Page 43 of Just One Summer with the Grumpy

Chase gave my hand a squeeze. “Preparations for Ty and Veronica’s rehearsal dinner don’t begin until noon tomorrow. That’s enough time for a short trail ride together.” He avoided my gaze. “Say, around eight? That is, if you want.”

As sweet as the offer was, it came from the wrong mouth. I couldn’t invest in a fake relationship with the one that mattered most at risk. I’d come so far and made so many plans, yet Ty couldn’t even express his feelings so our relationship could get where we needed it to be. Why was the man so infuriating?

“Nobody would see us together on a trail ride, Chase,” I reminded him.

He frowned a bit, so I plunged on.

“It sounds like fun, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that the books and the horses and all that—I don’t get the point when everything will be back to normal in a few days.”

He gave me a long look from behind his dark sunglasses. I couldn’t quite read the expression there, but I could sense his disapproval. I’d definitely said something to offend him, or at the very least, hurt him a little.

I was about to apologize when he released my hand. Not meeting my gaze, he said, “I forgot to tell the tour guide something. I’ll see you at the end.”

Then he walked away.

TWENTY

The next morning,I went to the stables at eight, hoping to get the chance to apologize. When Chase didn’t show, I saddled an old Appaloosa gelding named Tennyson and rode him around the corral for a few minutes before finally giving up. My heart simply wasn’t in it today. Riding made me miss home and Rosie more than ever. I longed for the familiarity of my loft bed.

I longed for Chase.

Our agreement didn’t end until Ty’s wedding in three days, yet I’d managed to insult him and drive away any last moments we could have enjoyed together. The fact that it had probably been for the best didn’t help.

I went the office only to find my mind wandering, refusing to focus on work. After twenty minutes of trying, I grabbed the Magic 8 ball again and shook it as hard as I could without launching it across the room.

“Am I pursuing the wrong guy?” I snapped, and turned it over to watch the window.

The words appeared immediately.My sources say no.

I groaned and tossed it back into its drawer before pulling up my horoscope app, determined to get at least a hint of something that resonated with my heart.

“In times of doubt, you must cling to what you know is right,” the little bubble said. “Don’t let outside forces distract you from your goal.”

I wanted to punch something at this point. Clearly I wasn’t in the right headspace to be cross-checking bride champagne choices against inventory lists, so I left the office and headed back to my cozy bungalow.

With three hours left until I needed to arrive at the kitchen, I grabbed the remote and turned to the most reliable source of comfort in my life—Cavil McNeil. A few clicks and I let myself relax into the sofa. It had been weeks since I’d seen my favorite movie, which meant I was long overdue for another movie binge. It wouldn’t quite be the same without Bridget here, but hey. Where else to watch an old black-and-white western than three hundred yards away from a beautiful beach?

I lost myself in the man of my dreams, the tough-guy essence of him and his partially shaved chin and razor-sliced jawline. His deep bass voice filled my living room and my chest and my very soul. The best part? The way he looked at Samantha when she walked into the tavern—as if he’d just found the woman who made his life complete. And they hadn’t even spoken a word to each other.

Yet minutes later, they kissed behind the saloon because the romantic tension was so intense that everyone in the entire bar felt it.

They just didn’t make men like that anymore. They didn’t makeromanceslike that anymore. That magic, that instant connection? A thing of the past. Men didn’t express themselves like that these days. Such vulnerability. Such charisma. Such…I don’t know,knowing what they wanted.And to be on the receiving end of a conversation like that? Samantha didn’t understand how good she—

A knock sounded at the door.

I sat bolt upright. Only two people knew I lived here, and I doubted Agwe would have come by when he could just as easily text. That left only one possibility.

“Just a minute,” I called, sweeping the coffee table trash into my hand and shoving it into my pockets. Throwing a dark glance at the messy kitchen, I hurried to the door and yanked it open.

Chase stood there…in faded jeans and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway to his elbow.

He lookedgood.

Like, Cavil McNeil good. But without the hat shading his eyes. Or the cowboy boots.

Chase cleared his throat, and I realized I’d just been looking him up and down for a good five seconds.

“Hi,” I said, fixing my gaze firmly on his.There you go, Daphne. Eyes on the prize…er, eyes. I definitely meant eyes. “Did you need something?”

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