Page 36 of Rough Ride

“Well, there’s this thing that runs the world,” Johnny explained. “It’s green, and takes a lot of work to earn. You’ve got a pocket full of it right now.”

“Money,” I said with a laugh.

He nodded and ate another spoonful. “Land’s expensive, especially in Colorado. I’ve been savin’ up for a while, but property values keep going up. Feels like I’m chasin’ down a runaway horse that keeps gettin’ farther away.”

“It’s not much better here. Homes in Fort Worth are twice as expensive as they were just a few years ago. But that’s why it’s a dream. Something to hope for, even if it’s unlikely.”

“Good point. What’re your dreams, Sky Eyes?”

His nickname for me sent a happy little shiver up my spine. I normally hated it when random guys invented a nickname for me, but it felt more genuine coming from Johnny. Personal and intimate, and not just a line he was using to get in a girl’s pants.

“Who says I have dreams?” I replied.

He turned his head to face me as we walked. “Everyone has dreams.”

“Maybe I don’t.”

Johnny stared at me a few seconds, then returned to focusing on his ice cream. “I don’t want to pry, especially if you aren’t interested in chatting. But an hour ago at Billy Bob’s, you told me you’re used to pushing people away. You seemed like you wanted to buck that trend. I won’t push, and I definitely don’t want to go shot-for-shot with you to get you to open up. But I hope youwillbuck that trend.”

Damnit. He was right.

And deep down, Iwantedto open up to him, just as I had at the bar last night while we traded shots of real—and fake—whiskey.

“I want to have a homestead of my own,” I said.

Johnny blinked, like he was surprised I had answered. “Oh?”

“I want to buy a little plot of land and get away from the city. I don’t need a lot of space, just enough to keep some chickens, and a garden. Maybe a cow, so I can have fresh milk and butter. Don’t get me wrong, I love Fort Worth. It’s the perfect little city. But it’s still a city. When I dream about the future, I dream aboutpeace. I want to close my eyes and hear silence—not car horns, or traffic, or people arguing in the apartment next to mine. I want to sit in a rocking chair on my porch with a mug of coffee and stare off in the distance, with nothing between me and the horizon but open land.”

I sighed heavily, like the admission had taken physical effort. But once it was out, it felt good to have said it. I hadn’t told anyone about my dream for the future. Not even Liz.

When I chanced a glance over at Johnny, I found him smiling at me in approval. “That’s a damn fine dream.”

“Still just a dream,” I replied, patting my pocket. “No matter how much I earn in tips, it’ll probably stay that way.”

“Life sucks sometimes,” Johnny said sadly. “Ice cream helps!”

Dusty looked over his shoulder at me, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he made sure we were still going the right way. I reached down to scratch him on the head, then said, “Sorry if I was kind of an asshole to you and Eli.”

“Never apologize for being an asshole to Eli,” Johnny said, popping the remains of his cone into his mouth. “But you already apologized to me.”

“My default position is to act like a bitch to every cowboy I see.”

He immediately shook his head. “You werenota bitch. You were kind of an asshole, but it was well deserved, since we were flirting with you while you were working. I normally don’t do that.”

“Then why’d you hit on me?” I asked.

Staring straight ahead, he shrugged. “You were worth making an exception for.”

Damnit. That was a good line.

“What made you change your mind with me?” he asked.

“I felt bad for making you screw up at the rodeo today.”

Johnny held up a finger. “You didn’t make me screw up. I’m fully responsible for that. But I’m actually talking about last night. What made you open up to me about your ex? I didn’t expect to get such a real answer from you.”

An excuse immediately formed on my lips, but I stopped myself. I didn’t want to lie to him. It felt good to open up for once, and I didn’t want to go back to keeping men like Johnny at arm’s length.

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