“Baby, if this is a coma, then never wake me up.”
“Your lines have gotten much worse, Colt.”
“What can I say? You inspire me.”
She threw her arms around him and gave him a big kiss for his efforts. “I thought we were going for a ride.”
“Not if you keep touching me like this.”
“Okay, I really want to go. I think I’m getting pretty good at it now.” After that mortifying fall on her first ride, she’d decided to practice in the arena. He’d watched her several times and she was picking up on it fast.
“I won’t be the only one to say this, but if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” He led her to Bluegrass, whom he’d already saddled.
She gave the mare a treat and petted her nose for a moment before climbing up effortlessly. “I’m getting quite fond of her,” she said as she rubbed the horse’s neck.
“I think she likes you, too,” Colt replied as he climbed on his black stallion. Then the two of them were off, not in a hurry but enjoying the peaceful afternoon.
After about an hour of riding, sometimes spent chatting and sometimes in companionable silence, Colt said, “We’ll stop here.” Jumping from his horse and walking over to a favorite spot of his that boasted huge shade trees overlooking a full stream, swift and smooth, he spread out a blanket.
“I have to admit that this is almost like a postcard,” Brielle said as she sat astride her horse and looked at the crystal-clear water, not quite ready to get down.
He walked back over to her. “That’s one of the things I love best about Montana. There are so many areas that are unspoiled. Though the land is worked hard, it replenishes itself and stays pure.”
When she climbed down from the horse, sliding against Colt, she wobbled as she hit the ground. This had been a longer ride than she was used to, and her muscles were going to be screaming at her tomorrow. Their gazes locked together and Colt forgot all about the food he’d craved just a moment earlier. Whenever he touched her, the conclusion was inevitable.
As Colt’s lips moved gently across hers and his tongue played with hers, he was lost in another world, a world free of stress, a place only lovers could meet.
Several heartbeats later he pulled back, and the protest in her eyes sent a thrill through him. “I’d better feed you,” Colt said with a chuckle as her stomach rumbled.
“I hope you brought something worth eating.”
“Don’t get me started, sweetheart. But of course I did. Every cowboy knows you don’t go riding without good food in the saddlebags. You never know when you could get stuck.”
“Stuck?”
“It doesn’t happen very often, but when you stray too far from home base, things do occur.”
He watched as she tested out her legs, made her way over to the blanket and sat down, waiting for him to unpack the goodies.
At her first bite of the juicy chicken he’d brought, she grinned. “Oh my, this is good.”
“My cook is the best,” he said.
His words stopped her from taking her next bite.
“Your cook? What?”
He felt his cheeks heat, and then he hated himself when Brielle looked apologetic.
“Ignore me. The cook is great,” she said with a nervous laugh.
He knew she was thinking that he’d just messed up on his wording. She was assuming that the food came from the cook who prepared meals for the ranch hands. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to tell her all, but the words didn’t come out, and then the moment was gone.
It was ridiculous. This was the right time. She was happy, in love, and ready to hear the truth, but no matter how he tried to talk himself into it, he couldn’t say what he needed to say.
Brielle didn’t notice his sudden silence — she was too busy enjoying their lunch and gazing out into the peaceful water. Maybe if she’d pushed him, he would have told her, but he didn’t know. It was past time. But she wouldn’t be too upset, he assured himself. Fine. Tomorrow for sure. He just didn’t want to ruin their day.
That was what he told himself to make things better, at least for himself.
Chapter Thirty-Two
After parking her rusted pickup truck, Brielle looked back at it and tried to decide whether she had just a little fondness for it now that she’d come to terms with this country town.
Nope.
She now loved the town, but she still hated the truck. Oddly enough, it felt better that at least that much hadn’t changed. Something about her hadn’t made a dramatic transformation. Not that she minded what had. She felt as if she were just getting to know herself — and like herself.
Stepping into the salon on the small main street, she smiled broadly. It had been months since she’d had a pedicure and it was long overdue. Considering how much she’d been working, she felt not an ounce of guilt about an hour of pampering.
Brielle greeted the petite brunette in the salon with a cheerful good morning.
“You must be Brielle,” the woman said with a sparkle in her eyes. “I’m so glad to meet you. I’ve only been in town a month, and the way people gossip here, I feel as if I already know you. I’m Kendra Canyon.”
“It’s great to meet you, too, Kendra. Yes. People do love to gossip here. At first I was a little horrified at having all my business splashed up like the front page of a newspaper or even the National Enquirer, but I’m getting used to it now.” Brielle followed Kendra to a massaging chair that was already prepared for her pedicure.
“Take a seat, Brielle, and we’ll get started. We can fill each other in on any and all gossip either one of us hasn’t heard yet.”
“It’s been too long since I’ve had this done,” Brielle said as she sat back and hit a button to make the chair start massaging the aching muscles in her lower back.
“That’s just tragic. You have to come see me regularly. I’ve been so busy lately, though, that I’ve just put out an ad for a couple of employees. It’s great, but I figured when I bought this place that it would be a little slow. I was afraid at first, thinking I wouldn’t be able to make enough money to survive. I was proved wrong the first week.” Kendra filled the basin with water and scented salts and then had Brielle slide her small feet in.
Another sigh escaped as the hot water soothed her feet.
“What made you move here, Kendra?” Brielle asked, although almost too relaxed to speak.