Page 26 of Long Time Coming

He was the ultimate player, still is, and I definitely learned my skills from him. I’m a little rusty in the area of chasing women since it’s not something I have to do in the city. There, they drop like flies for any line I feed them. Not here.Not with her . . .

Hearing her boldly talk about making love has thrown my thoughts out of whack. With me, a guy she’s known her whole life and probably despised for most of it. Why would she do that?To taunt me? Tempt me?Maybe we’re buddies now and talk about these things without it being in reference to us. Maybe, but it didn’t feel that way.

I think she was trying to get a rise out of me one way or the other, and it worked for both. I can’t look at her now, but not because I don’t want to. I want to stare at her and memorize every freckle on her face. I want to stare into those blue eyes to find the flash of gold that sparked for me the other day. I want to kiss those pink lips, and I don’t kiss anyone these days, not in that way.

I’m so fucked.

I watch her racing toward me as if I’m a house on fire and she’s the woman for the job. She might be. But if she wasn’t distracting enough, being in the saddle again has messed with the rest of my head. Nightfall is powerful—long legs, solid muscle, and as dark as night. It’s been too long since I’ve ridden, but we settled in together to get the work done. But I’m reminded of how good it feels to be outside for a job, breathing in the fresh air under blue skies without a skyscraper in sight.

The highest viewpoint is the ridge of our town’s namesake, Peachtree Pass. Just below, the river flows even in times of drought. It’s a constant in an ever-changing world. Even this property has changed so much since I was last out here years earlier. New equipment barn, more fields plowed, growing crops. It’s become a bigger business than I realized. I wonder if Baylor knows since he doesn’t frequent these parts that much anymore.

He's lucky he hasn’t reached the burnout I have. Yet. He will. The city, the job in finance, the lifestyle. It will bury him eventually, like it did me. I’ll be there for him as he has been for me. Except when it comes to his sister. He’s managed to keep her under wraps for the most part.

Now I know why.Because he knows me too well.

But I didn’t expect to discover that there’s no hiding her beauty once you're in her presence. Her long hair flies behind her as she rides, the sun catching strands of gold and paler blond and streaks of light brown that tangle together and flow from underneath her hat. She looked cute at the store in her dress with little flowers, but I’m not minding the jeans and tees she wears either. Nothing has clung to her body, but the clothes fit enough to tell what’s underneath. Still, I wouldn’t be upset to see her naked.

I lift my hat and run my hand over my hair before setting it back in place where it feels more natural than the suits and Italian loafers I’m usually stuck wearing.

She and her horse slow on approach and shift to the side of us. “Hey, good workout here today,” she says. “Once you wrangled the last calf inside the pasture, I closed the gate. Reggie is setting up the barn with fresh water for the night, so we’re good to go.”

“We can clock out?”

“Thank you for coming today. You helped make easy work of it. We’re officially off the clock.” Although a smile is there when she lowers her eyes to her fidgeting hands, it falls right after. Peeking up under her lashes, she adds, “So . . . guess you’re free to go.”

“I was free to go at any time. I stayed because I wanted to, Pris.” I lean to my side and lift her chin until her eyes are set on me with the spirit of the woman who ran this ranch like a boss today. Sitting back, I say, “It’s hot. I was thinking about the river and cooling off like we used to when we were kids. Any interest?”

“I have some interest.” Her smile returns and brings out mine. “Do you want to go to the house and get bathing suits? I’m sure Baylor left one or two behind.”

Looking in the distance at the ridge, I say, “I was hoping we could just go.”

“Go, as in no suits?” I turn back to see the surprise in her eyes, though she hid it well in her tone. It’s not all shock, though. Enticement dances in her eyes as she looks across the grassy land toward where the river flows. “Race you?” She takes off with a lift in her stirrups and a “Ya, let’s go” to her horse. Sunrise runs as if the devil is chasing her.

Nightfall takes off, sending me back in the saddle, and I barely catch myself.Shit. This horse is fast. I tighten my grip on the reins and right myself, angling forward and keeping low just above the horse’s mane. He’s too fast, and I’m out of practice, but we find our rhythm and catch up to them.

Pris shines like the star she always was in the rodeo ring. Her happiness spreads across her features as her body is one with her horse. She glances over at me, and I see the fire in her eyes and the freedom that embodies her.

She’s beautiful.

And when we slow near the trees where the river runs just beyond, she looks at me like I’m getting credit when it’s not due. No credit needed. Only the freedom to leave the rest of the world out of our business for a short time, just the two of us alone together. “I don’t ride like that anymore. It was amazing.”

“Barrel racing, right?” Nightfall walks through a blanket of pine needles left over from winter. A tree comes between Pris and me, but her eyes find mine as soon as we pass.

“In another lifetime.”

“And a beauty queen to boot.”

“Rodeo queen,” she corrects with a laugh, her spine relaxing on the easy walk. “Lauralee won the festival.”

“They made a mistake.” I don’t mean to sound so serious. Is it normal to feel ill-will toward their bad decision eight years after the fact?

I notice how her eyebrows arch. It’s subtle, but she caught the bitterness that kidnapped my tone. “How do you figure, cowboy?”

We pull in the reins when we reach the edge of the rocky creek. I take in our surroundings—isolated and in shadow on the bank atop a large limestone shelf overlooking the water. With a grin and some gumption, I speak my mind. “From where I’m sitting, you’re fucking fantastic.” I could go on about the healthy, rosy cheeks and the pride in her eyes that comes with the exhilaration we both just felt, but I’ve already crossed one forbidden line. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but one line or ten, we’re both adults here. And Baylor’s nowhere to be found.

She laughs, directing her attention forward again before swinging her leg over and hopping down from the horse. “If only you had been one of the judges.” She anchors the reins around the horn on the saddle, leaving Sunrise to decide to stay or walk away.

I dismount and follow her down large rocks that have fallen like large steps for the gods. A nice wide platform is a good place to take off our clothes. She’s already one boot ahead of me, seeming to have no reservation about stripping down in front of me or jumping in the water that I remember being cold this time of year.

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