The Right Cowboy. Rebecca Winters

do that when he got back.

      While he was packing his gear to leave for the mountains, he got a text from Patsy Janis.

      Call me ASAP. I’ve got big news.

      Cole shook his head. He’d only been home five days and already she couldn’t leave him alone. She never gave up. He’d met the good-looking local country singer two years ago in Colorado at a concert in Boulder. He’d grown up on country music, playing the guitar and composing his own songs. Early on he’d made certain to sign up with ASCAP to get his songs copyrighted.

      Patsy had a lot of talent and was featured weekends at a local club near the campus with lots of college students and wannabe musicians who got together to jam. It was definitely his kind of place and a great outlet when he’d had a surfeit of studying and needed to get away from it for a little while.

      She’d found out he composed music, too, and coaxed him to let her sing some of his songs. Pretty soon, he was accompanying her on his guitar while she sang his tunes for their enthusiastic audience. Everyone wanted to hear more.

      Little by little, she encouraged him to do a few recordings at the studio with her just for fun. It wasn’t long before they’d recorded two albums.

      But he could see where this togetherness was leading when she invited him to her apartment one night after a session. He wasn’t into Patsy that way and had to tell her as much. Tamsin had ruined him for other women.

      “I hate your honesty, Cole Hawkins,” she said with a bitterness in her tone. “So, ‘Stranglehold on My Heart’ was about her?” He nodded. “In fact all the songs you’ve written about the woman with the bluebell eyes were about her, right?”

      “Yes. I fell in love with her years ago, and never fell out. I’m sorry, Patsy.”

      “So am I.” Her pain sounded real. “You and I make great music together and could earn a lot of money. I could see a future for the two of us on the road.”

      “That’s your dream, but I’m a cowboy at heart. I thought you knew that. I traveled around the country on the circuit, but the truth is, I miss home.”

      “And the girl you’re still hung up on?” He frowned at her persistence. “When are you going to do something about her?”

      “Just as soon as I get home next week.”

      “You’re leaving that soon?”

      He nodded.

      “What if she doesn’t feel the same way about you anymore?”

      He didn’t want to think about that possibility. “That’s something I plan to find out.”

      “Would you hate me if I told you I hope it doesn’t work out? You and I could be so good together if you’d give us a chance, Cole. I thought you realized I’m in love with you.”

      “We both love making music and have that in common, but I never saw it as anything else.”

      “Not ever?” she questioned.

      “I was always in love with Tamsin, but you have to know I didn’t mean to hurt you. All along I’ve been convinced you’re on your way to the big time in Nashville and I couldn’t be happier for you. You have an amazing talent.”

      “So you’re going to walk out on me without even a hug or kiss goodbye?”

      “Of course I’ll give you a hug, and I’ll be listening to you on the radio. Call me when you want to talk shop. Good luck, Patsy, but you don’t need it.” He gave her a warm kiss on her cheek and left the apartment. Right now only one person was on his mind. Cole’s need to be with Tamsin was consuming him.