With a sudden pounce, Trish stopped him. Her lips crushed against his, and for a moment Wade was dazed, unsure how it happened. His lips responded within seconds, unable to do anything but yield to her kiss’s allure. He had enough awareness to note her lips did in fact taste like cherry before the kiss deepened. He should pull away, should stop himself before he fell over the edge.
But Trish was the first to pull back, a sheepish smile on her face. She started to say something, but he kissed her forehead instead. Words wouldn’t do either of them a lot of good right now. Tomorrow, he’d have to straighten things out. But for tonight . . . he slid down on the blanket till he lay flat and opened an arm to her.
Without hesitation, she curled against him and nestled her head into his chest.
“The fire’ll burn a couple of hours longer.” Wade liked this. Just as it was. “No harm enjoying the stars for a little while longer.”
Trish murmured, “Um-hmm.”
Tomorrow, he’d reinforce those walls to protect his heart. But tonight, he wanted to pretend that the woman he held in his arms could stay there forever.
Chapter 11
Trish
Something furry brushedagainst her arm, and Trish shot up. She was disoriented and felt a slight pounding in her head. “Hey, Shadow.” At the mention of her name, the pup leapt up closer to her pillow, and stared with a tilted head, heartily wagging her tail.
The cushion of her mattress and the lilac curtains brought her to the reality that this was her room. The memory from last night—being wrapped in a blanket and leaning against Wade—made her cheeks redden. Shekissedhim! She blamed the wine cooler. She would’ve never done that if she hadn’t been so relaxed. Falling for Wade . . . it was some silly fantasy. In a few days, she’d head back to Omaha, never to see him again. How long would it take before he forgot her completely? A couple of months? Weeks?
Trish tossed the covers off her legs and rushed to the writing table for her phone, relieved to find it was barely seven. She feared she’d missed her breakfast date, though Wade hadn’t been shy about waking her before.
How had she gotten back to her room? She didn’t remember walking through the woods, even groggily. Surely Wade hadn’t carried her the entire way on that dark, uneven trail.
Shadow hopped off the bed, ears perked with interest. Perhaps she thought they were going on an adventure, now that she was standing and running her hands through her hair. “How didyouend up here?” she asked, but Shadow just watched her with that goofy smile, tongue lolling.
Next to her phone sat a rolled-up extension cord. Trish nearly squealed with glee. She could write for half an hour before she absolutely had to rinse off in the shower. She plugged in the cord and strung it toward her laptop on her bed. Shadow sprawled out on the rug beside her as Trish typed away.
* * *
“How wouldyou feel about having breakfast in town with me? You’ll like Mable’s.” Kate asked when Trish was halfway down the stairs, Shadow racing by. The loyal dog had curled up on a rug outside the bathroom door until Trish finished showering.
“Mable’s sounds great.” Trish wanted to ask where Wade was but didn’t want to be rude. “I’m starving.” The other writers, she knew from her itinerary, had scheduled writing blocks this morning. Glenda had mentioned something about a special breakfast delivery right to their cabins.
“Wade had to take care of a few things on the ranch this morning,” Kate explained. Her hands rubbed her belly, and a momentary wince of pain crossed her face. “So I told him I’d fill in. I’m no cowboy, but I promise I’m a lot more fun.”
“I’m sure you’re more cheerful,” Trish added. “You sure you’re up to the trip, though?”
“Oh, yes. Just Braxton Hicks.” Kate waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ll have you drive the truck, though. It’s getting harder to fit behind the steering wheel these days.”
Trish didn’t think it necessary to admit she’d never driven a truck. Surely it couldn’t be that different than a car. Probably less chance of getting stuck in the mud. “Of course.”
“C’mon, Shadow. Your daddy left you all alone today, so you’re coming with us.” Kate must have noticed Trish’s quizzical expression. “Mable’s has a dog-friendly patio. Figured it was too beautiful a morning to sit inside anyway. We don’t have too many of these left before winter, you know.”
Trish had a vision of the truck Lina drove, but it certainly wasn’t the monstrosity that sat in the driveway. “Is that a diesel?”
“Grams always wanted a big truck,” Kate said, pulling the passenger door open. Shadow hopped in and made her way to the back seat, obviously familiar with this routine. “You might need to give me a shove inside.”
“We can eat here at the ranch if it’s easier,” Trish said, feeling guilty about Kate babysitting her.Isn’t this part of Wade’s chaperone package?“I don’t mind.”
“Nonsense. I need out! I’ve been cooped up in that house almost a week.” Trish helped Kate into the truck and shut the door behind her. “Besides, I have a job in town later. House I need to photograph.”
She climbed into the driver’s seat. “I feel like I’m about to drive a tank,” Trish said. “You sure you trust me?” What if she broke an axel with the next pothole? Her savings would be drained forking over money for a repair like that. “We could take my car instead.”
“Your car is cute, but I won’t fit. Trust me.”
Trish navigated carefully through the winding dirt driveway until they met the gravel road. From what she remembered, the town of Starlight was two miles to the east, behind one of the big rolling hills. “When’s your husband due back?”
“Should be home in a week. It’ll be so nice to sleep in my own bed again.”
