Hitching the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 1)

Zoey stays silent as we stare at each other. Her expression’s unreadable. I want her to respond, to say something, to tell me that she’s coming back and not marrying that asshole, but she doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t reinforce the way she feels about me or how the past three weeks were amazing, and it destroys me.

Instead, she walks out without muttering anything.

I refuse to beg her to stay because, at the end of the day, I only care about her happiness, unlike her fucking family. And if he makes her happy, though I don’t think he does or ever could, then that’s who she needs to be with. I’ll always cherish the time we spent together. It will be a time in my life that I’ll never forget, not even if I wanted to.

I stand at the door and watch until I can no longer see the taillights of her car, and that’s when reality hits that she’s really gone. Closing it, I let out a deep breath, then turn around and see Diesel standing there.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He nearly scares the shit out of me because I thought I was alone.

“I fell asleep in my room.” He brushes his fingers through his hair. “I really miss my bed.”

“Yeah, sorry about kicking your ass to the curb,” I say, going back to the kitchen and cleaning up my mess. I just need to keep my mind busy.

“I know it’s gonna happen eventually, so it’s not a big deal.” He continues to watch me. “Why the hell did you let her leave?”

I look at him like he’s lost his mind. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I dunno, because you’re supposed to fight for the woman you love? That’s the Bishop way, isn’t it?” He smirks.

Shaking my head, I roll my eyes and finish wiping off the counter. “If she wants to be with me, she knows where I live. The last thing I want to do is beg her to stay when she doesn’t want to. She’s an adult. She can make her own choices without me influencing her decision. Her family does that for her enough.”

“You’re stubborn as fuck,” he quips.

“Now that’s the Bishop way,” I retort.

Diesel opens the fridge and grabs a beer. “We’re going out tonight. Honky Tonk has ladies’ night, or we can go to the Circle B Saloon and play a round of pool.”

“You’re relentless as hell,” I tell him, shaking my head.

“You need to get out of here. You need to get your mind on something else, or you’re going to drive yourself mad. Whiskey makes everything better, and I’ll even volunteer to be your designated driver so you can get trashed.” I hesitate, not feeling right about going out, but fuck, I need a drink. Before I can answer, he continues, “Dare ya.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “You would, you bastard.”

Chapter Twenty

Zoey

“Good morning,” Benjamin says as he takes my suitcase from my hand and pops the trunk.

“Fuck off,” I mutter, walking past him to the passenger’s side.

“Now, now. Don’t be upset, Zoey. You’ll get back into your routine at home and forget all about this place,” he tells me before we both get into the car.

“How about we just don’t talk until we land in Phoenix?” I glower, narrowing my eyes at him, daring him to push me. I’m exhausted and cranky, and I’m not in the mood for his shit. I hardly slept last night, wishing I was in Riley’s arms again, but instead, I slept alone.

“Whatever you want, darling,” he says as he drives away from the B&B. Glancing over my shoulder, I watch until the large house is out of sight. Sadness washes over me.

After leaving Riley’s house last night, I went back to my room and started packing. Shamelessly, I had to let John know that I’d be checking out in the morning, and he stayed professional, giving me my invoice and wishing me a safe trip home. I’m not sure how long it’ll take before his whole family finds out what happened between us, but I know it’ll disappoint them all. I’m disappointed in myself.

I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye to Rowan or their parents. Or Aunt Mila and his cousins.

All the memories we made, all the laughing we did, and the stories we shared. They’ll be in my heart forever, and no one can take those from me. I know Riley is heartbroken right now, so am I, but I hope one day he’ll understand why I didn’t tell him right away and will eventually forgive me.

The flight back home is short, and I’m relieved when Benjamin takes me home because I want distance from him. I’m pissed I don’t have my car and will have to rely on the bus or someone to drive me around. I know he said it’s being delivered, but I would’ve preferred to have driven it back myself. Of course, I didn’t get an option, though.