Should've Been A Cowboy & Cowboy Up: Should've Been a Cowboy / Cowboy Up

“And your parents? Will they finally stay put somewhere?”

Tyler chuckled. “I doubt it. I picture them waiting until we all have places of our own, and then they’ll make the rounds. I’ve figured out that my dad is ADD. He can’t stick with one job or one place for more than a month or two before he gets bored. I inherited the wanderlust, but I’ve been able to keep this job for almost six years. And I love it. It’s perfect for me.”

“I’m sure it is.” And yet...now he wasn’t so sure. She kept saying how much she loved her lifestyle, almost as if she needed to keep repeating her dedication to the job to ward off any change to the plan. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part.

Tyler peered out the window. “It’s very dark out here, isn’t it?”

“Especially tonight, with all the clouds. I’m afraid you won’t see the moon glittering on the quartz unless I use a flashlight.”

“You have one, though, right?”

“There should be one in the glove compartment.”

As she reached to open it, he remembered what else was in there. She’d waited on the porch while he’d brought the truck around, and he’d used that opportunity to shove a handful of condoms into the glove compartment. A handful was excessive, but he hadn’t had time to figure out how many he might need, so he’d just grabbed some.

Sure enough, the minute she opened the compartment, several condom packages tumbled out and fell to the floor of the truck. She began to laugh. “Are the ranch trucks normally stocked with these?”

“No. That was me doing the stocking.” And the sight of them had jump-started his libido.

“I see. That’s quite a supply.”

“I didn’t want to run out.” But as eager as he felt to have her, even those might not be enough.

“Is that so? I don’t remember needing that many in August. Have you shortened your recovery time?”

He wouldn’t doubt it. She seemed to be affecting him more strongly than she had last summer. “I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” And soon, very soon.

“That depends on whether there’s a flashlight in here. It wasn’t snake season when I lived here as a kid, but last summer I distinctly remember being warned about walking around in the dark without a flashlight because of snakes.”

“It was warmer then. August.” He didn’t want her to get distracted thinking about wildlife. He wanted her mind to be firmly where his was—on sex. “It’s too cold out for varmints to be out moseying around.”

She glanced over at him. “Listen to you, sounding like Yosemite Sam! I’m beginning to think you have turned into a real cowboy, after all.”