Free Cocky Cowboy: A Second Chance Romance (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 3) by Faleena Hopkins Page A

he nods, trying to hide his hurt. “Sure. I’m moving pretty fast after saying I wanted a break. I get it.”
    Sucking on my lips, I pull away. He follows me into our bedroom where I begin to unpack. A text from my phone sounds.
    Oh no.
    I glance to where my purse is hiding somewhere in the sunflower nightmare.
    Ryan goes to get it – normally a very natural thing to do because we don’t hide anything from each other. Not that I ever see his phone because it’s always close to him. Mine? I leave it where I drop it.
    But tonight is very different from every night for the past two plus years. I gave my number to Jaxson.
    As Ryan reads the text I can’t breathe.
    His eyes slowly rise to meet mine as a deep frown cuts into his forehead.
    My mouth gets instantly stuffed with a million saliva-sucking cotton balls.
    Ryan starts back, eyes locked on me, frown deepening. He holds up the phone. “Your mom thinks I’m a jerk?” He hands it to me.
    He may be a jerk, but he’ll stick by you.
    I swallow. “She’s probably still drunk.”
    Shoving his hands in his pockets he watches as I keep unpacking.
    “She’ll grow to like you, Ryan. You weren’t exactly the ideal houseguest.”
    Chuckling, “True,” he heads to watch TV, smacking the top of the doorframe on his way out. “I can be a jerk sometimes. But she was no princess! Jesus, what are we gonna do with all these flowers?”
    How about throwing them out the window before I wake up?
    Would that raise any alarm bells?
    Nah…not at all.

Rachel
    “ I can’t believe I was wrong!” Sylvia mutters, smoothing the black cloth napkin over her lap as the waiter walks away with our lunch order. “I really thought he was going to propose!”
    She’s usually right on the nose when it comes to affairs of the heart.
    Sylvia predicted Ryan would ask me out the night two-and-a-half years ago when she and I enjoyed a few stiff martinis at Lois bar in the East Village before this handsome, dark-haired man strolled in wearing an expensive suit and a confident swagger like he owned the place.
    She also predicted he’d suggest we move in together after the softball tournament between his law firm and their rivals.
    And she predicted her own boyfriend would turn out to be gay.
    All came true.
    And of course now he’s her ex-boyfriend.
    “Not only were you wrong, he said he wanted a break.”
    Fingering her mass of curly, black hair, Sylvia’s brown eyes go wide. “What?!!!”
    Reaching for my water, I squeeze the freshly cut lemon into it, muttering, “Yep.” As I take a sip, I spill the damn thing down my front, lemon bobbing onto the ground at our feet. “Shit!”
    “Here!” Sylvia hands me her napkin, rising up to help.
    “I’m fine.”
    “You don’t look fine.” She sits back down as I press the napkin into my wet blouse. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you guys were really stiff at the movies the other night, too.”
    “The break only lasted a night, Syl. We’re back to normal I guess.”
    “What happened in Atlanta?”
    What happened an hour north of Atlanta is what I really want to talk about, but I’m afraid she’ll judge me for falling into Jaxson’s arms so quickly after Ryan left.
    “He didn’t like my family. The feeling was mutual. I brought up marriage.”
    “You didn’t!”
    “I did. And then he said he wanted a break. Even flew back early. Gave my parents this bullshit excuse. But by the time I returned home, which was the very next night by the way, he took it back.” Bunching the damp napkin up I set it on the table and look around for a waiter, muttering, “Got me a bunch of flowers. Said he was sorry.”
    “Awwww,” Sylvia smiles with a gushy, romantic look on her face. “What kind?”
    “Doesn’t matter.” I grab her water since mine is gone and down a big gulp, so big I have to gasp for air after.
    I’m really having a hard time with this conversation.
    Jaxson hasn’t called me.
    And every day I stare at my phone