I force myself to swallow hard, the first thought—though not the truth—spilling from my lips. “I’m leaving Texas. Packing up and moving to Colorado to live with my sister.”
Something shifts in the darkness of Ford’s eyes as he watches me. “That all?”
Irritation blooms within me. “Seriously?”
He shrugs as he rests his forearm on the car door frame above my head, leaning into the vehicle. “What’s the name of the town?”
“Willow Ridge,” I murmur, holding myself still as I take in the freckles. That part of me that’s seeing him as Christopher’s potential biological dad is seeing resemblances that shouldn’t be there.
The corners of Ford’s lips quirk in a smile. “They got a Sterling Ranch there in Willow Ridge?”
“How did you?—”
He chuckles, eyes closing, dark lashes spreading over his cheekbones. “My brother, Tucker, has a job lined up there. I could get one, too.”
I can’t tell if the feeling rushing through me is disappointment or excitement. It should be fear, honestly. This man can’t be serious about wanting to leave all this behind to follow me to Colorado! Who would? No smart man. And not a man with good intentions.
Maybe this is all some scary ploy to murder me. He could have done this before. Why hadn’t I checked the records for any previous marriages? Why hadn’t I spent any time researching this man before coming here?
“You’re freaking out,” he states, drawing my attention back to him.
“Huh?”
He takes my hand, causing sparks to fly up my forearm. “That might’ve been too much, I get it.”
Swallowing hard, I nod slowly. “Just a little.”
He stares at me for a long moment, eyes locked on mine. I don’t know what he sees, but it has him taking a step back without releasing my hand. “Let’s go.”
Somehow, I make my body move to follow. Ford closes the door behind me and starts for the shack where people are renting kayaks. “I’m not doing water sports with you,” I tell him as I rush to catch up. “No way in hell. You could murder me out there.”
Ford looks at me funny, shaking his head as he chuckles. “That wasn’t at all what I had planned.”
My eyes narrow. “What exactlydoyou have planned?”
“I’m calling this our one-month anniversary date,” he replies with a smirk.
There’s just something about the way he says it that has my belly doing all sorts of flips. A rush of warmth, one born from the heat in his words, floods my body, making me tingly and…excited.
I keep my mouth shut as Ford takes me to the back of the shack. Without looking at me, he shoulders the door open, nods to one of the staff inside, and grabs something from the shadows. When he pulls it out, a breath catches in my throat.
“A picnic basket?” I ask.
He smiles, holding my hand tighter, as he guides me past the trail leading to the lake itself. “We didn’t get to have one of those fancy dinners or breakfasts. So, I figured we could make that happen.”
A lump forms in my throat, one I can’t seem to swallow. “Ford…”
“You still have to give me the day,” he reminds me, winking. “And I have a lot planned.”
My heart gives a stuttering beat as he shows me to a quiet clearing by the lake, with a clear view of the waterfall, yet hidden behind rocks so those in the water can’t see us.
It’s peaceful and hidden, perfect to the point it has tears forming in my eyes.
“Only the staff know about this place. You can climb a bit higher and jump from the top of the waterfall. But we don’t recommend it. There’s a riding trail further up that’ll take you through the hills,” he tells me as he drops my hand. I miss the feel of him immediately. “Did you know this was cowboy country?”
I shake my head as he lays out the picnic blanket. “No. Honestly, the only thing I looked up about the place was your employee profile.”
“Ah, so you could find me for that annulment,” he says, with the hint of a laugh.
