Tripp hangs his head, shoulders falling in defeat. I squeeze his hand in support. He sighs and lets go. “Sorry, Mom,” he mutters, not meeting her eyes as he drags his feet.
My chest pinches for him, but I don’t stick around to see him get scolded. Maybe he’s right. Allie and Sawyer are littler than me, but I bet they'll let me pick what game we play. I just gotta teach them how to follow the rules. And maybe, if I’m lucky, there’ll still be a cookie that isn’t covered in dirt.
You'd Be a Fun Ride
Tripp
Iwait until the supper dishes are stacked in the sink before clearing my throat. “Hey, Quinnie, want to come check on one of the cows with me? She’s favoring her back leg, and I’d feel better if you checked it out.”
Wes freezes by the door, brows furrowing. “I didn’t notice anything.”
I fight the urge to glare at him.
“It wasn’t very obvious, and it’s probably nothing. But I thought she could take a quick look for us since she’s here. Set my mind at ease.”
Her eyes brighten as she smiles, a tendril of blond hair slipping loose from its clip, and for a second I forget what I was saying. She’s too damn pretty when she looks at me like that.
“Oh, sure. I can come out and take a look.”
Good thing Wes doesn’t realize I invented the cow problem just to steal a few minutes alone with her. Dangerous? Maybe. She’s my best friend’s little sister. She’s off-limits—and I know it.
I just want to ask her about quitting her job. Wes said there was nothing to worry about. And I’m not worried—just curious.
Quinn and I had a lot of heart-to-hearts during her summers here, especially during those last few she came without Wes. And I have half a mind to tease the full story out of her little by little.
“Maybe I should come check it out with you guys,” Wes says gruffly.
I tear my gaze from Quinn to find her brother glaring at me, suspicion darkening his features. I shrug, trying not to appear guilty. “If you want. It’s probably a waste of time.”
“Wes, I‘m sure they’ll manage fine without your help. They’ll call if they need you.”
Sawyer arches a brow in my direction. Apparently, Sawyer's on my side today. Thank God for small mercies.
“Right. We’ve got it under control. We’ll call if we need anything,” I repeat with a smirk.
Sawyer drags Wes out of the house, and I lean against the counter while Quinn finishes loading the dishwasher. She shouldn’t look that good doing something so ordinary, but she does. Those jeans cling to her thighs, lifting her ass in a way I shouldn’t notice—especially after spending all night trying not to think about how good she looked in those pink trousers yesterday.
I scrub a hand over my face, forcing the thought away. I have no business staring at Wes’ little sister like that.
When she’s done, she pulls on an old flannel jacket and grabs a large tote bag from the hook in the hallway—no doubt stuffed with medical supplies.
We make the short trek to the stables, and I saddle up June and Cash to ride out to the pasture while Quinn croons to them, her entire face lighting up. I strap her bag to the saddle and then turn toward her. “You remember how to mount?”
Her apprehensive gaze flicks to mine. “I remember how. I just might be a little out of practice.”
My lips twitch at the memory of Wes and me having a similar conversation the first time he was getting back in the saddle. Her eyes soften when she notices my amusement, and she gnaws on her lower lip. “I might need you to spot me.”
I chuckle softly and step up behind her, trying to ignore the way my blood heats and the air charges when I’m this close to her.
“I’ve got you,” I say, swallowing down the prickle of desire that spreads across my skin as my hand finds her waist. “On the count of three?”
She nods.
“One. Two...”
On three, she lifts herself, and my hand makes brief contact with her ass as she swings her leg over the saddle. I remove it as quickly as I can, not wanting her to think I’m trying to cop a feel.
“Thanks,” she says, looking down at me from atop Cash.
