Page 48 of Stay With Me Forever

I needed to focus on Operation: Friend Zone, and ASAP. “When was the last time you went to Lake Tahoe?”

“Way too long ago.” He gestured toward the radio. “Pick what you want. It won’t be much longer until we arrive.”

He turned the volume up pretty loud, a clear signal he was done talking.

Which was for the best. At this rate, I’d be blabbering on about killing my parents, or my brother being disgusted with me, or something else deeply personal and secretive and unflattering.

Needing to lighten the mood, I paired my phone with the car and put on a Disney playlist. West smiled but said nothing. Soon I started singing. He eventually joined in, and we both sang at the top of our lungs for the rest of the drive.

Which told me one thing—West did indeed have a nice singing voice.

ChapterEighteen

Weston

Abby:What are you doing today? Want to grab some lunch?

Me:No. Can’t. Busy.

Abby:Doing what?

Me:Stuff.

Abby:Really, West. You could give more details.

Me:Scowl. Grunt. Shrug.

Abby: You’re hopeless. Have fun with Emmy!

Me:What? How did you know…

Abby: See you tomorrow and maybe I’ll tell you.

We grabbed some sandwiches from a sub shop and got directions to a place for hikes and lookouts. The serious hikes were too far away for today, but there were some nearby that were a mile or three, and we finally reached one that was supposed to lead to some stellar views.

The incline wasn’t too bad. No, my heart raced for an entirely different reason.

Because Emmy had decided to be the trailblazer, camera in hand, and it meant I had a view of her ass and thighs encased in tight, stretchy pants the entire way.

As if I needed more reasons to desire the woman. Her making me laugh in the car, and us grinning as we attempted a high note in a song but mangled it, had made me want to kiss her.

When away from work and Starry Hills, she was just so much happier. A little more carefree. In general, it was as if some weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

I suspected it had to do with either her parents or her brother. She lived in the house where she’d grown up, full of memories and constant reminders of what she’d lost. I doubted all her changes since inheriting had fully banished the past either.

Thinking about the transformation of her home from ranch to wedding business stayed with me. So when we finally found a pretty spot to sit on some rocks for lunch, looking over the deep blue water of the lake and mountains in the distance, I blurted as she took her first bite, “Why did you sell the cattle?”

She choked, and I thumped her back until she calmed down. Once she sipped the water I offered, she croaked, “Why are you asking me that?”

“Because I’m trying to understand why someone would take a well-established business with as stellar and desirable a reputation as Starry Dreams Ranch and toss it all away.” She frowned at me, and I realized how harsh that might sound and added, “I mean, obviously you wanted to run your event business, and I get that. But the cattle portion is far enough away it shouldn’t interfere. Not to mention it’d add authenticity to the rustic wedding scene.”

She rolled her eyes. “Cow poop smells are not very romantic.”

“Hey, some of them ride in on horses, right? You can’t tell me no horse has ever taken a dump during the trip.”

“Of course it happens. But it’s not like I put it in the brochures.”

I softened my voice. “But really, why the change? You could’ve hired someone to run it for you and then kept that steady income coming in, to grow your wedding business even faster.”

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