“It is pretty incredible,” he says with a chuckle. “Honestly, it’s been a long time since I took someone on their first ride and even longer since someone loved it so much.” I blushed. “It’s nice,” he finishes, holding my gaze for a lingering moment before swinging his leg over the horse and hopping to the ground.
When he reaches up to help me down, I take a moment to lean over my saddle and stroke Joey’s neck, whispering mygratitude in his ear. The horse’s ears twitch, which I take to mean he was just as pleased with the experience.
“Ready?” Cash says from the ground where he’s waiting, a bemused expression on his face.
“Not really, but…” I shrug and take his outstretched hand.
Cash’s hands find my waist again, strong and sure as he guides me down off the massive horse. The moment my boots hit the ground, I spin around. I’m pressed against him. Chest to chest, the solid form of the horse behind us.
We’re so close, I should step away. Say something professional. Ask him a question for the article.
Anything.
Instead, I look up.
His eyes catch mine, and something inside me just…breaks loose.
Before I can stop myself, I rise onto my toes and kiss him. It’s soft. Just a quick brush of my lips on his. But the spark it sends through me is instantaneous. Wild.
Reality hits me a second later. I gasp and pull back, my hand flying to my mouth, the words tumbling out too fast in a jumbled mess. “I’m so…I’m sorry. That was…I never should have?—”
He doesn’t let me finish.
His hands slide to the back of my neck, andhekissesme. Properly this time. Slow and certain. The kind of kiss that steals the air right out of my lungs and makes every thought about why I shouldn’t be doing exactly this disappear.
His mouth is warm, the rough stubble on his cheeks, rough against my skin. His breath mingles with mine until I can’t tell where I end and he begins.
When he finally pulls back, I’m dizzy. My heart racing.
And the only thing I know is that I’m in more trouble than I’ve ever been in my entire life.
Chapter 4
Cash
Over the last few days, dinner in the ranch house has become a warm, loud, and…funaffair. It’s reminiscent of the old days when Mama had still been alive and everything was still good on the ranch. The house feels alive again with warmth, laughter, and delicious meals.
I know most of that has to do with Anna coming into Wyatt’s life, and by extension, mine.
Kali has only been on the ranch for a few days, but she fit in almost at once. Laughing and chatting with Anna as if they are old friends, asking Wyatt questions about the history of the ranch and complimenting his cooking. She even helps clear the dishes every night before she slips back to the guest cabin for the evening to write.
We invite her to stay, telling her she doesn’t have to run off so quickly, but every night, Kali insists, saying how she likes to write while the day is still fresh in her mind. A reminder as to why she’s really on the ranch in the first place.
And that she’ll be leaving.
I can’t deny that, despite my initial misgivings about having her here, I’m enjoying her company. A lot. Since that first ride, we’ve gone for three more. Each one a little longer, even pushing the horses into a gentle trot earlier today.
Now, with Kali back in her cabin, the house feels too quiet. Just the low hum of the dishwasher from the kitchen, and the crackle of the fire. The wind has picked up a little outside, a sign of a late winter storm that was forecasted to blow through later.
Wyatt’s sitting on the couch, an arm around Anna, who looks half asleep after a busy day at her vet clinic in town.
“You can keep trying, brother,” Wyatt says, breaking the silence, “but you can probably get a better view of her cabin from outside.”
My head snaps away from the window where I’d been looking at the soft glow from the cabin window through the trees. I open my mouth to protest, but I know I’ve been caught out.
Wyatt laughs. “You don’t seem to mind the reporter so much now, do you?”
I shake my head, but I can’t fight the smile that pulls at my mouth. “She’s… different.”
