Brighton tried to uncurl her spine, tried to simply open her eyes, but she couldn’t. Her whole body was locked up. A pulsing hush surrounded her, and it took her a second to realize the sound was her own breathing, fast and nearly out of control. She was dizzy, her mouth watering in warning, and—
A hand on her back.
“You’re okay.”
The hand moved up…then down, unsure at first, but then settling into a rhythmic circle.
“You’re fine,” Lola said. “Everything’s fine.”
“Shit, Brighton, are you all right?” Adele asked as she came up behind them.
“She’s fine,” Lola said. “Just give her a second.”
Her hand kept moving, soothing, and second by second, Brighton felt her mind slow down, then her heart, her lungs. Her fingers released Cupcake’s mane, and her shoulders loosened. Finally, finally, she opened her eyes.
Found Lola’s.
Lola was still calm, no smile or even the slightest curve to her mouth, but she was looking at Brighton with…something. Something more than the cool disdain with which she’d talked to Brighton just a few minutes ago.
Brighton reached out and grabbed Lola’s other hand, which held not only her own horse’s reins but also Cupcake’s, and Lola let her. Their fingers tangled together, Lola’s free hand still on her back, and Brighton felt as though she’d just fallen into a feather bed after a week without sleep.
“You’re okay,” Lola said again, and Brighton nodded, their gazes still locked.
“My god, Charlotte, where’d you learn to ride like that?” Sloane said.
And the spell broke.
Lola untangled their fingers, removed her hand from Brighton’s back. She straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
“I wasn’t going that fast,” she said. “Just instinct, I guess.” Her eyes flicked to Brighton’s one more time, then away.
“Well, it was quite the rescue,” Jenny said. Shannon, who had come up on Cupcake’s other side and dismounted, smoothed a hand over the mare’s neck and whispered to her. “Some might say the stuff meet-cutes are made of.” Jenny was smiling, her gaze going back and forth between Lola and Brighton.
“Okay, now we’re getting down to it,” Manish said. “The magic of Two Turtledoves at work, I see.”
“Char and the damsel-in-distress trope,” Elle said. “I love it.”
“Right?” Manish said. “All we need is a clinch cover for the book.”
“You two are ridiculous,” Lola said, then laughed. Shelaughed, the sound so genuine that Brighton felt anger surge through her veins. Granted, her heart rate was still working to slow down after her adventure, but she was getting damn tired of this roller-coaster ride with Lola. She either ignored Brighton or insulted her, then quite literally saved her life, only to laugh at the mere idea of the two of them together.
As though they hadn’t very nearly promised to love each other forever.
“Are we ridiculous?” Elle asked.
“We are not,” Manish said. “You two could at least ride together for the rest of the morning, see if there’s a spark.”
“There’s definitely something,” Elle said.
“There isn’t,” Lola said. “And I’d rather—”
“I think there might be,” Brighton said, lifting her chin when Lola slowly turned to meet her gaze. She hadn’t planned it, but canting along with Lola right now seemed to be the only way she was going to get her ex to talk to her.Reallytalk to her. “Remember how I said I enjoy verbal sparring?”
Lola pressed her mouth flat. “I’m not sure you’re up for continuing on horseback.”
“I’m fine,” Brighton said, forcing more steadiness into her voice than she felt. But then she smiled. Lowered her lashes a little, flicked them back up. And, hell yes, she absolutely did coat her next words with every ounce of flirt she possessed. “Especially if you’re by my side to help me.”
“Damn,” Manish said.
