“It’s okay.” Jake let his arm fall away from my shoulder. “I can’t believe they fell for it, though.”
“Fell for what?”
“No one in their right mind would believe the two of us are together.” He let out a laugh.
I didn’t know how to respond. We didn’t know each other well, but from what I could tell, Jake would make some woman very happy someday. “Why not?”
“We just don’t fit.” He shook his head. “Did you really make those cookies for me?”
I wanted to dig deeper to find out what he meant by his comment, but sensed now wasn’t the time or the place. “Homemade candy cane cookies. It’s a secret family recipe.”
“Are you going to let me try one?” The teasing smile was back as he held out his hand.
“You can have them all.” I passed over the bag and waited to see his reaction when he bit into one. He’d been so patient with me, I wanted to do something nice for him.
He bit into a cookie and nodded. “These are delicious. You know, if this riding thing doesn’t work out, you could start a bakery.”
“Right. Too bad candy cane cookies are the only thing I can make.” Knowing he enjoyed them almost made the fiasco with my brother worth it.
“I still need to wrap up a few things before I can leave. Do you want to come back, or…”
“Is there anything I can do to help? As long as you’re okay with pretending we’re dating, the least I can do is pitch in so you can get out of here early.” Now that Stetson was gone and left me in a fake relationship with a very real cowboy, the reality of what had just happened started to sink in. I had a boyfriend. Not only that, I’d be bringing him to my family’s company Christmas party. It might take something a little stronger than candy cane cookies to help me process that.
5
JAKE
We rode in silence for the first half of our ride. Roxy relaxed into my chest, her hair soft against my cheek. I could get used to this, though I knew better than to take any time I spent with her for granted. She was the daughter of a powerful man, and I didn’t even know who the hell my father was. Even so, I’d dress up and try not to embarrass her for the party. Anything to protect her real reason for spending time with me.
In the short amount of time we’d spent together, I’d been able to look past the gorgeous smile, the amazing curves, to see the vulnerable woman underneath. She projected strength and independence, but deep down she needed to be accepted by her family. Seemed ridiculous that they’d hold something so stupid as her fear of riding against her.
I knew what it felt like to be on the outside because that’s where I’d spent my entire life. Even with Mama Mae’s love, it wasn’t enough to fill the chasm inside me. If I could do anything to help Roxy avoid the emptiness I lived with, I would.
Trixie continued along the riverbank in a slow, steady walk. Roxy and I shifted from side to side in the saddle. I would have loved to take her on the winter trail, but the odds of running into someone one of us knew were too high. Maybe after she made it through the parade, we could celebrate and ride the trail together.
“What are you thinking about?” Roxy asked. “You’ve been quiet since we got going.”
“So have you. What have you been thinking about? You go first.” I appreciated feeling like we didn’t have to talk to fill the silence, but I loved learning more about her.
“I was thinking about the party. You don’t need to come if you don’t want to. It wasn’t fair for me to put you on the spot like that.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind going.” I wouldn’t mind going anywhere with her, not even straight into the lion’s den to meet her father face to face. Maybe I was being naïve, but I figured I could handle myself, at least for a couple of hours.
“Are you sure?” She twisted around as much as she could and met my gaze. “We’ll have to pretend to be dating, or my brother will never buy it. You might have to hold my hand or,”—she bit down on her lower lip—“maybe even dance with me.”
I’d never wanted to kiss someone so badly. Instead, I laughed off her concern. “I think I can handle it.”
“You know how to dance?” Her eyebrows rose.
“Heck, yeah. Mama Mae taught all of us how to make our way around a dance floor. You want me to prove it?” I was probably a bit rusty, but I could swing by Mama Mae’s tomorrow night to brush up on my skills. She’d been asking when I’d be able to come over for dinner, but I’d been too busy to squeeze in a visit.
Roxy pulled up on the reins, and Trixie came to a stop. “Yeah, cowboy. I do want you to prove it.”
I slid down from the saddle and reached up to plant my hands on Roxy’s waist. “Just remember, you asked for this.”
“Do we need music?” She let her hands fall away from my shoulders and looked around.
We’d stopped at a wide section of the riverbank dotted with a few scrubby bushes and trees with twisted trunks. I looped the reins over the narrow limb of a small tree to keep Trixie from straying too far. Then I pulled out my phone and fired up my favorite playlist. The first strains of “Be My Baby Tonight” came through the speaker.
