This buzz between us feels familiar, even though I don’t know this chick from Eve. There’s just something I can’t explain about Bailey, and it isn’t just sexual tension, though there’s plenty of that going on.
I want to tell her why I’m here, but I don’t know her. Plus, the last thing I want is for anyone to go running to the press. Then my cover will be blown. I need a break, and so do my parents and sister. We’ve all had an incredibly hard year, and a lot of that is due to my guilt and how I handled things back home.
Maybe it is running away, but I’m done with drama.
“Well, I’m not much of a poker player myself,” I laugh. “But the people in this town are friendly and hospitable. Kinda nice from an outsider lookin’ in.”
“Oh, don’t let any of the locals hear you say that,” Bailey says. “They’ll adopt you immediately and have you earmarked as one of their own before you can blink.”
“Doesn’t sound so bad.” Our eyes meet again.
I like the way she bites down on her lip. It’s like she’s not sure of me, but she wants to be.
“You say that now, but wait until Christmas comes. We have a light display competition, and let’s just say things can get a little crazy trying to be top dog. Friendships have flatlined because of ridiculous arguments over baubles that glow in the dark.”
I laugh out loud. “Sounds kinda familiar.”
“What’s Nashville like?” she asks.
“Well, I live out of the city, on the edge of downtown, anyway. The noise can get a little much.”Even where I live, that noise is a little too close to home.
I feel bad about lying to her. Omitting the truth of who I am and why I’m here is kinda the same as lying, and I’m not a devious person. But my life is complicated, and I don’t even know how long I’m here for. It could be a week, two, a month—I don’t know. I can’t make those kinds of decisions right now.
“I hear that. I once went to New York City to visit Sadie, and while I can appreciate the landmarks and the vibrancy of the place, the traffic alone was enough to have me running back here after a week.”
“Cities will do that to you,” I agree. “They’ll swallow you whole if you let them.”Just like what it did to me.I run a hand over my face.Not now, asshole. Not now.
“That’s why I love it here,” she sighs. “The air is cleaner. There’s space, ya know. Okay, it gets pretty cold in the winter, but it’s a trade-off for all the other spectacular things about Wyoming.”
I love that she’s passionate about where she lives. I wish I could be the same. Right now, the way my head is feeling, I couldn’t be further away from the place I used to call home. I swallow hard. Everyone was worried about me in Nashville. Dale wanted to come with me when I left, but I said no. I needed to do this on my own. Sure, I may have had a couple of bad months there, but I’m not suicidal. I’m just confused.
“It’s a beautiful part of the country,” I say. “What’s your favorite season?”
“Ugh, definitely not winter,” she groans. “I actually really love springtime. It’s not too hot, not too cold, we don’t get a lot of rain, and the wind from the Rocky Mountains can bring the temperatures up in April, so it’s pleasant but not humid. Then there’s the wicked thunderstorms. I dabble in amateur photography.”
I love hearing her talk about the place she loves so much. There’s an energy around her that I find intoxicating. Even if it is talking about the weather. Hell, we could be talking about the color of orange juice and I’d be mesmerized.
“That’s a coincidence, so do I,” I say, liking we have some common ground. Actually, we have a lot of the same interests: football, horses, photography, and that sweet cherry pie. “Not sayin’ I’m any good, but it relaxes me…” I trail off, not wanting to reveal too much about myself because then there’ll be questions.
“I feel the same way, though some might say I’m obsessed with my animals and the sunsets around here, but that’s just part of who I am. It’s in my blood.”
“A country girl through and through.”
“Yep.”
I like that Bailey knows who she is, and she certainly has confidence. There’s nothing sexier than that, in my opinion.
“How many horses do you have?” I ask.
“I have three of my own. My main horse is Spirit, the other two are rescues; Dancer is the oldest and retired from public life, and then there’s Rebel. I probably don’t have to explain too much about her personality. She loves people, but can be unpredictable.”
“I love that,” I say. “My horse back home was called Clyde.”
“Was?” her voice softens, laced with sadness.
I swallow hard, then turn to her and smile. “He had a good life. I swear that big ol’ guy thought he was a dog, used to follow me everywhere. Literally couldn’t take a leak without him wantin’ to nose his way into the house.” I chuckle at the memory of that big old dufus.
Her smile is soft and warm, her hand reaches for me, and I don’t know if it’s because my eyes are welling up slightly, or because my voice wavered on those last few words.
