Free Loving You (Love Wanted in Texas) by Kelly Elliott

she worked with.”
    “Damn. Did she tell you that?”
    My body tensed as the memory came back. Fisting my hands, I looked out the window. “No. I waited outside her apartment and saw her coming home with him. He went up and never came back down until late in the middle of the night.”
    “How do you know?”
    I wasn’t sure if I wanted to admit to Walker I had sat in my truck all night watching Taylor’s place. Swallowing hard, I stared out the passenger window.
    “Holy shit. You stalked her.”
    My head turned to look at him. “I didn’t stalk her, you dickhead. I sat in my truck all night and just watched her apartment.”
    Walker pinched his brows together. “You stalked her.”
    “Whatever. Call it what you want. The point is she slept with him and I know she regrets it.”
    Walker pulled over to the side of the road and put the truck in park. “And how in the world do you know she regrets it?”
    “After the guy left I stayed there for a while. Taylor opened her balcony door and sat out there for a bit and she . . . well . . . she cried the entire time. I wanted so badly to go to her.”
    “Dude, why didn’t you?”
    With a shrug of my shoulders, I replied, “I don’t know. She told me to leave and the last thing I wanted her to find out was that I had spent the night outside her apartment.”
    “Stalking her.”
    Clenching my teeth, I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t stalking her!”
    Maybe I was a little.
    “Have you called her since?”
    “Nah . . . I figured if she really wanted to talk to me she’d call. I’m always the one calling her and it’s clear she wants to move on.”
    Walker reached for the gearshift and put it in Drive. “Jase, if there is one thing I learned from your sister it is that what you think women want is usually the exact opposite of what they want.”
    “So you don’t think she really wanted me to leave?”
    With a nod, he said, “I don’t. And when you did it probably made her angry and then that made her turn to this work guy. Clearly she didn’t want to be with him . . . or he hurt her in some way.”
    The thought had me livid. “I’ll fucking kill him if he hurt her.”
    “Down boy,” Walker said with a chuckle and pulled back onto the highway. “I think if things are meant to be with this girl they’ll work themselves out, but you might have to push it along. Especially if she lives in Austin.”
    With a gruff laugh, I nodded. “Yeah. It’s not like fate is going to have me run into her in Llano.”
    “Never ever doubt fate, especially when she teams up with destiny.”
    My heart felt so heavy as I smiled weakly.
    “This is it.”
    Dipping my head down, I glanced up at the sign.
    Reynolds Breeding.
    “Do they know we’re coming?”
    Walker grunted. “Of course they do. Jesus, Jase. I’m not that unprofessional to just show up.”
    With a shrug, I grinned and mumbled, “Just checking.”
    As we pulled up, I couldn’t believe the massive house in front of me. “Wow. This place is nice.”
    Throwing it in Park, Walker opened the truck door and jumped out. Walking around the front, he shook his head. “Damn. Reminds me of your parents’ house.”
    “It’s fucking huge,” I said under my breath as the front door opened and an older man came walking out along with a younger guy.
    “Walker Moore?” the older gentleman asked as he extended his hand.
    “Yes, sir.” They shook hands as he replied, “Scott Reynolds. This is my son-in-law, Colt Mathews.”
    That caught my attention. “Colt Mathews, as in the Mathews Cattle Ranch?”
    Colt smiled and nodded. “Yes. Gunner Mathews is my father.”
    “It’s a pleasure meeting you,” I said as I shook his hand. “Jase Morris.”
    Scott and Colt both lifted their eyes as Scott replied, “Don’t tell me your dad is Layton Morris?”
    It must have then hit Scott who Walker was, because he turned to Walker. “Reed Moore. It’s all coming together. Jesus, the last time I saw you two boys you were