Chapter 6
Six
DARCIE
Voices trickled into my open door, stirring me out of my stupor. I opened my eyes, rubbing them as I sat up. Drool was crusted on my chin, so I wiped it, licking my lips to wet them.
I’d fallen asleep and slept hard. The room was pitch dark, with only a tiny tendril of light coming through the windows. I glanced at the phone I’d just gotten to note the time—7 pm.
Damn. I’d been out for a good four hours.
Picking up the tablet, the red icon of the battery flashed telling me it was dead. So I got off the bed and plugged it in, setting it on the dresser. I was still wearing the baggy shirt from earlier, my hair a mess in the ponytail I’d pulled it back into. While I didn’t want to seem like a diva and change now that they were home, I had an odd desire to push buttons where these two men were concerned.
Pulling out a pair of yoga pants, I replaced the jeans and pulled on a crop top and a long cardigan. It was comfy, with a hint of sexuality. Running a brush through my hair, I made my way toward the noise.
I spotted a guy with his back to me first; his shaggy brown hair was longer than the other guys, covering his ears and down his neck. He wore a blue shirt and jeans, his legs spread as he told a story to Bubba, who was facing him. I could spot Grayson in the background near the stove.
Hesitating, I realized it must be the third roommate. I slowed my steps, not wanting to interrupt. When his voice hit my ears, I froze.
It was deep, smooth, and one I’d listened to countless nights.
But how could that be?
Frozen in my tracks, I blinked when Bubba spotted me, calling for me to enter the kitchen.
“Brooks, this is Darcie. Darcie, this is Brooks or Cowboy.”
I smiled, taking in the face of the man I’d been intimate with, but had never seen. He had a strong jawline covered with stubble, sharp cheekbones, and green eyes that were so bright, I almost squinted. He was gorgeous, and I was staring right at him. His face turned red, some of the shyness I remembered coming to light.
“Howdy,” he said, tilting his head toward me. His voice rolled over me, hitting all my spots like it used to. I opened my mouth to say something when Pretty Boy walked over, slinging his arm around me.
“How was your day, sugar?” he asked, smiling down at me.
“Um, fine,” I whispered, clearing my throat. I suddenly had the urge to hide my identity in case I was wrong. If this was my Shy Cowboy, then I wanted that reunion in private.
I looked at Bubba, who was watching me, his eyes narrowed. “Truck do alright?”
I nodded, pulling my cardigan together. I no longer had the urge to push buttons.
“Thanks for the leftovers. I was starved when I got in and ate quite a bit,” Brooks said, his voice softer. Did he recognize me?
I smiled, nodding as well. I wasn’t one to ever be at a loss for words, but they no longer wanted to come to me.
“Well, I think I’m going to unpack,” I whispered, heading to my room before they could question me. I walked quickly, shutting the door behind me and leaning against it.
This place just got a whole lot more interesting.
I skipped dinner, unable to find the courage to sit through an entire meal and not speak. Everything in my boxes and bags was now organized as I sat on the bed, staring at them. It was odd how the contents of my life fit into this room.
A few personal items, a box I wasn’t ready to open yet, and a week’s worth of clothes. Since I’d packed them at random, I had an eclectic assortment. Along with my cowboy boots and hat, I also had a leather jacket and leather pants, a few dresses, some shorts, and flannels. The only other shoes I had that weren’t boots were high heels and the old pair of sneakers I’d worn earlier.
I was going to need to remedy the wardrobe situation quickly, or I’d look like an extra from a country music video.
My stomach growled, and I winced. While my heart couldn’t take sitting there without knowing, my stomach didn’t agree. It was about ten o’clock now, so I listened, trying to hear all the sounds of the house. There was a TV on somewhere, but it was low, making me wonder if it was being watched or just on for noise.
A washer tumbled in the distance, but I couldn’t hear anyone else moving. Taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the hall and looked both ways. It was clear, so I tiptoed down the hallway toward the kitchen.
If I had to eat Chinese again, I would. My stomach wholeheartedly agreed.
