Cowboy on the Run by Devon McKay

insistent, pressed against her, reawakening memories of the uncontrolled passion they’d shared. As if her skin were on fire, her body sizzled, melting into him.
    Without a word, he stepped back, and cool air divided their bodies.
    “I, ah...I should get you home,” he said, offering no explanation as he reached for her hand.
    Numb, she accepted his lead, following him out of the barn, confused by what just happened. It didn’t make sense. What had made him pull away? Hadn’t he felt the same surge of desire? Or had it been just her?
    “Do you mind if I walk you home? There’s a storm headed our way.”
    She agreed with a slight nod of her head, even though the sky looked anything but stormy. A full moon illuminated their path, and she focused on the trail. Staring at the ground, she imagined this was what it was like to wade through quicksand, and it described her relationship with Nate to a T. Treading in constant motion, but never getting anywhere until there was nowhere left to go.
    The first mile they walked in silence, both trapped in their own thoughts, hers a confused collection of why’s and what happened.
    “Where did you go?” Jessie asked, breaking the silence. She chose her words with care, hiding her emotions. On the inside, she was defeated, her thoughts a frenzied turmoil of unanswered questions. Why wasn’t this enough for you? Why wasn’t I enough?
    “Just about everywhere.” He released a heavy sigh. “I envied that about you. Even as a kid, you knew exactly where you wanted to be—here. Me, I wanted something else. I wanted to be anywhere but here.”
    His confession hit hard, the jab ripping apart her already tattered heart.
    “You were always content knowing this was your home. I never felt the same way. I never felt like this was home.”
    She hadn’t been enough for him then...or now. His brutal honesty broke her heart into thousands of shattered pieces. Hadn’t she wanted to hear the truth? Well, she got what she asked for.
    Thankfully, the glow of her porch light in the distance appeared. Never had she been happier to see the light, like a beacon, welcoming her home.
    “Yeah, I guess I liked knowing what to expect,” she admitted, angry at herself for not being adventurous enough to want to venture past the world she was so comfortable in, even if the sacrifice would’ve been made only to keep him close.
    “I was always so...restless, so discontent with my life.”
    There it was again, salt poured onto the open wound, the pain fresh and new again. Her love hadn’t been enough to keep him.
    Jessie swallowed hard against the lump forming in her throat, remembering his angst, always trying so hard to fix him.
    She bit back the sting of threatening tears as he continued.
    “I guess I felt kind of unfulfilled, you know?”
    Jessie nodded. She knew what he wanted. He needed her to tell him it was okay. That his desire to see the world, to see what was beyond the life which restricted him was normal, accepted by her. So, she did, swallowing her pain, although it was killing her inside. Her thoughts screaming, how could you?
    “Yeah, I get it. I understand.” Her words came out full of compassion, understanding. Lies. But she said them willingly, unable to cope with the truth. She didn’t understand. The one thing she did grasp...her love hadn’t been enough then, and neither would it be now. Nor would the love of her children.
    Finally, he had admitted what she had needed to hear so many years ago.
    She stopped and faced him. Gripping both of his hands in hers, she lost herself in his stare. Despite loving him just as much now as she had then, she had to let him go, again. She deserved this closure, not just for herself, but for her children.
    Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed him goodbye...for the very last time.

Chapter 11
    Alan closed and locked the door of the Lucky Horseshoe. It had been a long but gratifying evening. Inhaling the fresh air, he double checked the lock and