Free Kissed by a Cowboy by Lacy Williams Page A

placed their order. He bought her a
paper-wrapped pretzel and a bottle of water and led her away from
the crowded line.
    "So that's a no ?" she asked
tentatively.
    He shook his head slightly.
What did that mean? Was it no, that his non-response hadn't meant no , or just no to her question in general?
    He led them clear of the crowd, stopped, and
faced her. "I'm going to have to pick up some extra work," he said.
"I doubt I'll have time to come down, even if it's for a
weekend."
    Oh. After what he'd said the other night,
she'd thought he might be cutting back on extra work.
    "Livy needs you," she said in a small
voice.
    "She also needs new school clothes and a roof
over her head," he muttered.
    They meandered toward the stands, not in any
hurry, finally stopping behind them, in the small patch of shadow.
On the other side of the bleachers, the arena lights lit
everything, but here it was dark.
    "Justin said you might have a lead on a job
with Livy's school. Coaching football and teaching a little."
    "So y'all have been talking about me?"
    "He mentioned it."
    Maddox blew out a breath. She couldn't tell
if he was frustrated that she'd been in his business or frustrated
about the job. "I can't take that job," he said, the anger evident,
though she didn't understand it.
    "Why not?" She was angry, too, though not for
herself. She was trying not to feel anything for herself—the last
few minutes had shattered her hopes for anything with him. But Livy
needed him. "You'd have more time for Livy, all summer off—"
    "I'd still have a farm to manage, but that's
not the point. I can't take that job."
    "If it's about being on the sidelines—"
    "It's not," he said, and his voice rang with
hurt.
    "About expectations?"
    He laughed, a harsh sound.
    "You want the truth?" he asked roughly.
    The words hit her like a strong gust of wind.
She felt like she was on her toes, almost lifting off her feet.
    She reached out and touched his arm.
"Maddox..."
    He didn't turn toward her. He just stared
into the shadows beneath the bleachers.
    Twilight had gone and darkness had fallen.
She could barely see him in the dim light that seeped from the
arena.
    "The truth is, everyone around here thinks I
finished my degree, but I'm a year short. The only reason the
principal offered me that job is he thinks I've got a piece of
paper with my name on it. But I don't."
    She knew about a man's
pride. Her own father had chased jobs across the nation, wanting
to provide for his
girl. She could only imagine how having to admit something like
this was hitting Maddox.
    "Without a college education, jobs like
working on the harvest crew are all I've got. With Justin out of
commission and medical bills piling up...if the price of cattle
falls any more, we'll be butchering our own. Working is all I know
how to do. It's all I'm good for."
    She grabbed his arm and yanked until he
rounded on her.
    She looked up at him with all the love
swelling in her heart and into her throat, making it impossible to
speak. She swallowed and forced the words out.
    "No, it's not," she
whispered. "No, it's not ."
    She slid her hands behind his neck and tugged
him down toward her.
    He seemed to understand. His lips slanted
over hers, his hands slipped around her waist, and if he held her
just a little too tightly, well, that was okay with her.
    A loudspeaker squealed, breaking the moment.
She backed away a step, touched her lips with a trembling hand. A
disembodied voice announced the start of the bull riding.
    Looking down, she saw both of their hats had
fallen into the dust.
    She bent to pick them up and offered his to
him. He took it, but she didn't let go. Their eyes met and
connected over the top.
    "I don't know what's gonna happen," he said
in a low voice.
    Neither did she. She didn't know how long
Aunt Matilda would hold on, or how Livy's ice cream business would
do.
    Or if she'd walk away at the end of all of
this with her heart intact.
    But she couldn't walk away from Maddox