But Sawyer could no longer keep his distance from Maisy.
He started to move her back to the pile of fresh straw he’d spread that morning, when his phone pinged with an incoming text. He planned to ignore it, but Maisy pulled away. Her eyes were desire-drugged and her lips moist from his kisses. He went to draw her back, but she shook her head.
“You need to answer that, Sawyer.”
“I’d rather kiss you.”
She stepped out of his arms. “He’s your brother. Do you know how much I would love to have a brother or a sister? Someone I could share all my hopes and dreams with? Someone who doesn’t feel the need to smother me like a mother and supports me no matter what I choose to do? If the texts are any indication, your brother loves you. And you aren’t even going to his wedding. That’s just sad. I don’t know what he did, but whatever it was, you need to find it in your heart to forgive him.” She stared at him with big brown eyes that held all the innocence he’d lost. “You have a big heart, Sawyer. You just proved it by buying a horse you didn’t need. Now prove it again.”
Without another word, she turned and walked out of the barn.
When she was gone, Sawyer sank down to the hay bale and ran his hands through his hair. Maisy didn’t understand what Mattie had done to him. She didn’t understand the pain of finding out your brother and the woman you were planning to marry were cheating with each other behind your back.
For over a year, Sawyer had pushed any thought of that fateful day from his mind—refusing to relive the hurt and pain—but now he let the memories come.
He had been late getting home because he’d broken a rib at the Cheyenne rodeo and had spent a few days resting up before the long drive back to Dallas. On the way into town, he’d stopped to buy a big bouquet of flowers for Lauren, and he planned to take her to a nice dinner to make up for his delay. But when he got to their apartment, she was already having dinner . . . with Mattie. Sawyer hadn’t thought anything of the candlelight or the nice meal spread out on the table. He had asked Mattie to keep an eye on Lauren while he was traveling for the rodeo. Mattie was just doing his job.
But it turned out his brother had done his job a little too well.
Sawyer realized something was wrong when he went to kiss Lauren and she burst into tears and ran from the room. He turned to Mattie for answers and the guilty, sad look on Mattie’s face said it all. His brother had lifted shaking hands and signed the words that ripped out Sawyer’s heart.
We didn’t mean for it to happen, Sawyer. We didn’t mean to fall in love.
When Mattie confessed, Sawyer felt like the ground had disappeared from under his feet and he was freefalling into a black abyss. And if he was honest, it hadn’t been Lauren’s betrayal that hurt him the most. It had been Mattie’s. For most of his life, Sawyer had given up center stage so his brother could have his turn to shine, and Mattie had stabbed him in the back by taking the only thing Sawyer hadn’t wanted to give.
At least that’s how it had felt at the time.
Looking back now, Sawyer realized he had pretty much given Lauren to Mattie on a silver platter. Sawyer spent a good eight months out of the year traveling to different rodeos. When he’d been home, he’d tried to make up for it by taking Lauren out to dinner and dancing. But he’d never given her the two things she’d wanted most: a stable life and a wedding ring. He’d thought up every excuse under the sun why they couldn’t get married yet.
Maybe that was why Sawyer wasn’t angry with Lauren and why he was still so mad at Mattie. Mattie had found happiness and accepted it with open arms, while Sawyer just kept pushing it away.
His cellphone pinged again. He only sat there for a second before he picked it up and read it.
I can’t do it. I love Lauren, but I can’t marry her if it means never seeing my brother again.
The words knifed right through Sawyer’s heart. He had wanted Mattie to pay for his betrayal, but now he realized he didn’t want his brother to pay for the rest of his life. That’s exactly what would happen if Sawyer made Mattie choose between him and the woman he loved. Maisy was right. Sawyer was lucky to have a brother like Mattie who had always supported him in whatever he wanted to do. It was time Sawyer did the same.
He sat there struggling to find the words to text back. After typing and deleting numerous messages, he decided to keep it simple.
What time is the wedding?
It took a long, anxious moment for Mattie to text back. Had he already broken it off with Lauren? Sawyer would never forgive himself if he had. Thankfully, Mattie’s response finally showed up.
I never meant to hurt you.
Sawyer knew that. But damned if it hadn’t hurt. Although the pain had lessened in the last few weeks, and Sawyer knew Maisy was the reason. He liked being with her. She was funny and witty and never let him get away with anything—like ignoring his brother. If not for her, he wouldn’t be standing there texting with Mattie.
We’re good, Mattie. We can talk more at the wedding. After sending the text, a thought struck him. He had planned to ask his parents for the loan to pay for Angel, but Mattie had always loved horses so he fired off another text. How would you like to give Lauren a horse as a wedding gift?
Mattie quickly replied. I’d love it, but Lauren wouldn’t. She hates to ride. And if you bring a horse to the wedding reception, she and Mom will kill you.
Sawyer laughed. It had been a long time since he laughed with his brother. He texted him back with Angel’s story. After hearing about the abuse, Mattie didn’t hesitate to offer a loan. Pay me back when you can, but you keep the horse. It sounds like you’ve already fallen in love with him.
It was true. Sawyer did have a soft spot for the ornery animal as much as Maisy did. As he said goodbye to his brother and headed out of the barn, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He didn’t just have a horse. He had his brother back.
Outside the barn, he glanced around for Maisy and saw her in the paddock with Angel. He picked up his hat and started to join her when he noticed Chester and Lucas sitting on the porch.
“So I guess that was Angel’s owner?” Chester said.
Sawyer dusted off his hat and pulled it on before he walked to the porch and climbed the steps. “Not anymore.”
Lucas laughed and slapped Chester on the arm. “You owe me twenty dollars, Chess.”
Chester shrugged. “I’ll gladly lose a bet if it means that city slicker can’t get his hands on Angel again. I’ve never wanted to blow a hole in someone so badly as I did that cartoon character of a cowboy.” He looked at Sawyer. “You should’ve at least punched him in the nose.”
“I got the horse. That’s all that matters.”
“You planning on taking him with you when you go?” Chester asked.
“I’m not leaving. At least not for a while.” For some reason, the thought of not returning to bronc riding right away didn’t make him feel as anxious as it usually did.
“What happened to you being antsy as hell to get back to the rodeo?” Lucas asked.
Sawyer shrugged. “The rodeo’s not going anywhere.”
Chester and Lucas exchanged smiles. “No, I guess it ain’t,” Chester said as he spit a stream of tobacco off the porch. “I don’t guess this has anything to do with a certain cowgirl, does it?”