Page 36 of Finding Chloe

I was bound to melt into a puddle for an entirely different reason. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

His eyebrows furrowed, and he turned his gaze away. “I don’t. You should know, Chloe, I don’t have a lot of experience with women.”

“What do you mean?” I turned to him, tablet and map completely forgotten, grateful everyone else had wandered in other directions.

“I put so much focus on my riding growing up, I didn’t have much time for girls. I had a girlfriend here and there, but nothing serious. Spending time with someone who didn’t understand me didn’t seem appealing, so I let riding be my number one priority.” Kyle palmed the back of his neck.

I hated seeing him even the tiniest bit stressed. And it seemed like admitting this was a big deal to him.

“Has that changed?” I stepped into Kyle’s space and lay my hand on his bicep, letting him know I appreciated his candor.

His hands dropped to my hips, and he snuggled me in closer. “It’s definitely starting to.”

I went up on my toes, wrapping my arms around his neck, and kissed him.

A wolf whistle had me jumping away. I couldn’t tell who had whistled, but it brought me to the present and reminded me I had a reason for being out here other than to make out with all the guys.

“Will you show me more of the property?” I grabbed Kyle’s hand, and he smiled.

“Sure.” He led me to the other side of the trees then went over what he thought could be a possibility for the ceremony. He had a point—the line of trees gave some privacy to the far side, which worked well for putting the dressing tents behind them. He led me to an outlook that was gorgeous as a backdrop for the photos.

Kyle really had an eye for details. I was thrilled with the prospects and couldn’t wait to get everything underway. When I left, Matt, Hunter, and Kyle said they would be finished by the end of the day, so I planned on stopping by tomorrow to take updated photos of the space.

“You guys are way too filthy and tired from working today. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” I gave each one of them a kiss, which ended up being a contest ofwho could give Chloe a better farewell. I didn’t mind the competition, but I really hoped it wouldn’t be like this all the time.

“Tomorrow. I know all of you are free. Let’s get together.” I left no room for argument as I shut the car door and waved. None of them seemed super excited, but I wanted to see how they handled being together in a different environment. Matt said he would keep an open mind, but I had the feeling they were all competing to win me.

CHLOE

Cooking.

That was what the girls told me to do. Plan a dinner where we all have to cook. It was some sort of bonding exercise. But Jessie had suggested it, and I trusted her. She even volunteered her kitchen for us to use. She would be having dinner with the Kingstons at their place, so I had the house to myself.

I gathered supplies from the dining hall and Jessie’s kitchen to make chicken primavera. Jessie’s idea. I’d never actually made it myself, but I guess that was supposed to be the point. All of us cooking together and coming up with something.

While I waited for the guys to arrive, I settled on the couch. Twenty minutes later, the heavy pounding on the door drew my focus from the latest romance novel I had Lacey pick up for me. When I told Holly and Lacey all the details, Lacey said I needed to read a few books for research. She picked out a few with three, five, and even ten guys with their girl. I didn’t think the ten-guy one was going to be any help, so I started with the three. At least if things got serious, I’d be prepared.

I was immediately hit by the warm spring air when I opened the door to find Matt, Kyle, and Hunter. Stepping to the side,I let them enter, each one giving me a quick kiss. “Make yourselves at home. We don’t have to start dinner right away,” I said as I made my way to the living room. “How was everyone’s day today?” I nestled on the cushion I’d just abandoned. My book was safely stashed in the side table.

“Good,” all three said at the same time.

“Well that tells me everything,” I laughed. “Does anyone actually want to share what they did?”

Kyle was the first to jump in. I knew I could count on him to be the first to offer a snapshot of his day. “Sapphire and I went around the event course with Liam and Grace. We found a few spots that needed to be cleaned from the storm last month. We marked what needed to be refreshed. I think after the wedding we’re all going to go out and paint and repair a lot of the jumps.”

“That sounds like fun.” I smiled. Over the past few days, I noticed Kyle almost instinctively knew what I needed. He may be a little shy, but he was extremely sensitive and giving compared to the other two.

“We had a few deliveries today, so I was reorganizing the hayloft and unloading.” Matt shrugged.

“When’s the next time you get to go out and see the herd?”

“Next week. You still coming with me?”

“Absolutely. I can’t wait.” I smiled but noticed Hunter grimace from where he sat in the armchair. “What’s wrong, Hunter?”

“I don’t want you getting hurt out there. You never know what to expect with those longhorns.” Hunter rubbed his neck.

“She’ll be fine. We aren’t herding them down. Just checking on a few things. We’ll probably bring a few things for whichever team is camping out. She’s a good rider. She can handle it.”

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