Cowboy Resurrection: Cowboy Cocktail, Book 2 by Mia Hopkins

had chosen for her.
    “Please understand where we’re coming from,” said Monica’s father. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “What you are doing is not right, beti. This is not the way to love, sneaking around like thieves. You need to end things now. It will be better for both of you in the long run.”
    That night, as she lay sleepless in her bed, Monica put the covers over her head and turned on her phone. Four texts and a voicemail from Dean. She read the texts first.
    Are you all right? What can I do?
    Should I come over and talk to your dad?
    Call me when you can.
    I’ll be up late. Call or text anytime.
    The voicemail was short, just her laconic cowboy speaking quietly, as though he were in a place where a lot of people could hear him. A TV was on in the background, and the voices of kids talking quietly to adults.
    “Hi. It’s me. Just, ah, hoping everything’s all right. You looked pretty upset this afternoon. Call me. Okay. Bye.”
    Just then her phone buzzed. Another text.
    I miss you.
    Her bedroom was right next to her nieces’ room. She couldn’t call Dean without waking them up. Her fingers flew as she composed a message for him.
    I can’t talk, but don’t worry. I’m fine. My family’s pretty furious at me. Nothing new.
    She paused, not sure how to proceed.
    I’ll be around, but it’ll be hard for us to see each other alone.
    An understatement. She’d be lucky if her brother or her sister-in-law would let her go to the bathroom by herself.
    I’m so sorry about everything. This isn’t how I wanted things to turn out.
    Gossiping neighbors had cheated her and Dean out of their last few days together, but they both knew their time was coming to an end. Was her father right? Should she say goodbye now? She ached so hard she could barely breathe.
    But maybe it’d better if we
    Tears formed in her eyes but she fought back the urge to sob. Dean would try to fix things. But how could he? This was an impossible situation. She had to protect him. She finished the sentence.
    But maybe it’d better if we ended things now.
    It’d be cleaner this way, she decided. No more sneaking around. No more pretending they could be a couple when they couldn’t. She pressed send before she lost her nerve but not before her heart crumbled to powder in her chest.
    His reply came back almost instantaneously.
    Is this what you want?
    No. She wanted him . She wanted to walk down the street holding his hand for everyone to see. She wanted to sleep next to him at night and wake up in the morning looking into his eyes. She wanted to spend long afternoons bullshitting and laughing and making love with him. She wanted to talk about the future with him as though it were something they could share.
    But his life was here, and his home was on the road. He didn’t belong in the city any more than she belonged out in the middle of a rodeo arena.
    Six years she’d worked to get this job in Cupertino. Building relationships. Wheeling and dealing. Impressing every single person she’d ever come into contact with in the industry. And the company wanted her enough that they’d waited for her.
    There was no point in pretending she and Dean could be together. They couldn’t.
    This is what I want ,she texted back.
    One minute passed, then two. Her pillow was wet with tears. Her phone buzzed once more.
    See you at the rodeo.
    * * * * *
    Trailers, trucks and pens filled the enormous lot next to the rodeo arena. A summer rainstorm had soaked the grounds and slick, caramel-colored mud covered absolutely everything, but no one seemed to mind. As long as the arena was in good condition, the show would go on.
    Monica’s sister-in-law, Harpal, was about as exciting as sitting on a curb and staring at a stop sign. Like a dutiful little trooper, she followed closely as Monica crisscrossed the grounds to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. Harpal, in her chinos and flats, was soaked and miserable. Monica, in a