Page 41 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"Let's check out the horses," Andrew told Colin. "And don't worry, ladies, we will get the slowest horse we can find for Lauren and the fastest horse we can find for you, Harper."

"Perfect," Harper said. "I like a wilder ride."

Both Colin and Andrew laughed at her words, and I couldn't help but smile. Harper was far better at flirting and having a provocative personality than I was, which meant she'd be good to have on the trail ride. She was friendly and outgoing and a good representative for the hotel. Colin was also charming and a good talker. Add Andrew into that mix, and I might not have to say much at all, which would be good since I'd probably be hanging onto the reins and praying that I didn't fall off the horse.

"Don't you hate horseback riding?" Harper asked when we were alone. "I've tried to get you to go with me several times, and you've always told me you'd rather jump off a cliff than get on a horse."

"I didn't have a choice," I said with a sigh. "I'm trying not to get too worked up about it."

"You shouldn't. It will be fun."

"It looks like you and Colin are getting along well."

"Very well," Harper said, sending me a happy smile. "My slump with men might be over."

"That's good to hear."

"Colin is going to spend the week here, so we'll have some time to get to know each other."

"I thought he was leaving on Tuesday with Jay."

"Jay is staying, too, but the woman he brought with him left this morning. Jay didn't seem unhappy to see her go. In fact, I think he might have a little crush on Allison. They were huddled together for a while before Andrew arrived."

I frowned. "You were with Allison? I thought she was working on designs for the hillside villas."

"She mentioned something about that. I think she's going up there this afternoon to look at one of the units. She asked Andrew if he wanted to come, but he said he was tied up here, and that's when he invited Colin and me to come along. You know I love horses. And I thought you might like a friend."

"Are we back to being friends?" I couldn't help asking.

She gave me a sheepish look. "If I didn't completely blow it yesterday. I don't know what was wrong with me. Everything about the wedding bugged me. I felt so envious, and I couldn't seem to shake it. I was a bad bridesmaid, and I am sorry about that. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."

Harper's apology seemed sincere and heartfelt. And it wasn't like she'd done anything that terrible beyond a few snippy comments here and there. I didn't believe she'd vandalized the suite, not just because she wouldn't do that, but also because she'd been more interested in getting to know Colin than ruining my wedding night.

"We're good," I said.

"Great." She blew out a breath of relief. "I want us to be friends, especially since Colin and I are getting closer. I think I could really like him, Lauren."

I was happy to see the light back in her eyes, but inwardly, I felt a little wary of their relationship because of Colin's close friendship with Andrew. I didn't want anything to get messy between the four of us. But I could hardly deny her a chance at love when she'd supported me—well, tried to support me, anyway.

"Are you okay with that?" Harper asked, reading my silence with some concern.

"Sure. Absolutely. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"Well, it's only been a day, so we'll see how happy I can be. But Colin is very cool. He likes to travel, and he has been to so many places. I love listening to his stories. When he goes to a new city, he said he always tries to find a hidden gem of a restaurant, something off the beaten path where no tourists go. He told me about this amazing place in Paris that he discovered a few months ago. He said he had a crepe to die for. He painted such a picture of that trip; I felt like booking a plane ticket when he was done."

As Harper rambled on about Colin and crepes, my mind kept running one word back and forth—Paris. "Did Colin go to Paris with friends?" I asked when she finally took a breath.

"He said Allison was there. I don't know who else. Why?"

"No reason."

"You don't like her, do you?" Harper asked, giving me a knowing look. "She's a little too pretty and too friendly with Andrew."

"I don't want to talk about her, and it looks like our horses might be ready to go."

As Andrew waved to us, we walked toward the barn. He gave me a confident smile when we joined him and Colin. "I have the perfect horse for you, Lauren. Her name is Sally, and she's that beautiful gray mare who, according to the stable hand, is very calm, easygoing, and will not be difficult to ride. If anything, she'll go too slow."

"Slow is good," I said as Andrew led me over to the horse.

---