To my utter amazement, a plate covered in plastic wrap sat on the counter, a note sitting on top of it.
Darcie,
You better eat, or I’ll sic Lennox on you.
We leave for the shop at 7 tomorrow morning. Inventory. If you’re not out here, I’m leaving you.
-Bubba
I smiled, then stopped myself. While I wanted to push his buttons, under no circumstances was I to fall for the overbearing teddy bear. I wouldn’t allow it.
Placing the plate into the microwave to heat, I grabbed a glass and filled it with water while I waited. Wonderful food smells filled the space, my taste buds rejoicing at the nearness of food. It wasn’t long before it was ready, and I pulled it out, amazed at the food Grayson had made.
It looked like some kind of stir-fry with noodles, vegetables, and chicken. I immediately shoveled it into my mouth as the flavor exploded over my tongue.
“Okay, Grayson has some skills,” I mumbled around the forkful.
I heard a chuckle behind me, but I didn’t stop to see who it was. I was having a love affair with this plate at the moment.
“I’m glad you approve, pretty lady!”
Rolling my eyes at the name, I cleared my plate and turned to him. “While I don’t love the nickname, I do have to give you credit for this meal. Thank you for saving me some. It was incredible. I had no idea you could cook.”
He smirked, moving closer. It didn’t go unnoticed that he was only in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else—gray sweatpants, at that.
I quickly brought my eyes back up, not wanting to fall into the thirst trap laid before me.
“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about, Darcie.”
“Fair. I’ve only known you for about an hour.”
“Want to get to know me more?” he asked, brushing my hair over my shoulder.
Tingles ran down my arm as goosebumps erupted. Everything in me wanted to say yes, but I knew I needed to slow play this, or we’d crash and burn before the weekend.
“Hmm, I’ll pass. Thanks for the food.”
I spun on my heels and rinsed my plate, biting my lip the entire time. I desperately wanted to turn around and see his expression, but it only worked if I pretended to be disinterested.
So, despite my yearning, I kept my back to him and walked out of the kitchen toward my room. I could’ve sworn I heard a chuckle, but it was too faint to know for sure.
With my stomach happy, I crawled into bed, hoping to find some peace.
Sleep did not come. Taking a four-hour nap in the middle of the day really screwed with one’s sleep schedule.
Tossing and turning again, I pulled my phone off the nightstand to check the time, 11:30 pm. It had only been an hour since I’d returned to this room! Groaning, I sat up, knowing what I needed to do. I wouldn’t be able to move forward until it was done.
Climbing out of my bed, I walked to the door and peered out again. The house was quieter, like everyone was asleep now. Taking a deep breath, I moved further down the hallway toward the room I hadn’t been able to search yet.
My hands shook as I lifted them to knock. My knuckles grazed against the wood, barely making a sound. Taking another breath, I calmed myself before striking out a little harder this time.
The sound of someone stirring could be heard deeper into the room, so I stepped back to wait. Footsteps approached, and I sucked in a breath as anxiety exploded in my body.
Just do it and get it over with. Then you’ll know .
I didn’t have time to ponder my conversation with myself as the door opened, a blurry-eyed Cowboy standing before me.
He wore only a pair of boxers, leaving his body on display—a body I was very familiar with. I gasped, knowing unequivocally that it was him. My Cowboy .
The sound made him blink, his eyes opening wider. When he realized it was me at the door, he pulled it more in front of him. I’d forgotten how shy he said he was with girls.
“Um, hi. Did you need something?” he asked, looking at me curiously.
I didn’t think, unable to hold it in any longer. So I ripped the bandage off, diving in head-on.
“Cowboy, it’s me. It’s?—”
“Rose?” he asked, his eyes wide.
He opened the door for a second, and I worried he was about to close it in my face when his arm reached out and pulled me into the dark room. His hands touched my shoulder lightly like he was afraid to do so.
