When I thought I had no one, I had him.
And that’s more trouble than I expected.
FIVE
CASPER
Hattie feels like a dream I want to disappear in. But I know if I hold on too tight, she’ll slip right past me and be gone forever.
Lunch with her family went better than expected. Brad seems like less of a chump, and for most of the afternoon, Stella had been subdued.
Which means she’ll be back with a vengeance and something to hurt Hattie with.
And this time, I’ll actually be prepared for it.
The office is quiet for the first time in days with the guys gone, picking up the new horses. Calder is training the ones we have, and I’m impatiently waiting for Hattie to tell me what’s next on the agenda.
A hellish dinner? Some sort of wedding thing?
I expect to feel nervous, maybe a little sick at the idea of having to…show off as a fake boyfriend. But I don’t. Anticipation swells within me; I don’t feel anything but excitement for what’s to come.
As if wishing her into existence, Hattie’s name appears on the screen of my cell. The buzzing of my phone almost makes me jump, but I grab it and answer, heart pounding.
“Hey,” I say, stiffening in my seat.
“Hi.” She clears her throat, music playing in the background. “Am I disturbing you?”
I look down at the logbook that’s been untouched since I came into the office an hour ago to start on paperwork for the transfer. “Nah.” I rise and move to the small window overlooking the ranch. “Where are you?”
“Still at the inn,” she replies, sighing. “Mom wants brunch, you included. But I told her you have actual work to do and can’t drop everything for her whims.”
“But I can,” I point out. “I’m your boyfriend.”
“Fake.” I can almost imagine her rolling her eyes. “And no, you shouldn’t have to. She knows that. She’s just pushing because she wants us to slip up. It would be too convenient if you did drop everything.”
I shift, a wave of protectiveness washing over me. “Except now she can claim I don’t care enough about you to be with you at brunch.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going either,” Hattie snorts. “I was actually thinking about going out to see what’s changed over the years.”
“Is that an invitation?” I ask, moving away from the window and reaching for my keys. “Because I can be there in ten. Show you everything you’ve missed.”
Hattie is quiet for a long moment, her breathing slow. My entire body locks up with uncertainty, but I had made a deal with her, a promise to give her reasons to stay.
“It’ll make the fake relationship even more real if the locals catch us together,” I add. “Throw in a few photos for social media, and we’ll have all of Willow Ridge believing us—and not your mother.”
When she sighs, I shove my keys into my pocket and leave the office. “Fine, I’ll be waiting outside for you.”
“Good.” I make my way from the barn towards the lot where we leave the trucks. “See you in ten, shortcake.”
Before she can tell me how much she hates the pet name, I hang up, grinning like I’ve won something. Like I’ve been given a real chance. And I fully intend on taking it.
The inn sitsat the end of a street full of older historical buildings, and waiting for me outside is Hattie, looking like she just stepped off a flight from New York. She looks almost out of place with her knee high boots, leather skirt, and turtleneck sweater. Her dark hair has been straightened, giving her a look that leaves me feeling…
Fuck, I don’t know how I feel, other than a little turned on. I imagine what it might be like to see her in nothing but the damned boots, which has me going hard.
I pull in, shaking my head. Before I can get out and be a damned gentleman—and give the cold air a chance to undo what those boots have done to me—Hattie slides into the truck with a huff.
“I forgot how cold it gets here,” she says, glancing at me. There’s a pink flush to her cheeks from the chill air, but the discomfort from yesterday is gone.
