Page 16 of What the Cowboy Wants (The Westons of Montana #3)

“Alone, in the dark?” The question just slipped out. She wasn’t going to like it. I was going to pick you up.”

Lifting her chin, she shrugged. “You’re busy. Besides, I’m a big girl and I’ve been on the ranch before. I wanted to see how Scarlett is doing. I’ll leave my car at the airport. That way I have transport when I return.” Combing her fingers through her hair, she moved toward the stall.

“Is Scarlett the only reason you’re here?”

All he got was a smile over her shoulder.

Scarlett whinnied softly.

“I found a snake in her stall last night,” Cooper said. “She’s still too freaked out to let me touch her, though. She’s hurt herself and I can help, but she has to be still for me to do that. Maybe now you’re here, she’ll calm down. You two had a powerful connection before.”

Rose put out her hand. For long moments, Scarlett stared at Rose before she slowly moved closer to her.

“Hallo, sweetie,” Rose crooned. “Cooper can help you if you let him. You see this?” Rose pointed toward her own head. “He fixed this. I don’t know how, but I don’t even have a scar.”

Scarlett whinnied softly and dropped her head.

“He won’t hurt you, okay?” Rose continued as she stroked Scarlett’s head. “Look at me, give him a chance to see what’s wrong.”

Cooper opened the stall. Scarlett had recognized Rose, and her words had calmed the mare down. Scarlett turned her head to look at him, but Rose kept stroking the horse’s head and talking to her until the sorrel settled again.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” he said as he approached Scarlett slowly. A movement caught his eyes and he smiled. “Look, all your friends are here.” Prince, Charlie, and Ebony all followed him into the stall and were sitting in front of Scarlett. “You’re safe now. The snake is gone.”

Scarlett finally quieted down so that Cooper could run his hands over her.

“So how does this work? The healing?” Rose asked softly.

“It’s not something I can explain. Very early in my life I discovered I feel much more and much deeper than most other people. A dog I had as a child ended up under a car and I instinctively knew what to do.”

“You healed my wound.”

He nodded. “I prefer to work with animals. I connect with the ones who have been hurt, because I feel what they feel. The healing flows from that.”

“Is this deep empathy—not sure what you call it—always there?”

He nodded. “Over the years, I’ve learned to recognize my emotions, to accept them, to manage them.” Glancing at Rose, he frowned. “It’s just… what I experience when I’m with you, is way more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt before. It scares me.”

“Whatever it is, it scares me too.”

Scarlett whimpered and he focused on her. As he felt her muscles relaxing under his hand, he could breathe easily for the first time. “There we go.” Stroking her steadily, he talked to her until she finally quieted down and he could leave the stall.

“I’d like to take you to my house, but I don’t want to leave Scarlett.”

Checking her watch, Rose shook her head. “There isn’t time anyway, I have to leave in a few minutes.”

“Sure you’ll return?”

“There’s nothing to keep me in Seattle. Besides, I’m keen to get my business going as soon as possible.”

“We should go for a meal or something when you’re back.”

“Why?”

“I like spending time with you.”

“We’ll see…”

He pulled her closer before she could finish her sentence. “I don’t have all the answers yet, Rose, but I do know I want to be with you.” Before she could say anything, he bent down and kissed her. And like every time their lips met, he got lost in her taste, her scent, her softness.

When he finally lifted his head, she sniffed. “You stink, cowboy.”

Laughing, he kissed her forehead. “Took you long enough to complain.”

Grinning, she quickly kissed him before she turned around. “Let me know how Scarlett is, will you?”

And then she was gone, taking all the warmth and light that was Rose, with her.

Oh, man, he had it bad.

*

With Rose’s mind filled with Cooper, the drive to the airport went quickly. The gentle and patient way he has with animals wanted to make her cry every time. She could so easily fall for him, but hopefully this trip would give her time to clear her head.

After parking in the airport terminal lot, Rose got her bag out of the car and followed the arrows to Departures.

As she was about to enter Departures, someone grabbed her arm.

“You’re Rose Dalton, aren’t you!” A strange woman with her phone in her hand, called out. “I saw the way that bastard dumped you online. We’ve all been wondering where you are.”

Before Rose realized what the woman was up to, the woman’s phone was in front of her face and she was clicking away. “Wait till I share this!”

“Please don’t,” Rose begged, but the woman was already walking away, her fingers busy on her phone.

Groaning, Rose entered the airport building.

And just like that, real life was back. While lying low in Marietta all these months, she’d forgotten the madness out there.

How was it possible that someone in the Bozeman airport would recognize her?

The world had gone bonkers and she’d merrily gone along with all the craziness.

As quickly as she could, Rose walked to Departures. She had checked in online since Arlene’s bag was small enough to keep with her, so she kept her head down, praying no one else would recognize her.