Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 13485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 67(@200wpm)___ 54(@250wpm)___ 45(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 67(@200wpm)___ 54(@250wpm)___ 45(@300wpm)
My heart twists. She’s pretty.
“Listen.” My voice sounds like gravel as I look down at her, thumbing her chin. “I wanna lay you down so bad I wanna die. But I don’t want you to regret anything.”
An indent appears between her brows. “Are you turning me down, Weston Jessup?”
“I’m taking my time. A lot’s happened tonight. Think on it, and if you still wanna . . .” I glide my thumb over her lips. “Then we will, in the morning.”
She lets out a chuckle. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Serious about us? Hell yes.”
A pause as she searches my face. At last she sighs, leaning her head against my chest. “Fine. Will you meet me in the pasture, then? Sunrise?”
It’s a rush, remembering all the times we met on horseback in the southwest pasture on my family’s property to watch the sun come up.
“You need me to tack up a horse for you?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Good old Peaches is still kicking. Easy enough for me to load her up in a trailer.”
Peaches is the chestnut quarter horse Josie’s been riding for as long as I’ve known her.
“Can I call it a date?” I ask.
Biting her lip, her eyes trail over my face. “It’s a date.”
I can’t sleep.
Too wound up after spending the rest of the night dancing with Josie and all our friends.
It killed me not to throw her over my shoulder and toss her in the front seat of my truck after we left the Rattler. But I wanna do this right.
So I spend the night tossing and turning like the horny, lovesick idiot I am. When four o’clock rolls around, I finally throw off the covers. Grab a quick shower, then fill a thermos with freshly brewed coffee.
I may or may not toss a flask of reposado tequila in my saddlebag, just because I can. My best friend is getting married today, isn’t he? We have to celebrate.
It’s still mostly dark when I ride out to the pasture. Not like I mind. This is my favorite time of day. It’s quiet. Not exactly cool, but the temperature is the coolest it’ll be all day. No one’s around to bug me for anything yet.
I see Josie approaching just as the first hint of orange breaks over the horizon. I smile, my skin tightening at just how good she looks in the saddle.
Girl hasn’t missed a beat. Her posture is straight, reins in one hand. But her hips roll in time to Peaches’s steady walk.
She’s also wearing a Stetson. White, just like the T-shirt that clings to her like a second skin.
Watching her come to me, I can’t breathe.
“Mornin’.” She nods at my own hat. “That’s a new one.”
“Been saving it for a special occasion.” She’s close enough that I can reach out to tap the brim of hers. “I like this.”
“Thought you might.”
“Coffee first? Or you wanna ride?”
Her eyes sparkle. “What kind of girl do you think I am, Wes?”
I grin. “You always were an excellent rider.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You’re killin’ me. Let’s ride.”
Urging our horses into a trot, we head for the horizon, breaking into an all-out run once we reach a flat stretch by the river. Josie’s expression is downright gleeful as we race toward the rising sun.
She plays dirty. Swerving. Cutting me off. She’s laughing as she does it and so am I. Real belly laughs that tickle my sides and leave me breathless.
By the time we draw to a stop beneath a pair of soaring oak trees, my sides ache and so does my chest.
“Feels real good to do that again,” I say as I pour her some coffee. We’re sitting on the picnic blanket I brought, the lowing of cows filling the air.
Her fingers brush mine as she takes the coffee. “Nothing in the world compares to that ride—and that view.” She nods at the sun.
The sky is alive, glowing in shades of yellow, pink, red.
“But there is a bigger world out there.” I choose my words carefully, rotating my own cup in my hands. “One I’d like to see more of.”
Josie looks up at me, eyes wide. “Would you really? Come with me this time?”
“Are you asking me to?”
She laughs. “No. Yes. I . . . well.” She blinks. “I’m heading to the West Coast next week. I know y’all probably have tons of hay to cut—”
“I’m in.”
She blinks again. “What?”
“We hired a new guy on the ranch. Does a little bit of everything, just like me.”
“Wait.” Her voice wavers. “You—”
“Yup. Been saving up my pennies so I can go part-time. Jake—that’s his name, nice dude—he’s gonna take over a lot of the stuff I do on the ranch. Told my family I wanted to spread my wings and follow you, because I love you, and I love making music with you.”
She stares at me.