He smirked. “Then when would I get a chance to see you?”
“Oh, I’d visit. How could I not?”
“Nah. If you came out here to visit, I might not let you go. Then we’d both be stuck out here.”
She laughed. “I could think of worse things.”
Tripp sobered. “Really?”
“Sure. I’m not much of a city girl if you haven’t noticed. We live in a small town. I came from a small town in Georgia. I think I might have lived in the mountains in a cabin in a prior life because I can’t think of a better sanctuary than that.”
He cocked his head slightly. “Not a house on the beach? Or a penthouse in the city, huh?”
Wendy wrinkled her nose. “Hardly. What about you?”
Tripp glanced around them as if he needed to consider what she was asking. Then he nodded. “I think you might be right.A beach isn’t the same as something out here surrounded by greenery. I don’t think I could live anywhere that it didn’t snow. And the city is just so…”
“Loud?”
He grinned. “Exactly. We moved here from the city and I have to say, I don’t miss it.”
“Okay, so we covered a dream place to settle down. We know about our dream jobs. What else can we discuss?”
“How many kids do you want?”
She nearly choked when she sucked in a sharp breath. “That was unexpected.”
“How so? You either want them, or you don’t.”
Wendy gaped at him. “I’d rather talk about my issues writing than how many kids I want.”
“Okay, then let’s talk about that.”
She stiffened.
“Wendy,” he sighed, “we’ve tiptoed around it and I really want to help.”
“You want to help,” she said evenly, the skepticism dripping from her voice.
“Of course I do.” He pulled his horse to a stop and she did the same. Fiddling with the reins in his hands, he murmured, “I’m still researching programs to get certified in equine dentistry. It’s going to take more effort to find something that will work with my schedule, but I’m going to make it happen.”
“That’s great! I’m so happy for you.”
“Like I said, it’s not a done deal or anything. But I’m taking the first step. I think you need to figure out your first step.”
“I’ve already?—”
“I’m not talking about the prep work. I’m talking about the first step in accepting what’s holding you back.”
She frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He finally met her gaze and she shivered at the way he seemed to be able to stare right through her. “I’m talking about realizing that you’re scared.”
Her jaw tightened. This wasn’t what she wanted to discuss. It felt like beating a dead horse. She just wanted to drop it and move on. But then what good would that do?
It wouldn’t do any good at all.
Wendy blew out a heavy breath. “I am scared,” she admitted quietly. “I’m terrified. I don’t know that I want to put my heart and soul into something and have people rip it apart or judge me based on the content I write.”
