“Night, Ma. Thanks for dinner.”
“Night, babe. Good night, Rafe, hope to see you again soon.” She rolls away quickly after that.
“Night,” he mumbles softly.
I pack the small amount of leftovers into resealable bowls and put them in the fridge. When I turn around, I spot Rafe snagging another piece of bread from the table. “I have more, you know. You can have as much as you like.” He looks over his shoulder like he was caught getting into trouble.
“How much more are we talking about?”
“Another loaf, but I can always make more, unless I ruin my starter again.” I watch Rafe as he tears into the chewy crust. “It’s funny…I used to take Winger extra stuff I baked sometimes. I think sourdough was his favorite too. How long have you guys been friends?” It’s easier to bring him up than I thought it would be. I feel like it’s something that connects us even more.
“Since we were kids.” Rafe’s voice is flat as he grabs more bread. “He’s going to have to find a new source. There definitely won’t be any extra anymore.”
“I can see that.” I motion to the empty table. He looks completely unapologetic. It might be weird, but I like that he claimed something of mine as his own.
“I usually head out to the barn after dinner, wanna come?” I offer, hoping he’s not planning on leaving yet.
“I’m there if you are.”
Chapter 22
Getting Rafe on Isabella was harder than I thought it would be, but so worth it. My heart is beating faster just from looking at him in the saddle. I reach into my back pocket and pull out my phone, then snap a picture of him. His face is serious without a hint of a smile, but I’ve gotten used to it. He may not smile easily, but when he does, it’s so worth it.
“What are you doing?” He tilts his head, knowing darn well what I’m doing.
“Stealing your soul,” I tease. He gives me that lopsided grin, and I snap another picture.
“Too late, that happened a while ago.”
“Okay, smooth talker, you ready for a little ride?” I’ve walked Isabella around the arena a few times by her lead and taught him all the basic commands. He seems comfortable in the saddle, and she’s used to inexperienced riders, so I have faith he will do great on his own.
“What do I get if I pass the test?” He eyes me as I grab Scooby’s reins and put my foot in the stirrup.
“This isn’t a test. It’s supposed to be fun.” I haul myself up and throw my leg over the saddle. Rafe lets out a soft curse. When I click my tongue, Scooby starts walking and Isabella follows.
“It’s moving!” Rafe exclaims, and I nearly giggle at how animated his voice is. I watched him stare down a group of guys, ready to take them all on, but a horse as sweet as can be scares him.
I slow so he can catch up and Isabella can amble next to me. We’re already halfway around the arena at this point. “It’s not so bad, right?”
“If you say so,” he mumbles.
“If you want to stop, just let me know,” I tell him while watching his profile. Rafe glances at me quickly but returns his gaze forward as if he needs to steer.
“It’s fine.” His words are a little tight, but I think he’s just focusing.
“My mom signed over the ranch to me and is moving out,” I divulge. One, to get his mind off what he’s doing, and two, because I want to share it with him.
“She is?” He looks over at me again, longer this time.
“She is,” I confirm. “There are so many things changing so fast. I feel like my head’s spinning.”
Fuck,she just told me the biggest obstacle standing between us is removing itself. I haven’t thought about how I would get rid of her mother in a long while. Truth be told, I just figured I’d eventually have to kill her, but this is even better than I could have hoped for. She doesn’t seem so bad now that I’ve met her, and I really don’t even want to kill her. She actually seemed like she was encouraging me to be with Lucy.
I still can’t forgive her for what she allowed Lucy to do though. Didn’t you do the same thing, allowing those fuckers’ eyes all over her?I shake my head. I don’t like thinking we might be similar in any way.
“You wanted the ranch, right?” I can’t understand why this seems to bother her. Her mom won’t be a burden anymore.
“Yes, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She looks at the wall of the barn like there’s something other than some wood and metal to see. “I guess I thought she would always need me after the accident.”