“Is it really you, Rose? I thought….” He shook his head. “One sec. I can’t talk with you while I’m practically naked.” His hands dropped off my shoulders as he moved to grab something
“That’s funny since it was usually the only way we did talk.”
He chuckled but continued on his search for something. I heard him pulling a shirt over his head, and a second later, a small light turned on.
“Come here and sit. I have so many questions.”
I did as he asked, sitting on the corner of his bed. He sat further up but reached out to grab my hand. He was hesitant and shy but seemed to push past it, desperate to touch me, to make sure I was real.
I understood because I felt the same.
“How? What happened? I… yeah, I don’t know what to ask.” He chuckled, the sound so familiar to me that it warmed my insides.
“Each of those questions have different answers, so I guess I’ll start with what happened. Do you remember Candie? The one who introduced me to the site?”
He nodded, his thumb running across my fingers.
“Well, she started seeing one of her clients in real life, and they found out. In the process, everyone was locked out. There were some minors or something too, and the site got the attention of the FBI. I was so mad at myself that I hadn’t worked out another way to contact you. I hated that I didn’t get to tell you or say goodbye. You were one of the best parts of the whole thing.”
He smiled, and my heart jumped in my chest. It was odd putting the voice and body to his face now. It was like there were two beings, and I had to merge them together.
“I don’t know what that says about me that I like hearing that.”
“I think it just means we made a real connection. You always said you wished we could meet in real life… Well, here we are.”
“Here we are,” he said softly before his nose scrunched. “But how?”
I sighed, not sure how much I wanted to share. “Do you know Lennox?” I asked, figuring I could start there.
“Yeah. She works with Waylon.”
“Who?” I asked, momentarily stunned.
“You know, big bald ginger down the hall?”
“Bubba?” I asked, a smile spreading across my face. Cowboy nodded.
“Yeah, that’s his road name. Waylon’s his real name. That’s what I call him.”
“I like it. I can’t wait to call him that.” I snickered, loving that I found another button.
Cowboy shook his head at me like I was too cute for words.
“And you’re Brooks? You’re still Shy Cowboy in my head.”
His face tinted pink. “Yeah. Brooks Langston. Cowboy is my road name because of the rodeo.”
“Brooks,” I said, letting his name roll around on my tongue. “And the rodeo?”
“I’ll tell you all about it later.”
“Fair.” I sighed, knowing I needed to explain. “Well, Lennox is my best friend. I got into trouble a few days ago and had to leave my place quickly. I needed somewhere to go until I could figure out what to do. So I came here. Unfortunately for me, but good for her, she was heading out on tour this morning. Slade suggested Bubba, and here I am.”
His grip had become stronger at the mention of trouble, and he stared at me, knowing I wasn’t telling everything.
“What kind of trouble?”
“The MC kind.”
He swallowed, his eyes searching mine for something.
“What aren’t you saying, Rose?”
I sighed, dropping my eyes to the blanket. I played with the fabric as I debated how much to share. This wasn’t a random person. This was Cowboy. My Cowboy.
“Are you sure you want to know? Once you do, it’s not something you can unlearn.”
I peered up at him from beneath my eyelashes. His eyes were locked onto my face. They were strong and unmoving, offering me a strength I desperately needed.
“I just found you again, Rose. I’m not going to lose you over being scared. I want to know. I can handle it.”
Taking his word for it, I started at the beginning with Maddox and the Mavericks. I told him about my dad, the Agonizer, and Chase. He pulled me into his arms at some point, and we rested against the headboard as I continued my tale of woe and heartbreak. I shared how I came to Nashville on my own, finding myself in the midst of everything and learning to trust. How he’d helped me with taking back my body and sexuality.
I didn’t know how long I talked, just that I was spent by the end. Emotionally and mentally.
“There aren’t words to describe how amazing I think you are, Darcie. You truly have bloomed into a beautiful rose. Thank you for honoring me with your story. Now, rest. Close your eyes and sleep. I got you.”
I didn’t fight it. What was the point? Snuggling down under the covers, I rested on his chest, his heartbeat comforting as I fell asleep in his arms.