Redeemed Cowboy (Whiskey Valley Bryant Brothers)

He picks up a pen on his desk and twiddles it between his fingers. “Sure. Do you want to reschedule?”

I clear my throat. “Actually, I’m sorry, Dr.—”

He cuts me off. “Jeremy. You can call me Jeremy.”

I wince a little. “Jeremy, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can reschedule. I just don’t think I should go out with you knowing how I feel about someone else. It’s not fair to you, and I shouldn’t have accepted the date in the first place. I’m sorry.”

He’s staring at me, and his lips are in a firm line. Finally, he nods. “I understand. I appreciate you coming all the way here to tell me in person. There’s no hard feelings.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Thank you.”

I get up to leave and am about out the door when he stops me. “Mia?”

I turn with one hand on the door frame. “Yeah, Dr. Stone?”

He pushes his glasses up his nose. “Ryan is a lucky guy.”

I feel I should deny it, but I don’t. I open my mouth and close it again. With a small smile, I tell him I’ll see him later and walk out the door.

I drive straight over to the Sunrise Diner and order dinner. I’m not hungry, but I know I can’t sit through dinner at the ranch and answer all the questions about the date I was supposed to have tonight.

Halfway through my meal, my phone dings.

“Are you okay?”

I smile as I read the text from Ryan.

I wipe my hands off on the napkin and type back, “I’m fine.”

“Where did he take you?”

I debate on what to tell him and figure I just need to be upfront with him. “I canceled.”

The bubbles are immediate, and my phone dings again. “Where are you at?”

I look at the big piece of cinnamon Blaze apple cake that the waitress just set down in front of me. It’s a specialty from Whiskey Run, and Red’s Diner over there delivers it here once a month. I know I was lucky to get a piece. Instead of typing an answer, I take a picture of the cake in front of me and send it to him.

I stare at my phone waiting for him to respond. It shows it’s been read, but no bubbles to tell me that he’s typing anything back.

My stomach starts to turn, wondering what he’s thinking. Does he wish I’d gone on the date now? Did I make a mistake about canceling?

I set my phone down just as the door of the diner jingles. I turn to look, and Ryan walks in. As soon as he spots me, he comes toward me with a big smile on his face.

I sit up straighter. “What? How did you get here so fast?”

He squats next to me and gently shoves me aside with his hip. I scoot across the booth so he can sit down next to me. He turns and stares at me, his gaze eating me up. “You don’t want to know.”

I nod. “Yes, I do.”

His cheeks turn red. “I was driving around town, looking for you. I couldn’t sit at home knowing you were out with another man. I just couldn’t.” I open my mouth, but he holds his hands up. “I wasn’t going to embarrass you or anything. I just... just needed to be near, that’s all.”

My heart is racing in my chest. “I couldn’t do it... it didn’t feel right.”

He nods and grabs on to my hand. There’s a lot we should probably talk about, but neither one of us brings it up. Instead, we talk and laugh and share cake. The longer I’m with him, the more I know I made the right decision. Because this, being here with Ryan, feels right.

Chapter 11

Ryan