Page 60 of The Cowboy's Cabaret

My heart squeezes at her kindness, but I don’t miss the look of sadness flitting across her features.

“I feel a little nervous about the aftermath of all of this. Like what’s next for me? I guess I’ll need to find a new roommate and maybe I can figure out something to do with my life finally. Not sure I wanna bartend and work at a rage room for the rest of my life.”

“Remember what you told me, I didn’t need to have it all figured out yet. I still don’t. That’s okay, but I do want you to be happy.” The thought of moving away from Daphne has my heart feeling like it’s on a free fall. Maybe this is codependence or fucking crazy, but this girl is my sister, my lifeline—my found family when I had no one.

“Is it insane to ask if you’d come stay here? You could help us get the program up and running. We’re going to have endless amounts of work, surely there’s plenty of room for another busty queen on this farm.” I grin.

“Ha!” She laughs. “Come stay here and risk Jasper’s wrath at my existence? Did Wes fuck your brain right out of you?”

“Probably. Good morning, Daphne,” Wes says as he comes into the living room. “What are you worried about Jasper’s wrath for?”

I look at Daphne curiously. “I was suggesting Daphne could stay here too after I graduate, help us out as we’re getting started.”

“Let me handle Jasper. Daphne, you’re more than welcome to be here and stay as long as you want. You were Dahlia’s number one long before I came around and now you’re family too. Think about it.” He stands and kisses me on the forehead before heading outside.

“Maybe,” Daphne says, looking away. “Come on, I want to see the horsies.”

Daphne headsright to Rage’s stall, where lo and behold, Jasper’s bent over checking his hooves. It almost looks like Daphne blushes, so quick I would have missed it if I wasn’t right beside her. “Jasper, I need time with Rage. You can leave now. He’s in good hands.”

Jasper chuffs. “Yeah fuckin’ right. He’d be better off with Liam or Emmett over you. We’re good here, thanks.”

“What, Jas? Can’t stand maybe you’re the only one here who doesn’t like me?” She makes it a point to saunter over to Rage, holding her hand out flat as the smoky horse whinnies and rubs against her palm. “What a good boy you are. Unlike your daddy, isn’t that right?” She coos at the horse and Jasper legitimately looks like he’s buffering.

“Fuck off, will you? If you want to see him, you’re gonna have to wait until I’m done. Unless you want to take up chores around here? Wouldn’t want you to break one of your pointy ass talons.” He points at Daphne’s perfectly manicured stiletto nails.

“Aw, baby boy. You’re so concerned for me. It’s cute, really.” Daphne steps closer to Jasper, dragging one pointed nail downhis arm. Jasper’s face blanches and he curses before standing upright and bolting out of the stall, barn door swinging behind him. “Yay! He’s gone. Now, I’ve got you all to myself, Mr. Ragey.”

“Daphne, do you really think antagonizing Jasper is the best way to avoid his wrath? Just wondering if you’d considered your verbal sparring may actually piss him off worse?”

“Don’t care. Not my problem.” Daphne grabs the brush off the wall before she starts brushing the horse as he stands significantly taller than her small form. “I’ll think about coming to help out here and I’ll let you know,” she says quietly.

I leave it be for now, and move to Lucy’s stall. “Hello, girl. Long time, no see.” The peace you feel around horses can’t be faked, it can’t be bought. It just is. Their steady nature is contagious, being in here feels like my brain is turned off for once.

Wes strides into the barn, every hunky inch of him, complete with a cowboy hat looking hot enough to warrant a new pair of panties. “Ladies, may I interest you in a ride?” I start to waggle my eyebrows. “A ride on the horses, Princess,” he jokes. “Come on, I can take you two on a trail ride if you’d like?”

Wes is trying to explain the saddles and how to sit, when Jasper grumbles back into the barn, still wound tightly. “She can’t ride Rage. Take anyone else, I’m taking him.” He moves to lead his horse out of the stall and Daphne stifles a laugh. “You can take Lola. She’s just like you.”

“What? Beautiful, funny, charming? I mean I could go on.” She lists out each on her fingers.

“A nightmare.”

Thankfully,our trail ride goes off without a homicide, though it did come close when Jasper asked Daphne if she ever stopped talking. The way she turned her head around was reminiscent of the exorcist and it shut Jasper right up.

We’ve made our way back to the main house for dinner and I’ve got my laptop perched on my knee, reading over the follow up emails from Mental Health Marvels. They invited us to include as many members of our team as we’d like for the initial meeting. Seeing the word team makes me laugh, because right now it’s just us—Wes and I, Daphne and Jasper, Stone and Lorraine, and Amber. It doesn’t feel like a team so much as the family that’s absorbed Daphne and I without a second thought. It still doesn’t feel real, but sometimes the best things don’t.

Stone bounds down the stairs. For an older man, he is quite the wild card. “Lorraine, I need some sugar.” He clears his throat. “Didn’t realize y’all made it over here yet.”

Wes comes up behind me, wrapping me in a hug before planting a loud kiss on my forehead.

“Ah, I see where lover boy over here gets it from,” Daphne teases and Wes throws a couch pillow at her. “What? I’m happy for you. You made it out of the friend zone.”

Lorraine rallies us all for dinner and we brainstorm names for the program over pot roast. Stone speaks first, “Alright, what are we thinking for names? Maybe it’s time for a refresh? Out with the old and all.”

Jasper scoffs. “Are you serious, Dad? Big Al’s is our legacy. It’s who we’ve always been.”

“Son, maybe it would be good to start over. This is a big change.”

“I think this is a mistake,” Jasper bites out.