Page 31 of Saddles and Snowstorms (Sagebrush Cowboys #4)

Brooks

I t had been a full week of sneaking into Rowan’s apartment every night after the rest of Sagebrush went to sleep.

Each night I found him wrapped up in my arms, unable to stop myself from touching him, from kissing him, and from giving him all the pleasure I could muster.

Afterward I stayed as long as I dared, pushing the envelope further and further each night.

But I never stayed the whole night. The idea of the entire town seeing my truck parked out front of the clinic in the morning filled my heart with dread.

I wasn’t ready for everyone to know. Not yet.

It wasn’t that I wanted to hide Rowan or hide how I felt about him.

Those feelings were getting easier to accept.

But I wasn’t ready for everyone to know just yet.

Strangers meant questions, assumptions, and expectations that felt stifling just to think about.

If anyone found out, the entire town would know in a day or two.

Then I’d have to deal with their stares and their questions for the rest of time.

Even if Rowan and I stopped being together, the rumors would follow me forever. The thought of it made my skin crawl.

And it made me angry too. The entire town of Sagebrush was silent when my parents died.

They were silent again when Joe died too.

I had no friends, nobody to lean on during the hardest times of my life.

So, to be honest, I didn’t feel like I owed them anything, especially not a front-row seat to my private life.

Dolly was the only person in town I really trusted before Rowan came along and that was just fine.

I didn’t need or want anyone else. Besides, once I was no longer interesting, they’d all leave me behind again. It just wasn’t worth getting involved.

Still, even after a full week of those thoughts running through my head, I couldn’t help hopping in my truck as soon as evening chores were done.

I turned the engine over and headed toward town, intent on surprising Rowan just after closing.

I wanted to spend a little more time with him tonight, just him and I.

It was becoming painfully obvious how much I was starting to feel like I couldn’t live without him.

Despite how much it terrified me, the call of my heart was too strong to resist. I had to be near him.

He was quickly becoming as important as the air in my lungs.

The streets of Sagebrush were quiet as I drove through town, the setting sun painting everything in shades of amber and gold. A few locals waved as I passed, and I returned the gesture automatically, my mind already at the clinic where Rowan would be finishing up for the day.

I parked my truck a block away—still cautious despite myself—and walked the rest of the distance.

Through the clinic windows, I could see Rowan moving about inside, his tall frame graceful as he wiped down counters and reorganized supplies.

My heart quickened at the sight of him, and I felt a smile spread across my face before I could stop it.

When I knocked on the glass door, Rowan looked up, surprise flashing across his features before his mouth curved into that slow, devastating smile that never failed to make my knees weak. He strode to the door, unlocking it with a click.

“Brooks,” he said, his voice warm and low. “Didn’t expect to see you until later.”

I stepped inside, the familiar smell of antiseptic and pet supplies filling my nostrils. “Thought I’d surprise you. Unless you’re too busy?”

Rowan shook his head, locking the door behind us. “I’m never too busy for you.”

The way he looked at me—like I was something precious—made my chest tighten. I reached for him without thinking, pulling him into a kiss that started gentle but quickly turned hungry. His hands found my waist, fingers digging into my sides as he pressed me against the wall beside the door.

“Missed you, beautiful,” I murmured against his mouth, feeling foolish for admitting it when I’d seen him just last night, but unable to stop myself.

Rowan pulled back slightly, his dark green eyes searching mine. “I missed you too. Been thinking about you all day.”

His honesty never failed to disarm me. It was so different from how guarded I usually kept myself. I ran my thumb along the scar on his jaw, a habit I’d developed whenever we were close like this.

“Thought maybe we could grab dinner at Dolly’s before heading back to your place,” I suggested, surprising myself. We hadn’t been seen together in public much beyond what could be explained away as friendly conversation.

Rowan’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Really? You sure about that?”

I wasn’t, not completely, but I nodded anyway. “I mean… I’m here early. And you haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

He shook his head. “I was just about to order somethin’.”

“Well,” I smiled. “Let’s go get somethin’ together then.”

