“I’m still stuck.”
“Well, it’s only been a few days since we first talked. What do you think would help you get past that roadblock?”
Wendy sighed and her eyes lifted to the darkened sky. If he wasn’t mistaken, it looked as though she might start to tear up. “Honestly, I have no clue. I feel like there’s something missing. I know some people go on a retreat so they can get in the right mindset. Others listen to music. But it doesn’t matter what I do. The second I sit down in front of my computer, I can’t think past the first line.”
He gnawed on the inside of his cheek. “Well, you can get one line out, right?”
She snorted. “If you count the words ‘chapter one’ as the first line.” Then she tossed him a sheepish smile. “Like you said last time. I’ll figure it out. Trial and error, right?”
“Right.”
They continued dancing into the next song. He couldn’t tell if she was the one who didn’t want to let go or if it was him. Maybe it was a little bit of both.
“I want to go into equine dentistry.”
Wendy nearly tripped at his confession. Then her eyes found his. He half-expected her to laugh. When she’d asked him about his own dreams at the bonfire, he’d brushed her off. He wasn’t creative. He didn’t have dreams like most people. But he didhave an interest in something that no one seemed to take him seriously for.
“What kind of work does that entail?” she asked quietly.
He laughed. “I would wager you can answer that question all on your own. Tell me, Wendy, when you pay a visit to a dentist, what do they do for you?”
That pretty blush he was growing attached to flooded her cheeks. “Right. Well, why don’t you?”
It was a reasonable question. He had the foundation for the job, but he hadn’t gone so far as to get certified and finish his education. He wasn’t sure Bo would be interested in a specialist when he had great vets at his beck and call.
Tripp shrugged. “I suppose I have a couple roadblocks of my own.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I never would have peggedyou as a guy who’d…”
“Want to stick his head in a horse’s mouth?” Tripp grinned as he said it.
Wendy swallowed back her own laughter, but it was no use. She couldn’t help joining in. It wasn’t the thought of Tripp actually having a serious job that had her amused. It was the visual he was offering her. “Yes, but what I was trying to say was I never thought you’d want to do something so… serious.”
“I hardly think dental work for horses are serious.”
She nudged him. They’d taken a break from the dance floor to get something to eat, and they were now seated at one of the many tables. Wendy caught his eye after contact was made but she forced herself to say focused. “I’m not expressing myself very well. The Tripp I know… he goofs off. He’s not thinking about the future. He’s not?—”
His expression had gone from playful to blank in a matter of seconds. Shoot! She’d done it again. Without thinking, she placed a hand on over his. “I was wrong.” It wasn’t nearly theapology he deserved, but it was all she could give at the moment. “You’re more than I gave you credit for. Sure, you’re still a charmer, but there’s… more.”
One corner of his mouth quirked and he scooted even closer to her, getting into her space. “You think I’m charming?”
“Ugh,” she muttered dragging her chair away from him. “Don’t test your luck. This truce isn’t going to last long with that sort of cocky behavior.”
Tripp laced his hands behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world. Dang it all! The man was incorrigible. He knew just how attractive he was. Where was the humility?
Wendy rolled her eyes then got back to the subject at hand. “Okay, so you’re at a roadblock. Why? What is it about your current job that’s holding you back?”
He picked up his fork and took a bite of the salad on his plate. Even the thoughtful way he chewed his food was methodical. She couldn’t help but watch the way his throat bobbed as he swallowed. Then he cleared his throat. “I like my job. It’s great. And my cousin makes sure it stays interesting. There’s always something new to do. Always work to be done. It’s definitely not boring.”
“So, you think that if you were to go into equine dentistry… it’d be boring?”
The seconds that ticked between them had her nearly regretting her question. There was no reason for her to regret them. She wasn’t being spiteful or rude. It was an honest question.
Finally, Tripp turned to look at her head-on. “Why can’t you get past your roadblock?”
Why was he turning the tables? They’d already discussed that she couldn’t get past it and what her thoughts were. “I don’t?—”
