elevators, he felt more and more disappointed.
He didn’t spot her in the parking lot either as he hefted his bag into the bed of Walker’s Ford.
“You’re mooning about an awful lot,” Walker told him, closing the gate with a loud bang. “Must’ve been some girl.”
“She was. She was something else.”
As they climbed into the cab, Walker cast him a long look over the seat. “Are you ready to put that hand cannon away and go back to being normal now that you’ve gotten the crazy out your system?”
“Yeah, about that,” Austin replied as Walker pulled out of the hotel’s parking lot. And for the next hour he proceeded to fill in his older brother on a set of mysterious tracks that had appeared up on the Folly.
Walker’s mood turned instantly dark and remained that way for the entire drive home. By the time they got back home, it was after noon and Austin felt like the whole day had been practically wasted. He hated the idea of losing one more minute of work, but he smelled like a distillery (and of other, equally enjoyable things) and Colter would probably appreciate it if he hosed himself off before trekking up to the Folly.
“I’m going to shower and head up,” Austin declared.
Walker hesitated and looked back at him. “I’m coming with you. And pack that hand cannon.”
Austin nodded.
In the kitchen, he found Sofia and Dakota at the table, finishing lunch. “I think I’ll polish this and put it right on the mantle, where Walker has to look at it every damn day and chew on his own face.” He placed the glass trophy at the center of the table to the squeals of delight from Dakota and her mother.
Dakota rocketed out of her chair and wrapped her arms around him. “This is so awesome!”
Sofia smiled and her eyes shone brightly. She was the closest thing Austin had to a mother these days and her regard was no less important. “You’ve done well, mijo. Very well. I’m very proud.”
“Whew!” said Dakota, fanning her face and stepping away. “Certainly smells like you had a good time celebrating last night.”
Austin couldn’t suppress the grin that broke out on his face. “I had one hell of a time,” he admitted.
Dakota laughed but Sofia rolled her eyes. “When will you settle down with a nice girl?”
“She was a nice girl. But she ran off, Sofia. Scampered away after I closed my eyes. I tried to find her.”
The older woman frowned at him.
“I did! Honest. I looked all over for her but she was gone. I’m still sad about it.”
She sighed, set his packed lunch on the edge of the counter, and patted his arm. “You boys,” she chastised before leaving the room.
Dakota huffed, echoing her mother’s sentiment, and turned to leave, presumably to the horse barn where she spent most of her time. Before she could reach the side door, Austin caught her under the arm. “I didn’t see him with anyone,” he whispered into her ear.
Dakota sniffed. “I didn’t ask.”
He gave her a long, knowing look.
“Well, I didn’t!” she insisted, but smiled a little anyway. He watched her tongue trace her lower lip. Never in his life had he wanted to kiss Dakota, not like Leah when he’d seen her do the same. It was ridiculous that Walker had ever thought Austin and Dakota were anything more than family by association. “No one?” she asked quietly.
“Nope.”
She nodded. “I’ll get Colter saddled up.”
The ride to the Folly was easier these days, now that most of Austin’s necessities were permanently stowed at the camp. All he needed with him now were some fresh clothes, the food Sofia had packed him, and his pistol, stored in his saddlebag. He and Walker passed most of the ride in silence, as they often did. Perhaps being twins made it unnecessary to say much and knowing the land as well as they did eliminated the need to discuss the ride.
They didn’t look much alike, with the exception of their dark hair, large builds, and deep brown eyes. And they were at polar
He didn’t spot her in the parking lot either as he hefted his bag into the bed of Walker’s Ford.
“You’re mooning about an awful lot,” Walker told him, closing the gate with a loud bang. “Must’ve been some girl.”
“She was. She was something else.”
As they climbed into the cab, Walker cast him a long look over the seat. “Are you ready to put that hand cannon away and go back to being normal now that you’ve gotten the crazy out your system?”
“Yeah, about that,” Austin replied as Walker pulled out of the hotel’s parking lot. And for the next hour he proceeded to fill in his older brother on a set of mysterious tracks that had appeared up on the Folly.
Walker’s mood turned instantly dark and remained that way for the entire drive home. By the time they got back home, it was after noon and Austin felt like the whole day had been practically wasted. He hated the idea of losing one more minute of work, but he smelled like a distillery (and of other, equally enjoyable things) and Colter would probably appreciate it if he hosed himself off before trekking up to the Folly.
“I’m going to shower and head up,” Austin declared.
Walker hesitated and looked back at him. “I’m coming with you. And pack that hand cannon.”
Austin nodded.
In the kitchen, he found Sofia and Dakota at the table, finishing lunch. “I think I’ll polish this and put it right on the mantle, where Walker has to look at it every damn day and chew on his own face.” He placed the glass trophy at the center of the table to the squeals of delight from Dakota and her mother.
Dakota rocketed out of her chair and wrapped her arms around him. “This is so awesome!”
Sofia smiled and her eyes shone brightly. She was the closest thing Austin had to a mother these days and her regard was no less important. “You’ve done well, mijo. Very well. I’m very proud.”
“Whew!” said Dakota, fanning her face and stepping away. “Certainly smells like you had a good time celebrating last night.”
Austin couldn’t suppress the grin that broke out on his face. “I had one hell of a time,” he admitted.
Dakota laughed but Sofia rolled her eyes. “When will you settle down with a nice girl?”
“She was a nice girl. But she ran off, Sofia. Scampered away after I closed my eyes. I tried to find her.”
The older woman frowned at him.
“I did! Honest. I looked all over for her but she was gone. I’m still sad about it.”
She sighed, set his packed lunch on the edge of the counter, and patted his arm. “You boys,” she chastised before leaving the room.
Dakota huffed, echoing her mother’s sentiment, and turned to leave, presumably to the horse barn where she spent most of her time. Before she could reach the side door, Austin caught her under the arm. “I didn’t see him with anyone,” he whispered into her ear.
Dakota sniffed. “I didn’t ask.”
He gave her a long, knowing look.
“Well, I didn’t!” she insisted, but smiled a little anyway. He watched her tongue trace her lower lip. Never in his life had he wanted to kiss Dakota, not like Leah when he’d seen her do the same. It was ridiculous that Walker had ever thought Austin and Dakota were anything more than family by association. “No one?” she asked quietly.
“Nope.”
She nodded. “I’ll get Colter saddled up.”
The ride to the Folly was easier these days, now that most of Austin’s necessities were permanently stowed at the camp. All he needed with him now were some fresh clothes, the food Sofia had packed him, and his pistol, stored in his saddlebag. He and Walker passed most of the ride in silence, as they often did. Perhaps being twins made it unnecessary to say much and knowing the land as well as they did eliminated the need to discuss the ride.
They didn’t look much alike, with the exception of their dark hair, large builds, and deep brown eyes. And they were at polar
Similar Books