I watched as uncertainty flickered across Rowan’s face before being replaced with something warm and tender. He reached out, brushing his fingers against mine.

“You sure?” he asked again, voice soft. “I know how you feel about... about people seeing us together.”

I swallowed hard, my anxiety welling up from the pit of my stomach. “I’m not saying I want to take out an ad in the Sagebrush Gazette, but... I think I can handle dinner at Dolly’s.”

The smile that lit up Rowan’s face was worth every bit of anxiety crawling under my skin. He squeezed my hand briefly before letting go to finish closing up the clinic.

“Give me five minutes,” he said, moving to the back room.

I leaned against the counter, watching him work, admiring the way his shoulders moved beneath his shirt. It was still strange to me how much I noticed about him, how much I wanted to touch him all the time. It had never been like this before—not with anyone.

When we stepped outside, the evening air had cooled, and the first stars were appearing in the darkening sky.

There was no hint of the freak blizzard that had brought us together anymore.

In fact, the entire town seemed to have warmed up considerably.

Spring was truly on the way. We walked side by side down the sidewalk, not touching but close enough that our arms occasionally brushed against each other, sending little jolts of electricity up my arm.

I wanted to reach out and take his hand, but I kept mine firmly in my pockets.

“Busy day at the clinic,” I asked, trying to make conversation as we neared Dolly’s.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Caroline’s prized bull was being a real pain.”

“He didn’t like you?”

Rowan chuckled, the sound warming me from the inside out. “Yeah, it was... an experience. Usually, I’m good with animals. But I’ve never seen a bull quite that determined to avoid medical attention. Took three ranch hands just to hold him still enough for me to examine him.”

“Sounds like you’re earning your keep around here, city boy,” I teased, bumping his shoulder lightly with mine.

“I’m trying,” he admitted, his voice softening. “It’s different here than Austin. Good different, though. This place is starting to grow on me.” He glanced up at me, those green eyes looking right through me. “In more ways than one.”

The way he looked at me made my chest tighten with something dangerously close to happiness.

It took my breath away when he looked at me like then, when he implied that I was the reason for his contentment here in Sagebrush.

It made me feel like I belonged, like I was his. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Dolly’s Diner came into view, its windows glowing with warm light against the darkening sky.

Through the glass, I could see several tables already occupied.

However, something else caught my attention as we stepped up to the entrance.

There was a machine setup on the far side of the room with a microphone stand.

Dolly was running food to the tables, but when I looked closer, I realized all her customers had familiar faces.

“Looks like Lucas and Beau are having another get together,” Rowan said, looking through the window. “Think we should crash it?”

I gulped audibly. “I… uh…”

But I never got a chance to answer, not before the front door burst open and there was Colt, his hat askew and that shit-eating grin on his face as he looked the both of us up and down.

“Well, I’ll be god damned,” he smiled. “Just the men I was lookin’ for.” He reached out, grabbing Rowan and I by the arm and hauling us inside. “Come on in! We’re just gettin’ started!”

The door swung shut behind us before I could reply.

Rowan was smiling but also giving me one of his looks.

Clearly, he was concerned. I just returned his gaze, giving him a reassuring nod.

This wasn’t what I’d pictured when I asked him to dinner, but these guys were his friends and he didn’t get a lot of time to cut loose.

So… maybe it was an opportunity for us both.

I could get used to being around a few people and Rowan could socialize with someone other than old farmers getting their cattle vaccinated.

“Dolly!” Colt called, pulling us inside. “We got a couple more for ya!”

Dolly’s eyes widened as she spotted me, clearly surprised to see me at one of these gatherings. She recovered quickly though, her weathered face breaking into a warm smile. “Well, ain’t this a treat! Rowan and Brooks joining us tonight. I’ll set two more places.”

I felt the eyes of everyone in the diner turn toward us.

My throat tightened as I recognized familiar faces—Lucas with his city-slick appearance looking oddly at home here now, Caroline with her ever-present braid, Logan nursing a beer at the corner table with Dakota at his side.

They all smiled and waved, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being cornered.

“What’s all this?” Rowan asked, seemingly at ease in a way I couldn’t manage.