Page 49 of Love Me Fearless

He shrugs. “I read a story in a magazine. It sounded fun.”

“Most of the time it’s a lot of hurry up and wait around,” I say as a thought soars to the surface of my thoughts. Hutch is a volunteer,too. I’m about to ask if Chris was on the search team for Marin, but of course he was back in Idaho Falls, working.

“Aunt Tracy says you love horses,” he says. “Do you ride often?”

I’m relieved to be moving away from the topic of search and rescue. “I’m helping a friend care for hers right now. Someday I’d like to have my own.”

“What’s stopping you?” He pops the last of his scone into his mouth.

“I’ve been pretty focused on getting my practice up and running, but this summer, I might start looking for space in a community barn.”

“Why not keep a horse where you live?”

“I’m just renting in town right now.”

He nods. “My neighbor has a couple of horses.”

“Do you ride?”

“No. I’ve always wanted to try it, though,” he says, sipping his coffee. “I love hiking, so I’d think I’d like riding a horse too.”

Offering to take him riding is on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t exactly bring Chris to Moonbeam Farm with Hutch around.

Though why can’t I? Louisa would love nothing more than to recruit one more horse lover into her orbit.

Would Hutch bring someone to the farm?

That throbbing in my skull moves in behind my eyes.

I realize we’re sitting in silence and bring my cup to my lips to drain the last of my coffee.

“I have tickets to the summer symphony series,” Chris says, brushing crumbs into his palm and dumping them into his empty mug. “Have you been?”

“A couple of times, yes. They’re lovely.”

“Would you like to go sometime? They’re usually on Thursday evenings. The first one is in a couple of weeks.”

My eye sockets give a hard ache and my chest feels hollow. In a couple of weeks, will Hutch be back in Florida?

“Sounds fun,” I manage because there is no logical reason that Ishould turn Chris down. He’s smart and articulate and cute in a nerdy way that I’m totally good with. So far no red flags, no obvious flaws, and I like his easy laugh. And he seems to like me.

By the time the concert comes around, I will have had the time I obviously need to pull my head out of the clouds and my libido out of the gutter.

“Great,” Chris says, beaming.

We bus our table and walk to the door. Chris holds it open for me. As I’m looking back to thank him, a car door slamming across the street pulls at my attention.

I lock eyes with Hutch standing at the back of the farm truck loaded with cut flowers. Of course—Sunday is delivery day to several floral shops in town. My tummy flutters and my face gets hot.

He arches an eyebrow.

I spin away and smile at Chris, who must have said goodbye because he’s looking at me expectantly.

“Thank you again for coffee,” I say.

“My pleasure,” he says with a smile, then turns the corner.

I force my feet to continue straight ahead and across the street to my car. By the time I get inside, Hutch is gone. I’ve lost track of Chris, too.

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