“I guess I have to,” I answered, trying to keep a smile off my face.
“I get to show off a new horse and a new girl. I am going to be the luckiest man at that rodeo,” he said.
“Tell me about it,” I said, punching his arm.
He just took a step closer and threw that arm around my shoulders as we walked back to the stable with the saddles.
Another moment of physical comfort, and it didn’t feel as uncomfortable as I expected. This time Riley had sought to touch me in a moment of excitement and gratitude, it wasn’t pity.
His arm was warm on my bare shoulders. My spaghetti-strap top had done nothing to provide my shoulders with warmth. That’s why I picked it, too; this heat was brutal.
“Are you going out with me tonight?” he asked.
“Not tonight,” I told him with a smile. “Ask again tomorrow,” I added, mocking a lucky eight ball.
“You know I will,” he said. “What are your plans tonight?”
“I’m probably going to watch Netflix or something,” I answered.
“Are you up for company?” he asked me.
“Only if you bring the food,” I teased.
“Consider that done,” he said.
“Give me an hour or two,” I told him.
“Sure, see you later,” he said as we split off to go our own separate ways.
I got into my trailer and took a deep breath to squash my nerves. Riley and I were in diapers together, and he had never quite had this effect on me. But now that we weren’t at odds and hurling insults, I liked the guy. I didn’t want to, I wanted to hold onto some shred of anger to protect my heart, but his presence shredded my defenses. He busted through them like a bronco through the gates, and I was hanging onto the saddle for dear life.
Riley Reys was going to break my heart by the time this was over, but like a race I knew I would lose, I would enjoy this excitement while it lasted.
I jumped in the shower to wash the smell of sweat and horses off. I took my time conditioning my hair and shaving my legs. I used my best-smelling body wash. It smelled like apple cider and cinnamon.
After my shower, I put on a cozy off-the-shoulder sweater and leggings. I dried my hair into loose curls and then pulled it up into a ponytail. The long hair hung in ringlets down my back and over my exposed shoulder. The baby hairs around my face framed it perfectly.
I didn’t bother with any make-up. I knew Riley would recognize the effort that it took, and he might read too much into it.
He might have asked for me to be his fake girlfriend because he might not want a relationship after all of this was said and done. Sure, we seemed to flirt now, but with our past, he might have thought there was no danger of me pursuing him for a real relationship. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t put in the extra effort and broadcast my easily swayed thoughts. I wasn’t desperate after all.
I had just finished picking up the mess inside my trailer when there was a knock on the door. I checked my breath and was satisfied that it wouldn’t knock him out.
I opened the door and was hit with a blinding smile.
“You clean up well, honeybee,” he said.
There were those butterflies again.
“Thanks. Come inside before I decide to shut this door in your face,” I told him with a smile of my own.
I stood to the side while Riley walked up the stairs, brushing past my front. We were chest to chest. The contact sent a shiver up my spine.
He was holding a container of food, and when he opened it, I was hit with the smell of tacos. My stomach growled, and Riley’s smile showed that he heard it.
“I like tacos. Is that a crime?” I asked.
“No, but learn to feed yourself. No wonder your body looks the way it does. You never eat,” he said teasingly.
