Two years after a horrible accident, Kinsley's determined to make it through vet school, but she didn't expect to meet country boy Noel McLean who's just as mysterious as he is charming.
***
Kinsley Hastings suffers from PTSD. After surviving a fata...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Noel
"Mate," I drawl. "I'm surprised you can pull off a cowboy hat."
Cole flashes me a grin. "And you still can't pull off a British accent."
Snorting, I adjust my cowboy hat. The black felt matches the parallel lines of my red-and-black flannel. With the sleeves rolled up, my forearms are exposed, and the hem is tucked into my jeans. The cowboy boots I'm wearing are scuffed and the soles are worn, moulding to my feet.
"The intent was never to pull one off, Cole. It's just to piss you off."
Cole rolls his eyes. "Which is why I'm getting bloody inebriated tonight."
Guilt consumes me. Cole's teasing. He refuses to get drunk around me. He says it awakens my trauma too much. According to Cole, I get aggravated and volatile because I haven't dealt with my emotions properly. Screw that. Cole's putting this on himself. He shouldn't be worrying about me.
Instead, he should live a university lifestyle. My issues drove a wedge between him and Daisy. Cole's done too much.
However... if I'm being honest... alcohol consumption bothers me. I hate it when Gramps does it. When people get drunk at whichever bar I'm singing at. But I can't control any of that. Their actions aren't mine to control.
The same goes for Cole.
"Cole," I say. My voice is soft. "Dude. You're allowed to drink around me. It's okay. I trust you."
Cole stares at me. He's puzzled, which I don't understand. I'm telling him the truth.
He shakes his head, rubbing the nape of his neck. "Daisy'll be there. I'm not drinking, Noel. As much as I want to, just to forget everything for once, I can't. Words will spill out of my mouth. I'll say something regrettable. Drinking when she's around isn't smart. Maybe next time."
We stay silent for several seconds. I feel bad for Cole. Guilty. They're meant to be. Their relationship should've worked. But it didn't. Daisy has a family now. It must be painful for Cole to watch.
I clap him on the back. "I'm sorry, man."
He sighs. "There's nothing I can do, Noel. Anyway, we should get going. The girls are already there. They're waiting for us."
Part of me feels like we should cancel on Daisy and Kinsley. They'd understand. Well... Kinsley would, because I'd explain the situation to her. Then she'd explain it to Daisy without revealing Cole's feelings. It's obvious he still loves her. Cole would never use someone to forget Daisy, but I think his subconscious would. This is just me hypothesizing, though. Maybe his feelings for Tristan were real. If so, they were nothing compared to the feelings Cole has for Daisy.
"You sure?" I ask.
Cole frowns. "Why?"
Cocking an eyebrow, I shrug. "We're talking about Daisy Belle, Cole. There's history. If it's too awkward, we don't need to go. Kinsley will understand."
