“What’s that?” I ask.
“I had Mrs. Mackey make us some supper.”
I eye the bags appreciatively. He digs into the first, pulling out something wrapped in foil. “Her famous chicken salad on her homemade croissants.” He slides out two small containers with lids. “Her homemade coleslaw, and”—he shifts the bag and pulls out two small Styrofoam containers—“pumpkin bars.”1
“Oh, God. I think I love you," I whisper to the containers holding the dessert bars that I know are covered in gooey cream cheese frosting.
He chuckles and finishes packing our supper in the saddlebags, along with two glass bottles of root beer. Once everything is loaded, I watch as he mounts Luci with ease, the veins in his thick forearms bulging and hisbiceps stretching his shirt tight across his arms.
He catches me staring at him and winks, making my cheeks go red. “You gonna stare at me all night, or are you gonna get on that horse so we can ride before the rain hits?”
I roll myeyes and shake off the heat that is already pooling in my center as I pull myself into the saddle. “You’re getting mighty cocky for a man who was a full-on city boy not five weeks ago.”
He clicks his tongue, urging Luci to walk through the open gate of the pasture. “I haven’t been a full-on city boy since my first summer I spent at Dawson Ranch when I was four. Pops let me ride his horse with him and I was hooked from then on.”
“You sure looked the part of city boy when you were changing your tire in my driveway in your designer jeans. And when it took you a solid two hours to actually rope something.” Dolly picks up her gait, unable to stand that Luci is outpacing her. She’s the queen of the stable, and she isn’t about to let Luci forget it.
Wes shoots me a wounded look. “I was just a little rusty.”
I scoff. “And now?”
“Now, I’m livin’ in my cowboy era.”
“Until it’s time to go back home?” I venture.
He sighs. “Yeah, I guess so.”
I nod in understanding. The city has always been his place. It shouldn’t surprise me to hear it’s where his heart still lies, but that doesn’t make the barbs in my chest sting any less.
We’re both quiet for a while, with just the sound of the horses tromping through the tall prairie grass. Wes shifts the reins, and Luci veers to the right. Dolly snorts in agitation when she sees Luci ahead of her again.
“Where are we going exactly?” I ask when Wes pulls up to the fence that separates the Dawson’s property from mine.
“There’s a spot I wanted to show you,” he answers, hopping off Luci to open the gate.
The rusted gate swings open on squeaky hinges and Luci inches back nervously at the unexpected sound.His hooves dig at the ground and as I reach for his reins to get him under control, Wes’ cell phone rings at full volume.
And chaos erupts.
Luci rears back on his hind legs, and Dolly backs away from the frightened horse, not wanting to get kicked by the skittish gelding. Wes mutters a curse, but by the time he lurches for the reins, it’s too late.Luci lets out a shrill neigh and takes off in the other direction.
I groan, cursing myself for letting Wes convince me he was fine for the ride. I thought it would be good for him, but he obviously wasn’t ready.
“You were riding Luci, and you didn’t silence your damn phone?” I snap.
“I forgot,” he replies, unfazed by my tone.
“Now I’ve gotta go find him and bring him back in before he hurts himself.”
“I’ll wrangle him. Scoot forward.” His hand rests on the back of Dolly’s saddle.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Riding back with you and dropping you at the stable so I can go find Luci before it’s completely dark, and he’s impossible to see.”
I huff and scoot as far forward as I can. Wes heaves himself onto Dolly. His chest is flush with my back and his thighs press against mine. He loops his arms around me and takes the reins, tugging gently on them to turn Dolly back toward home.
I’m too dazed by his nearness to argue. The press of his body against mine, his warmth chasing away the autumn chill—it makes me speechless, leaves me utterly dumbfounded. It’s ridiculous, really.
