Page 39 of Ian

He saw Eden nudge her horse and take off, with Cammie behind her. At least they knew how to ride. He noticed Bonnie doing the same. Yep, she had conned him. Shaking his head, he grinned. He should have known.

When they reached an open pasture, rain pelted down, and lightning streaked across thesky. He saw Chip get his horse to go a little faster, and the others followed. Ian fell in line behind them.

He could see Eden ahead, running her horse, and he saw her hat blow off and land in a puddle. He spurred his horse and caught up. He saw her turn her horse around to go back for the hat. He reached it before she did, and without getting out of the saddle, he leaned over, picked up the hat, and rode to her.

“Thank you. I don’t know what good it’s going to do me now. My hair is soaked.”

“So is your hat,” he said, as he leaned over, and put the wet hat on her head.

She hissed in a breath as water from the hat rolled down her face and the back of her neck.

“Gee, thanks for that.” She glared at him.

“Whatever. Get going,” he growled.

“I’m going,” she snapped, nudged her horse, and rode off.

“Hardhead,” he murmured. He spurred his horse and took off after her.

When he caught her, she looked over at him, then away. She nudged her horse to get it moving faster. Ian shook his head. No matter how good a rider she was, that horse would never keep up with Breeze. With a grin, he spurred his horse, and ran after her. He caught her and when she looked at him again, he touched the brim of his hat, nudged the horse, and left her. He glanced back over his shoulder to see her trying to catch him, but he pulled away. He held up four fingers as he rode off and grinned. Round four was his.

****

Eden gasped when she saw him hold his fingers up and she knew he was telling her that round four went to him. Damn that man! He loved getting the better of her.

“I’m never going to win a round with that man,” she muttered.

She nudged her horse to get it to run faster but there was no way she’d ever catch up to Ian. That horse was flying. She could see the mud flying up behind it. The rain pelted her face as it blew into her. Her hat wasn’t any protection at all.

Ian was so hard to understand. One minute, he’d be nice and the next, he was snapping her head off, and that would make her snap back at him. If she were being honest though, he was probably going through the same emotions she was about their situation. If she knew how to fix it, she would. But she just didn’t see how.

When she entered the barn with the other riders, she didn’t see Ian anywhere. How did he cool his horse that fast? Then she saw him ride in from the opposite end. He looked so good on that beautiful horse. She loved watching him ride since they moved as one. He was definitely a cowboy. Through and through.

He dismounted and began cooling the horse. He led the horse toward her, but turned around to go back before he reached her. Eden clenched her teeth. So, that’s how it was going to go, huh? She had never met a more stubborn man in her life. She shook her head. Stubborn seemed like such an understatement when it came to Ian Brennan.

“I’m about frozen now,” Cammie said from beside her.

“I know. That rain makes it chilly.” Eden dismounted and handed the reins off to a ranch hand.

“I guess we have to make a run for it to the cabins,” Cammie said.

“Cam, we’re already wet,” Eden said, laughing.

“Oh, yeah.” Cammie chuckled. “Well, let’s go then.”

“Okay,” Eden said but didn’t move as she watched Ian walking along the aisle with his horse. “Damn that man can fill out a pair of Wranglers. Front and back.”

“You’re really going to miss him, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but he’s right. I hate it, but he’s right. We have to stay away from each other. Nothing can come of this.” She sighed.

The night of the dance, Eden swore she wasn’t going, but found herself going through her closet for something to wear. As she moved the clothes along the rod, her cellphone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and grinned.

“Hey, Cam.”

“What are you wearing?”

“Right now?” Eden snorted.

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