Chapter 17
Amy berated herself for thinking Jake’s deep voice sounded sexy when he called the next morning. He only said a few dozen words, stating the time he planned on picking her up, and warned her to dress in comfortable, warm clothing, but it was enough to cause Amy to dread her date that afternoon.
The text she received from Robert didn’t help.
Enjoy your date with Jake. You’re gonna wish you were swing dancing instead of what Jake has planned.
Robert enjoyed teasing, so she never knew if she should take him seriously. Ben also delighted in teasing her, but she could tell when he was teasing. She’d spent less time around Jake, so she had an even harder time reading him. Trying to put the whole thing out of her mind, she focused on spending quality time with Kallie.
When Jake picked her up that afternoon, he drove back toward the ranch. Did he plan on riding horses? The thought both thrilled and terrified her. The horses were so big and powerful. It would be a good way to keep distance between her and Jake, though.
As if he wasn’t attractive enough, Jake’s fresh, zesty, masculine scent filled the truck’s cab, making him that much more appealing.
After Ben left last night, Robert lingered for a while, and they continued to talk. At one point, he’d leaned toward her, and she thought he might kiss her, but he quickly pulled away at the sound of the garage door opening.
She was grateful for the interruption because she feared if Robert had kissed her, she would’ve responded the same way she did to Ben’s kiss. The thought sickened her.
Jake pulled his truck up beside the sprawling ranch house and turned off the engine. He turned toward her. “I’m letting you choose today’s activity. Horses or four-wheelers?”
A knot of tension coiled in her gut. “I’ve never ridden either. I’m sure you’ve heard by now, I’m not particularly graceful or agile, so I doubt I’ll be good at either one.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve heard conflicting stories about that. Ben says you’re skilled with peanuts, and Robert says you have a long way to go when it comes to dancing.”
Amy groaned. “Are you three always this aggravating?”
He winked at her. “Only when a pretty woman is involved.”
Was he teasing, or were he and Robert actually competing over her? What about Ben? He hadn’t shown interest in going out with her, but he enjoyed teasing her. And he’d kissed her. Did Ben tell his cousins about their kiss?
Trying to keep the color from flooding her face at the thought of that amazing kiss, she pretended to mull over her options.
Jake watched her expectantly. “Come on, relax and let yourself have a little fun.”
Relax?Could he tell how tense she was from being in the truck with him?
“Well, dancing made my toe sore. So, we’d better go with whatever is least likely to make it hurt again.”
“Sounds like a toss-up, so I say we go four-wheeling and shooting.”
Shooting?
His enthusiasm did nothing to dispel Amy’s anxiety.
Jake led her to the shed where he kept the four-wheelers. He gave her a helmet and a crash course on driving an ATV.
“Can’t I ride with you?” she asked, not because she wanted to be that close to Jake, but because the powerful machine scared her to death. She didn’t relish driving it by herself.
“There’s not enough room. I need to strap guns, blanket, and a cooler to the back of both four-wheelers.”
Jake patiently repeated everything she needed to know to drive the ATV. Then he climbed on behind her and talked her through the gears as she drove circles around the house and outbuildings. Her shoulders knotted, aware of Jake’s rock-hard chest pressed against her back. The man smelled so good.
After a while, he told her to stop. He climbed off the four-wheeler but stood close. “Are you okay? You seem uncomfortable. If you don’t want to ride, we can watch a movie... or something.”
Amy chewed on her bottom lip.
What is wrong with me? Yes, Jake is a handsome man who happens to smell great. Get over it, already.
“Or, I can take you back home, if you really don’t want to be here.”
