Fall for Me (Cowboys of Crested Butte 1)

Liv got up and walked to the front of the barn.

“Liv, are you listening to me?”

“Have you talked to him?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s not my place to. But I don’t need to, I know you well enough to know exactly what’s happening.”

“And what is that?

“You’re living in limbo. You’re waiting for Renie to come hom

e so the two of you can leave for Europe. In the meantime, you’re waking up, and you’re sleeping, without much else in between. Remember when we came back from Las Vegas and I told you I thought you kept yourself on the outskirts of life?”

Liv nodded.

“It’s gotten worse, if that’s even possible. Call him, Liv. I’m not leaving until you do. Call him and tell him you want to see him.”

“The horses.”

“The horses will be fine. Mark will come out and take care of the damn horses. Call him, Liv, right now.”

“What if-—”

“Don’t. No ‘what ifs.’ Call him.”

“Okay. I’ll call him.”

“Now. I told you, I’m not leaving until you do.”

Liv took her cell phone out of her back pocket and called.

Ben jotted lyrics down and absentmindedly hit the talk button when his phone rang.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Ben?”

“Liv?

“Hi, uh, are you in the middle of something?

“Yes…no…I mean, I’m sorry I was so abrupt.”

“Do you need to get back to it?”

“No, of course I don’t. I’m so glad you called. How are you? What’s up?”

“I wondered…” Ben heard another voice in the background, but didn’t catch what it said.

“I was thinking…”

She was killing him. What was she trying to say? “Liv? What is it?”

“I wondered if you’d like some company.”

Ben was in shock. “I would like company, very much, as long as you’re the company.”

“I wouldn’t be intruding?”