodded, not daring to meet his eyes, afraid that she’d tear up because even in her darkest days when a future had seemed impossible to meet, she’d wanted him to be a part of it.

“Me too.” She choked out the truth.

*

Cole had been to more than his share of rodeos in his life. He hadn’t competed like his cousins—football and track had been more his sports, though he’d enjoyed working the ranch, especially riding, training and caring for the horses.

He’d always felt a little like he’d been standing on the outside looking in—the orphan. His grandparents, aunts and uncles had known everyone. They’d always included him, and he knew his otherness was more the fault of his perception than anything his family had done.

But at Copper Mountain Rodeo, he’d felt like he’d found a rhythm he’d not been expecting.

His friendship with Rohan had renewed, though he was still aware he was lying by omission, and that didn’t sit right at all.

And when Rohan found out the truth, he imagined there’d be more fists flying—he’d let him get one hit.

Cole had enjoyed working with the livestock—the bulls, the broncs.

Rohan and Boone had included him as if he’d always been a part of their team, and talking business with Kane Wilder and his brother Luke had yielded enough promise that he felt he wasn’t letting his family down, even though his primary reason for volunteering for the Montana and Wyoming run had been to rekindle his relationship with Riley.

And while he didn’t typically socialize, preferring to remain by himself, he knew Riley would need it. And seeing her shine, a secret smile curving her lips and a cowgirl sexy swagger to her hips, going public was worth any awkwardness he would initially feel.

“Tonight feels so magical.” Riley paused at the end of the footbridge.

It was loud, chaotic and difficult to assess potential threats, but he was a civilian now. He shouldn’t think like that—at least not always.

“My family takes up a whole table.” Riley tightened the grip on his hand. “Ready to make like a salmon and swim through the crowd to find them?”

To speak was to act with Riley, and Cole followed her bright, slim figure as she pulled him to the middle of Crawford Park to a table underneath party lights strung through oak trees, whose leaves were just beginning to yellow, orange and red.

Riley reintroduced him to everyone, and everyone scooted over, ensuring that he and Riley were seated in the center of the long table.

Rohan tapped his shoulder hard with the back of his hand. “Come with me if you want to avoid the inquisition.”

Riley laughed and called out, “Lemonade, please,” as he followed Rohan to the drinks tent.

He braced himself for a grilling, but instead Rohan was quiet as they stood in a line ten-plus deep.

“This is still hard,” Rohan admitted. “Easier, but still makes me jumpy, overwhelmed, so cut yourself a break.”

Rohan didn’t look at him as he spoke, and Cole nearly choked on an unexpected laugh. They were such men. He nearly said ‘good talk,’ but Rohan was his brother in arms and his brother by marriage though he didn’t know it.

They each fielded two drink holders for the table—lots of sweet tea or lemonade and a few beers. It felt…normal?

Cole pondered that word as they returned to the table and settled in. He let the conversation flow over and around him. Riley included him naturally but also allowed him some quiet and reflection.

The food was good, but the dancing was better.

Holding Riley in his arms, slow dancing under the glow of party lights to a tuneful fiddle ballad was one of the best experiences of his life.

She stared into his eyes as they slow danced together, him executing a few moves, but focusing more on their physical and emotional connection.

“Never liked dancing all that much except with you.”

She smiled, thinking he was flirting, but no, he was handing her his heart. She missed a step and caught his forearms.

“I want to be alone with you.” She pressed against him, curling her fingers in the short hair at his nape. “Not to talk.”

He didn’t need a more explicit invitation.

“We need to say our goodbyes?”

“No,” Riley said, not wanting to advertise her business. “I’ll text them that we left.”

That felt like sneaking off.

“It doesn’t feel right to sneak around, Riley.”

“I don’t want to announce our business. Besides, Rohan and Ginny have already left with the baby.

Miranda and Witt left an hour ago with their twins, and Petal’s staying with Arlo because Cross and Colt hold a big campfire and s’mores and ghost stories camping out under the stars for all the teens out at Wilder Dreams Ranch. ”

“You got it all figured out.”

“I do.” She kept her hands linked around his neck and his were on her waist. “Did you have a good time tonight?”

“Impossible not to.”

She frowned a little. “My parents were nosy.”

“They want to know who’s courting their daughter.”

He hadn’t minded the questions—much. He hated talking about the past, about being orphaned and raised by his grandparents and extended family. Likely made him a hypocrite as he was always urging Riley to discuss what had happened to her.

But seeing the stark pity in Riley’s family’s eyes brought home how different their upbringing had been, and yet, it wasn’t, really. He’d been surrounded by family. It was just him who had kept digging at the gulf dividing him.

Could he put down the shovel? Looking at Riley, face tilted toward the sky as they walked, and feeling her work-calloused hand in his, he decided he would.

*