Page 57 of Stick Around,
“I bet I can make Reid blush three times. Winner gets a free orgasm anytime, anywhere.”
“You’re on.” I sealed our bet with a kiss that threatened to reignite everything.
She reluctantly pulled away, glancing at the clock on the microwave. “We should probably clean up.”
I sighed, knowing she was right. “Shower first?”
Her smile turned wicked. “Together? To conserve water, of course.”
“Of course.” I stood, pulling her up with me. “It’s the environmentally responsible thing to do.”
As we gathered our wet clothes from the floor, she paused. “Hey, Enzo?”
I looked up, caught off guard by the sudden seriousness in her tone.
“Thank you for not overthinking it and jumping in.”
A quiet kind of warmth took root and spread. “Thank you for making me want to.”
We might not know where this thing between the four of us was going, but for once in my life, I was okay with the uncertainty.
Chapter 19
Wooden Horse Whisperer
Quinn
Istraightened the last granola bar in the basket, stepping back to admire my handiwork. The snack station was a work of art now that I’d gotten ahold of it. Before, the prepackaged snacks had been thrown in a basket haphazardly, but now they were arranged artfully in a fanned pattern.
The communal lodge was quiet this morning, with most of the guests out riding, hiking, or spending the day at the beach. I wasn’t technically supposed to be working, but apparently my body clock had adjusted to ranch life, and I’d woken up at dawn. I’d decided to make myself useful rather than overthink my complicated situation with three incredibly attractive men.
We still hadn’t discussed what we were doing exactly. It was a conversation we all needed to sit down and have together, but with a packed schedule and full cabins for the weekend, dinner together had proven to be impossible the night before.
The lodge door swung open, letting in a burst of air and the sound of excited chatter. A family of four walked in with a littleboy and girl who were about seven. Energy radiated from both of them like they’d had candy for breakfast.
The little girl stopped dead in her tracks, yanking on one of her father’s sleeves. “It’s the hobby horse lady!”
I froze, a bag of trail mix suspended midair. Me? The hobby horse lady? There really had to be a better name for me than that.
What about an alternative like “Equestrian Stick Enthusiast” or “Wooden Horse Whisperer”? Maybe “Thunderbolt’s Champion” had a better ring? Or perhaps “Viral Sensation Who Made Drunken Choices After a Breakup and Now Lives With Three Hot Cowboys”? That was a bit lengthy for business cards, though.
The boy rushed forward, practically vibrating with excitement. “Can we meet Thunderbolt and can you show us how to do the jumping thing? The one where you went really high and then did that trick with your legs.” He demonstrated by leaping awkwardly and kicking his legs out, his arms flailing so wildly that he nearly toppled a display of bottled drinks.
“Whoa there, buddy.” One of the dads put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Sorry about that. They’ve been talking about meeting you since we got here yesterday.”
I blinked several times, trying to process what was happening. “They wanted to meet me?”
The other dad stepped forward, offering his hand. “I’m Marcus, this is my husband Paul, and these little tornadoes are Everly and Liam. They’ve watched your videos about fifty times. You’re basically a celebrity in our house.”
“They have?” The words came out as a squeak.
Everly nodded enthusiastically. “The one where you were jumping over the barrels with Thunderbolt was so cool! I told my dads that I want a stick horse like yours!”
Liam pushed forward. “And the one where you fell and then got back up! That was my favorite ‘cause you didn’t cry!”
My cheeks heated as I remembered Kellan filming my stick horse adventures over the past week. I’d known he was posting them but didn’t know children were now looking at me like I was some sort of Disney princess.
“Well, um, thank you.” I set down the trail mix. “Are you enjoying your stay at La Cuesta?”
