Page 21 of Extreme Romancing in Idaho

I stopped walking and took a sharp breath. My cursor blinked, waiting for my typed response. I couldn’t put him off again, or he’d for sure move on to someone else. Remi took advantage of my hesitation, snatched my phone, and ran to the far end of the barn, typing the whole time.

“Hey, give that back.” I chased after him.

“This is part of our deal.”

His thumb stopped moving across my screen in one decisive movement. I jumped, stretching for my phone, but Remi stood on his tiptoes, holding it out of my reach.

“Really?” I stopped trying to get my phone and put my hands on my hips. He was more annoying than Jared. Considering, I grew up with my brother constantly torturing me, that was saying something. “You’re so childish.” How could one human drive me this crazy?

“Relax.” Remi returned his attention to my screen, scanned it, and began typing again. “Do you think I’m going to sabotage your relationship?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

Remi was as persistent as the scum in the grout lines in my shower. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn’t get rid of it.

“There. All fixed.” He handed me my phone.

I skimmed through the messages. “Wait. We can’t FaceTime until Friday? Why?”

“There are a few reasons for my madness.”

Here we go again.I shifted my weight to my other foot.

“Number one: Men are more attracted to unavailable women. If you always make yourself free, he’ll lose interest.”

On the flip side of that, if I never became available, he’d find another woman more willing to be with him.

Remi continued to list. “Number two: We’ll have time to prepare for the first face-to-face meeting.”

Like I needed that much preparation.

“Number three: You have to go on at least one extreme sports adventure before you talk to Smoot. The best way to lie to someone is to make the lie a truth.”

“Then it’s not lying.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you always make lists when you talk?” I lowered my eyebrows at him.

“The reasons I make lists when I talk are—Number one: It lessens miscommunication …”

Balling my hands into fists by my sides, I jerked my thumb at the stable. “Whatever. Just clean the stall.”

Mae swung her head between Remi and me. She tossed her tail up and down and whinnied while Remi droned on.

“Number two: I get to emphasize my words with my fingers.” He held up two fingers.

I picked up the pitchfork he dropped, walked until I stood in front of him, and stabbed it into the ground.

He gripped the handle, meeting my narrowed eyes. “Number three: Lists help me stay on top of …” His gaze traveled the length of my body, searing into me. “… things.”

I shook my head at him and his seedy implications and dug into my pocket for my slip of paper. “Here’s a list for you.” I shoved the list of chores I’d made for him into his palm, then left him with the opportunity to become intimately close to my horse’s manure.

Chapter 7

Remi

“Numberfour!”Iyelledat Angie’s retreating back, crumpling the paper she set in my hand, and shoving it into my pants pocket.

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