Page 75 of Trusting a Cowgirl

Dianna reached over the fence and squeezed her shoulder. “It’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to. You’ll see. I have to go pick up a few things I left here. See you at home, okay?”

Grace nodded, gritting her teeth against the emotion that threatened to boil over and escape her throat.

Starting a new client today was probably a bad idea. But there was one thing Dianna had said that made sense no matter how much Grace hated it. She needed to get back out there so she could get her mind off Riley and move forward. She’d never been one to hold onto the past.

Her gaze flitted to Tyler again, finding him glancing in her direction. He smiled, and she offered a half-hearted one in response.

He wasn’t a local, but he wasn’t from out of state either. He’d been the one to drive Kristin here for her sessions from a neighboring town. One date. Would that be so bad? She just needed a way to slow the heartbreak that was currently happening inside.

* * *

“I can’t believeyou said yes.” Tyler pushed her chair in as she settled at the table. His button-up shirt was rolled up to his elbows and open at the collar—a different look than how he usually dressed at the country club.

When she looked at him, she didn’t get that tingling sensation in her stomach. She couldn’t tell if that was because, even after two weeks, she still felt numb or if it was because she simply didn’t feel the same for him as she did Riley. One corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile. “I suppose I had to reward your persistence.”

He chuckled, lifting his menu to look at the food offered at the steakhouse. “Kristin really likes you. She talks about you all the time.”

Warmth spread through Grace’s midsection. “I like Kristin, too. She’s a sweetheart.” While the young girl still didn’t speak much to her, she was a fantastic listener. It only took a few sessions for her to master riding on her own, though Grace made sure either she or Tyler remained close.

The man seated across from her was sweet, too. There was just one problem. No matter how much Grace dove into work, no matter how much Tyler flirted with her, she still couldn’t get her mind off Riley. He was the one she wanted to be with even after the way things had ended.

She tried to rationalize that he was just the first guy she had kissed and he was the first one she fell for, so it made sense she would have a harder time letting go. But that didn’t help her move on like she’d hoped.

So now she sat in front of a guy who wasnicebut wasn’t anything like the man she’d fallen in love with.

There was no going back from that. And if she were honest with herself, she didn’t want to go back. If she only had the chance at finding love once in her life, then this was it and she’d failed.

“What are you in the mood for?”

She poked her head up. “Hmm?”

“What would you like to order?”

Grace glanced at the menu. “Probably just the six-ounce steak with a side of potatoes.” She studied him as he perused the menu. He was too nice of a guy for her to lead him on. They’d spent enough time together for her to know that she wasn’t interested in anything romantic with him. In fact, she continued to compare him to the one person she’d prefer to be with.

Maybe he’d realize she wasn’t worth a second date as well. Then she wouldn’t have to turn him down.

But something told her she wasn’t that lucky.

27

Riley

Riley released the bridle and slung it over his shoulder before moving to unbuckle the saddle. He’d hoped that Grace’s new little client’s sessions wouldn’t overlap with his, but after two weeks it was clear he was destined to see her every single day of his miserable life while completing his sentence.

He’d come in early from his practice in the hopes that he wouldn’t have to bump into her. But as much as he wanted to avoid her, there was a part of him that lived for the short moments when he got to interact with her.

It was this never-ending cycle where he tortured himself with what might have been. The man who came with the little girl every day clearly had a thing for Grace. And why wouldn’t he? She was amazing. And from the looks of it, she was even better with children than she’d been with him.

There was just something about seeing her with that little girl that could melt a guy’s heart. His jaw clenched and he shut his eyes against the frustrated fury that built in his head. His progress during his sessions had seemed to come to a standstill.

Bud would have him go riding, they’d come back, and he’d go back to his cabin. There was no pressure to talk, no progress to be had. It had gotten to a point where Riley didn’t know what he was supposed to do next.

Laughter spilled into the barn as Grace wandered in with a horse and her little entourage. At least she appeared to be happy. He could rest easy knowing he’d done something right. She didn’t need him in her life dragging her down.

They passed the stall he was in, and as they did so, the young man with her placed his hand on the small of her back—a gesture far too intimate.

What happened next wasn’t expected, and Riley only made sense of it after Bud held his arm out to stop him. Riley shot a dark look in the older man’s direction, but Bud only shook his head.

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