I crank up the air conditioner in the car. Maybe it’ll help with her lingering scent. The last thing I need is to smell Joey in my car long after she leaves.
“Or…I don’t know. What do cowboys like in thanks?”
“Why are you thanking me?” I ask.
“You keep rescuing me.”
“I’d be a shit person if I ignored a person stranded on the side of the road.”
Joey scoffs. “You saved my date the other night.”
“You mean the one that never showed?”
“Don’t bad things always happen in threes?” she asks. “Maybe I need to listen to Serena and get some sage. She might have been on to something.”
“Or you could be looking for trouble where none is to make her prediction true.”
Joey spins on her seat. “Does that mean you’ve gotten a reading?”
I laugh. “She gives you a reading whether you want to or not. She told me that I was going to fall off a horse, bang my head, and meet my true love in one week.”
“And?”
“And what?” I eye her before passing under the gateway to the ranch.
“Men. Always need to be led to water. Did you meet someone?”
I shake my head. “Can’t say that any of it happened.”
“Too bad,” she says, still eyeing me. “Well, I don’t want to take any chances.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be okay, darlin’.”
As we pull up to the ranch, instead of bypassing the main road to head straight to the barns, I follow the scenic path to the lodge.
“I really do owe you one, Sam.”
Joey unclicks her seatbelt as I put the truck in park in front of the long, wooden walkway that welcomes guests to The Lost Spur.
“You don’t owe me anything. I can help you get your car towed if you need it.”
She shakes her head, getting out of the truck and slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I can take care of it tonight. While I search for gift baskets for cowboys.”
I burst out laughing. “Not needed.”
“We’ll see.” She winks at me. “I need good karma so nothing else chaotic happens.”
“I’ll see ya.” I tip my hat to her as she shuts the door. “Or maybe I won’t. I might want to stay away from the chaos.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I wave her off as I head back to the barn. For once, I don’t allow myself to think of how dumb kissing Joey was and relish in howgoodit felt. I didn’t feel weighed down with expectations or a long list of to-dos.
I felt like me. Something I haven’t felt in God knows how long. All because of a damn good kiss. Better than anything I’ve experienced in a long time.
If only Joey and I were two different people and could act on these feelings.
If only…
