I’mmelting.
The ride is smooth yet refreshingly .?.?. gritty. I cling to the saddle horn, my knuckles white as we pick up speed.
“Where’s your cart?” he asks.
“Left it with Jake. He said he needed to .?.?. tune it or something.” I don’t tell him that Ginger basically ordered the boy to change the tires on that thing so I can ride through town.
Wilder’s quiet for a moment, and I wonder if he bought it. Can you even tune a golf cart?
“Thought you called it a day and went home,” I say, breaking the silence. And also to find out where he’s been the lastfew hours. If maybe he’s keeping his distance because of what happened in the Saddle Room earlier.
“I don’t call it a day until everyone else does.”
I frown. “How do you manage that?”
“It’s my ranch. My staff. Dallas and I tend to do a sweep. I usually check the livestock, storage, closures, all for safety. He’d check on the staff. Make sure no one’s over-worked, that the night crew is well rested and prepared.”
“Now you do both?”
“Now I do both.”
I consider this for a moment. “So this is what, my courtesy ride? Are you on patrol?”
There’s a beat before he answers. “No. I came lookin’ for you.”
My heart skips but quickly fades when I remember how he warned me to try to keep up on my first day.
I hum. “Don’t worry, boss. I got it all done.”
“Thanks,” he mutters. “Sorry I didn’t give you a chance to fix things earlier.”
Warmth spreads through me at his apology. It almost tells me that he didn’t just do it because I was being a brat about it, but that he realized I could.
I shrug. “You did.” Then, because I know why he was so adamant about doing it himself, I ask, “I made some people real angry today, didn’t I?”
“Nah. These guys aren’t like that. It’s just that things are a little rocky here these days and I don’t want to give them a reason to doubt us. Our integrity.”
I frown, wanting to ask him how I can help more, but am thrown off when he pulls up to the beautiful cottage.
He hops off and holds out his hand for me. “What are we doing back here?”
“This is where you’re staying,” he says, like it’s obvious.
“Wilder.”
“Cabin four is no longer available,” he says tightly. “You’re stayinghere.”
I suck in a breath and hold it as he lowers me off the horse. I’m on fire until he lets go—almost too quickly—and turns toward the house.
I follow and race to beat him to the door, then twist to face him, blocking his entrance. “I can stay with my brother.”
“Rose.”
“Wilder, I .?.?.”
His hands are back on my hips like he can’t help himself. Like he’s been itching to touch me since he stopped.
Thiscan’tbe all in my head.
