Page 7 of Faking it with the Cowboy

We’d been riding a few of the trails that edged the border of the ranch. Though we hadn’t seen anyone in the past half hour, I preferred somewhere a little more private. “See that hill over there?”

She nodded. The scent of coconut and vanilla drifted from her hair. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to etch it into my memory forever.

“You can see all the way to Texas from the top. How does that sound?”

“Anything sounds good to me. My butt’s going to be so sore tonight. It’s been way too long since I’ve spent much time in the saddle.” She adjusted her grip on the reins and turned Swifty toward the hill.

When we reached the top, I dismounted and held out my arms to help Jericho down. I expected her to wave me off, but she reached for my shoulders as she slid from the saddle. I caught her under the arms and pulled her close before her feet touched the ground. The wind whipped her hair back. There was no way I was imagining the tension between us. She had to feel it too. Especially when she looked up at me and tightened her grip on my biceps. The moment stretched, full of possibilities, then Swifty snorted.

Jericho glanced toward the horse, the spell between us broken. “What did you bring for lunch? Is it a real cowboy picnic?”

I let my hands fall away. “Yeah. Gotta make sure you get your money’s worth. We’ve got fried chicken, coleslaw, some pasta salad, and a big jug of sweet tea.”

She pressed her palm to her belly. “Oh good. I’m starving.”

“Here,”—I handed her a blanket I’d pulled from the saddlebag. “Why don’t you find a spot to spread this out, and I’ll get the food?”

Our fingers brushed as she took the thick blanket from me. A warm buzz traveled up my arm and straight to my chest. I loved the way I felt when I was around her. Wanted to bottle it up so I could keep that feeling with me all the damn time. Jericho had always been the only person who made me feel that way. I’d missed that feeling. I’d missed her.

She wandered a couple dozen yards away and picked a spot under a tall shade tree. “How’s this?”

“Perfect.” I loosely tied Swifty’s reins to a low branch, making sure to leave enough slack so that she could graze to her heart’s content. Then I carried the wrapped bundles of food over to the blanket.

“Need any help?” Jericho held out her hands.

“Sure.” I sat down next to her and together we set out the lunch spread.

“Must be nice to have someone cooking for you all the time.” She opened the containers of food and handed me a paper plate.

“It’s not all the time. I do my fair share.”

“Really?” The smile teasing the edges of her lips told me she didn’t believe me.

“Yeah. Most meals are provided, but on Sunday mornings we’re on our own for breakfast. The guys take turns cooking.”

She batted her big blue eyes. Long, dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks. I wasn’t sure if she was flirting or just being her beautiful self. The signals were hard to read when they were coming from one of my closest friends. “What do you make when it’s your turn?”

I shrugged. “Whatever I’m in the mood for. Pancakes, omelets, French toast. Once I even made eggs benedict with homemade Hollandaise sauce.” She didn’t need to know it had been years since I’d made that. Or that it took me three tries to get the sauce right.

“Does Mama Mae know about this hidden talent of yours?”

“Nah. She would have had me making breakfast for my brothers every day.” It felt… nice… to have someone around who knew where I came from. I’d only told a few of the guys about growing up in foster care at Mama Mae’s. I probably could have shared my history with Chase, but cowboys didn’t exactly sit around and share the private details of their personal lives. I handed Jericho one of the tumblers full of tea.

“Thanks.” She took it, then glanced up at me with a faraway look in her eyes. “Do you miss Texas?”

“Every single day.” I shifted my gaze to meet hers. “Sorry, that sounded sappy as hell.”

“You might live in another state, but I’d say you’re closer to home here than I am in Dallas.”

“You don’t like the city?” I couldn’t imagine living in a place where I couldn’t see vast stretches of fields, but I thought Jericho was different.

“I miss the wide open spaces.” She picked up a fork and playfully stabbed a noodle from the pasta salad. “You’re lucky to be out here.”

I nodded, more determined than ever to turn my dreams into reality. “I’ll get back to Texas someday. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

“You still want your own place?” Her eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

“Hell yeah.”

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