Courted by the Cowboy (The Boones of Texas 3)

“Toben’s right. You’re whipped, Dr. Boone,” Brook’s words were soft, but he heard her amusement.

Fisher shot Brook a look. “Thanks for the opinion.”

“What can I get you?” Kylee asked, drawing his attention back to her—and those blue eyes. His throat felt tight.

“I’ll have what he’s having,” Brook said.

He shot Brook a look. “Kylee, this is Brook Marcus, the new surgical resident at the hospital.”

“All the way from New York,” Brook agreed. “Nice to meet you.”

Kylee nodded, the slightest smile on her face. “You, too.” She popped the top off a beer bottle before setting it on the bar.

The song on the jukebox changed and Brook hopped up. “I can dance to this without breaking your toes, cowboy.”

He glanced at Kylee. She drew in a deep breath, her big blue eyes shifting from him to Brook. He’d give just about anything to know what she was thinking.

“Come on,” Brook continued, pulling him from the bar.

He left his beer on the counter and let her lead him onto the dance floor.

Brook chuckled, moving to the beat. “I think you should ask her out, Fisher.”

“If only it were that easy,” he muttered.

She stared up at him. “Nobody said it was easy to get what you want.”

He laughed then. She was right. And, no matter what Kylee had been through, he wanted a chance to prove things could be better. Things could be good. He wanted them to be good, for her and Shawn both. He glanced at the end of the bar. Shawn sat there, pencil between his lips, staring at his notebook.

“What’s holding you back?” Brook asked.

“She’s been through a lot,” he murmured.

“Haven’t we all?”

“No, not like her.” His defense was quick. “I don’t want to mess things up. Or scare her off.” Something about Kylee made him hesitate. She was strong, that much was clear. But she was also fragile.

Brook didn’t say anything else about Kylee. Instead, she asked him about Stonewall Crossing and what the locals did for fun.

“You’re doing it,” he told her, laughing again. “Rodeo most weekends. Dance halls, bowling and the occasional holiday events are about it.”

Brook shook her head. “This is such a small town.”

One of the things Brook had mentioned—at least a dozen times—was how cute Stonewall Crossing was. She couldn’t get over the fact that the town was smaller than her undergraduate university.

“It is,” he agreed.

She looked up at him. “From the distinct pride in your voice, I’m assuming you’ve no grand plans to go on to bigger and better things?”

He smiled, shaking his head. “There might be bigger, but I doubt there’s better.” There was only one thing that could make Stonewall Crossing any better than it was. His gaze found Kylee at the bar—staring right back at him. Now he needed to get up the nerve to tell her as much.

Chapter Six

Kylee tore her gaze from Fisher. She should be happy for him. She should want him to be happy. He deserved it. Brook Marcus was his sort of woman. Smart, attractive, confident—an animal lover. And Brook made Fisher laugh. He had a great laugh. Every time Kylee heard it, she found herself grinning in response.

She should be happy for him...but watching them on the dance floor left Kylee feeling hollow.

Since she wasn’t ready to consider the reason, she busied herself with wiping the bar down and checking in with Shawn. He sat at the end of the bar, lost in his work, his fingers and his forehead smudged with pencil lead. She grinned, wiping the marks from his face. But Shawn’s drawing made her pause. Her little brother’s talent was awe-inspiring. “Amazing,” she whispered, giving him a quick hug. “Need anything? Hungry? Want something to drink?”