Ryder’s eyes are serious when he replies, “I hadn’t thought about it like that. Sounds like it’s harder for girls—doing what you want.”
I lift a shoulder. “Maybe. I think that might have something to do with these weird dreams I keep having. I feel…sometimes, in real life and in these dreams, it’s like I can’t breathe. I wanna move, but I can’t. It really pisses me off.”
“I can tell.” He grins, strumming his guitar. The pretty sound is calming. “I can promise you two things. One, I’ll try my very best not to treat you any different.”
My face splits into a smile, the kind I can feel in my cheeks. “Okay.”
“And two, I don’t know the lyrics or the notes to any Taylor Swift song, but I’m gonna learn. Here.” He tips his chin toward my horse, then reaches out to give her chin a tickle. “Maybe Meredith can help us out. You know how to sing, right, pretty girl?”
Meredith eats his pretend sugar up, tucking her lips into his palm. She likes Ryder.
He’s grown up on his family’s ranch about twenty miles from here on the other side of Hart County, so he’s been on horseback and around animals all his life. It shows. He’s tender with Meredith, but confident too. I like that.
Ew, but I don’tlikeRyder. He’s Colt’s friend, not mine. And I think Colt would punch us both if we?—
Nope. Not even gonna think that disgusting thought.
I should probably get back to my room. I don’t think anyone would like it if they found Ryder and I alone out here together.
More than that, though, all these things I’m feeling have mesuperfreaking confused. I’m hot, but I’m also kind of happy? But also nervous, which makes no sense because I’ve known Ryder forever. He’s like the sixth brother I never wanted but now I’m glad to have.
Only, I don’t want him to be my brother. I want him to be my friend. And something about that is scary for reasons I don’t understand.
Yup, need to get the hell out of here.
“Hey, Ryder?—”
“Yeah?” He sits down after giving Meredith one last tickle, settling his back against her stall. “Chocolate Chip likes it when I play for him. You think she’ll like it too?”
I let out a burst of laughter. “I still can’t believe you named your horse Chocolate Chip.”
“Hey.” Ryder strums the guitar again, reaching up to tune a string. “I was seven. And anything with chocolate chips in it stillhappens to be my favorite food. Also—I don’t know if you know this—but I did this thing called animal therapy when I was little. I had a speech delay, and being around horses apparently helped me work through some of that. When Mom and Dad gave me my own horse, I think they knew how big that moment was. So they let me name him all by myself.”
I blink, startled—warmed—by Ryder’s vulnerable admission. “I didn’t know you were in therapy.”
“From what I remember, it was pretty cool. I’d recommend it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I scoff, glancing at Meredith. “Maybe I need to spend more time around horses, then. To, you know, work through this nightmare stuff.”
“Can’t hurt. So what’s your favorite Taylor song right now?”
I’m sitting beside him and folding my legs into a pretzel before I know what I’m doing.
“You’re gonna make fun of me.” The door of the stall bites into my shoulder blades, but I don’t care.
“Probably. Lemme guess, it’s a love song.”
My face burns. “Maybe.”
“That’s okay. I’ll still play it.” A pause. “You know I’m joking, right? I don’t mind love songs.”
I elbow him. “Duh. Of course I know that.”But I’m really glad you said it anyway.
“Some of the best songs ever written are love songs. At least that’s what my mom says.”
“I like your mom.”
“I do too. You know I’m her favorite.”
