Six months later
“What did we miss?” Riggs and Winona blustered into the Shady Grind, late as usual.
They’d informed Sean they were trying a new thing where they got out of the house once a week for “date night.” But as frazzled parents of three, they were often late.
“Just the montage,” Sean answered.
Montage. To think a year ago, he wouldn’t have used the word in casual conversation. This morning, he’d moved cattle from the north pasture while Bonnie was still sleeping. He might have cursed a time or two when a cow refused to get in line.
He might still occasionally lose his temper but now he was using words like “montage.” His emails were from documentary producers and an occasional movie star or two wanting to be involved. He’d come up in the world, he guessed, and Mr. Cowboy had done that for him. Since it started, ratings were through the roof, according to Lori. Tonight, was the final episode, and everyone who hadn’t already been there wanted to watch Sean propose to Bonnie.
“Where’s Bonnie?” Winona asked.
“Signing autographs.” He pointed to where she stood at the bar chatting. “Pretty soon I might have to go over there and intervene. Seems like the meaner her character on Kavanaugh’s Way became, the nicer Bonnie did. She has a hard time saying no. So, I have to say it for her.”
Tonight, as in every night since the show released its first episode, the Shady Grind was hosting a Ladies’ Night. Drinks were half off and the joint thick with women. Many of the contest entrants, including Tabitha, here with Dr. Grant tonight. She was considering a position with the new women’s clinic he’d started, but from the sultry looks she threw Dr. Grant, she was considering a whole lot more than a job.
Jessica and Angela were the only ones missing. Jessica, because she was apparently planning her wedding again with the same guy from before. And Angela was back in New York City, where she’d hooked up with Elton. They were working on together on her popular podcast and apparently also getting to know each other on a whole new level. All of them were keeping in touch via email and social media.
Until tonight, he and Bonnie had stayed home to watch Mr. Cowboy. It hit a little close to home for both of them and they were frankly tired of the spotlight after the six weeks spent in Canada.
Plus, they were both a little unnerved by what cuts and edits Lori might use and how it would make them look. For his part, Sean didn’t like watching himself. It was damn embarrassing, but yes, he was curious. They’d both done interviews apart from each other, and early on made a pledge they wouldn’t talk about it but simply watch together when the time came.
By now, he’d watched many of the interviews with the individual women. In particular Tabitha’s interviews reassured him he’d seen right through her and he felt relief that “Mr. Cowboy nation” agreed Tabitha should have never gone as far as she did.
In one interview, after the event at Wade’s rodeo school Tabitha had said:
“Oh yeah, oh yeah! Did you see how he caught me in his arms? I’m sorry, girls, he’s mine. Y’all don’t stand a chance.”
Bonnie had laughed when Sean winched, then teased him about taking Tabitha aside the first night. He explained he’d done that simply to make Bonnie jealous.
This was his story, and he was sticking to it.
Everyone on Mr. Cowboy had signed NDAs, so he would never be able to share that he’d agreed for the producers to choose for him. Good thing because he’d look like a chump and he knew it now.
No one would ever share how the producers heavily favorited Tabitha as the winner. In a Zoom conversation a week ago, Lori had warned that she’d cut the show to make it look as if Sean might have slightly favored Tabitha. It was all about leaving those cookie crumbs and trails so viewers would stay tune in to the next episode. By now, they had the viewing public on edge, wondering if Sean would be stupid enough to choose Tabitha. They were rooting heavily for Sean to choose Bonnie, insinuating that if he didn’t he had “a screw loose.”
“Their journey back to each other…will love work better the second time around?” The narrator intoned as the last episode began. “Or will Sean choose someone else? Get ready for the dramatic conclusion!”
Bonnie finally extricated herself and slid back into the bench seat next to Sean. She said hello to Riggs and Winona, then squeezed his hand.
“Are you ready?”
“I know what happens.” He smiled and put his arm around her.
For the next hour, Sean watched himself on the screen. But mostly, he kept his eye on Bonnie. He watched as she tearfully hugged Angela goodbye, then later listened as she talked to Tabitha, assuring her that she had far more to offer than her looks. Later, he barely contained his temper when he watched Tabitha tell Bonnie that she should move on and let go of past relationships.
Finally, he saw Bonnie as she approached the patio, knowing she was the first. Which meant she’d be eliminated. Her eyes, her entire face, showed a devastating sense of loss that gripped him by the heart ventricles.
“You really thought he was going to let you go?” Winona said softly.
“Well…” Bonnie said.
“Crazy,” Riggs shook his head and muttered.
Ignoring everyone else, Sean brought their clasped hands to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Do you not realize I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen years old?”
“Forgive me for sometimes forgetting I’m the luckiest woman alive.”
The show concluded to wild applause, Lori doing such an excellent job of misleading viewers of the the final outcome that some of the patrons did double-takes, wondering if maybe Sean selected Tabitha, then changed his mind.
But in the end, everyone here got the happy ending they’d wanted.
Including him.
Later, at home, Sean was getting ready for bed when he decided to check his email for the first time today.
“Did you ever hear back from Colton?” Bonnie asked.
“I’m checking.”
He’d emailed Colton weeks ago, as he tended to do every now and again to see if his brother was still among the living. Usually, terse replies came back with words like “still in this hell,” and “might get some R&R next month.” Nothing ever came of it, of course. Colton hadn’t been home in years.
Sean’s last email had been equally pithy and to the point:
Getting married to Bonnie Lee. Would like you to be there.
No answer had been forthcoming for weeks, and now finally, a reply as concerning as it was short:
I’ll be there. There’s been some trouble, but I think I’m finally coming to the end of it.
Bonnie read the reply when he showed it to her. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.”
“He’ll come. I know he wouldn’t miss our wedding.” She took his hand and led him to bed. “Let’s not think about it now.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed Sean and Bonnie’s second chance, later in life romance.
Next up in this series, pre-order Soldier Cowboy and read what happens when Colton finally comes home to Stone Ridge.
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