“It wasn’t like that. This is new.” He leaned against the side of the barn. “She’s one of my best friends, Jax. Her life is in Virginia, mine’s here, and I respect the hell out of her. I don’t want to screw up any of that or hurt her.”
“Then don’t. Is she cool with it? Or did you push a limit you shouldn’t have?”
“I’d never do that to anyone, especially Trixie,” Nick snapped. “She’s the one who suggested it and went after it. I’ve been trying to keep my distance, but she started talking about being naked friends and pushing all my buttons. You know how she challenges me. It just happened.”
“Yeah, I can see her doing that. But if you don’t feel good about it, then stop.”
“I don’t fucking want to stop.” He blew out a breath. “I don’t know what I want, but I definitely don’t want to hurt her.” He finished his water and tossed the bottle in the trash barrel. He spotted Trixie’s truck coming down the driveway, and his heart thumped a little faster. “It’s just…she gets under my skin and I don’t know…” How to handle that.
“Know what? How to deal with the fact that she’s here for a month and fooling around with you but hanging out with Travis? Or the fact that you’re watching her truck come down the driveway right now with the same longing and excited look in your eyes Pugsly gets in his good eye when you come home?”
Nick pushed away from the side of the barn. “Forget I said anything.”
Jax grabbed his arm as Trixie parked, stopping him in his tracks. “Listen, Nick. You guys are good together. You are the last man on earth I’d tell to let a woman into his life, but Trixie’s already in it, man. She has been for years.”
“Hi, Jax!” Trixie called out, carrying two enormous shopping bags from Jillian’s Boutique. “What a nice surprise.”
“I finally secured a passport to enter the premises,” Jax teased. “Guess you’ve been to my sister’s shop.”
“I had the greatest day. I had lunch with Tempe, and Jillian showed up. We ended up at her shop, and I bought way too much. But she and Tempe got me even more pumped about starting my business. Thanks for suggesting that I get in touch with Tempe, Nick. She was incredibly helpful. She’s going to introduce me to some of her contacts. She thinks I’ll be able to make a lot of connections in and around the area. She also has a list of contacts that Cole gave her that she’s going to share with me. Then I went to Travis’s, and I called you, because I really wanted you to come with me, but you didn’t answer, so I figured you were busy.”
“I lost my phone.”
“Oh, that sucks. I’ll help you find it. Anyway, I was able to pick three horses out of the ones that we saw yesterday. Do you think you can go with me one day this week to make my final decision? I really want your opinion. I know it’s all about my connection with them, but you might pick up on something I don’t.”
Why did he feel like a teenager winning a date to the prom? “Sure.”
“Awesome! And I’m rethinking the idea of getting a trained therapy horse. It might be worth the investment, even though it’ll mean I can’t get my own property for a while because it’ll take a lot of my savings. But what if I meet with Tempe’s connections and then I have nothing to show them?” She was talking so fast, he couldn’t get a word in. “I won’t even be able to say I’ll be ready in three or six months because there’s no way I can be. I thought having two years to train the horses would give me breathing space and that I would need that time to prepare, but I’m not sure I want breathing space anymore. You gave me a nudge to get started, and now I want it so bad, and I don’t want to wait two years to start putting the pieces together and making a name for myself. I’m ready to jump in with two feet, even if it means starting at my dad’s ranch.”
She took a breath, and Jax looked at Nick with his brows lifted.
Yeah, I know. She’s a whirlwind.
“So, like I said, I think you might be right, Nick. Maybe I should look at buying a couple of trained horses in addition to buying two that I can train myself. I’m still undecided, but I’m thinking about it.”
Nick cocked a grin. “Jax, did you hear what she just said?”
“That you were right?”
“Yup. Write this day down in the history books.”
Trixie rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say you were definitely right. I said I’m leaning that way.”
“That’s not what I heard. How about you, Jax?”
Jax opened his car door and said, “Don’t put me in the middle. I’m just the pot pie delivery boy.” He grabbed the pot pie from the car and handed it to Nick. “Here you go, bro. Good luck. See ya, Trix.”
“Bye, Jax. See you at Tully’s Friday night. That looks delicious.” Trixie eyed the pot pie. “I’m starved.”
Jax waved as he climbed into his car.
Trixie blinked up at Nick, her eyes dancing with excitement. “What do you think?”
Nick draped an arm over her shoulder, thinking she was the most adorable, sexy whirlwind he’d ever known, and said, “I think you should tell me again how I’m right.”
TRIXIE TALKED A mile a minute throughout dinner and while they did the evening chores, debating the pros and cons of buying horses that were already trained. When he said good night to the horses, she climbed up on the fence beside Nick and talked to them about her debate, then proceeded to tell the horses what great listeners they were.
“I just listened to you talk nonstop for two hours,” he said as they headed inside. “Where’s my praise?”
She laughed and kissed his cheek without missing a step. “Can we watch a movie? My brain is going in circles, and I need to slow it down because I’m going running with Travis tomorrow morning and I’ll never sleep if I don’t distract myself from my thoughts.”
Christ, really? Travis again?
“I know you don’t love television, but we can watch a cowboy movie. Clint Eastwood? The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? The Outlaw Josey Wales?” She leaned into his side, her long lashes fluttering around her beautiful brown eyes. “Please?”
“Fine.” When had it become impossible to tell her no?
“Yay!” She hugged him.
He showered and changed into a pair of black sweats, and she put on her sleeping shorts and tank top, with no bra, of course. Lord help him. She ran around turning off all the lights, with Pugsly scampering after her, as he queued up the movie. She always turned the lights off. She said it made her feel more like she was in a theater.
“You ready, Energizer Bunny?” He stretched out on the couch, leaving her the leather recliner, which she claimed was the best seat in the house.
“Just about.” She went into the bedroom and returned a few minutes later with a blanket.
“Cold?”
“A little.” She plopped down on the couch, stretched out in front of him, and began spreading the blanket over their legs.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting comfy. Turn the movie on.”
He started the movie, wondering how in the hell he was supposed to pay attention to a movie when she was snuggling closer and wiggling her ass against his groin. When he put down the remote, she pulled his arm around her, tucking his hand beneath her ribs, and placed her hand over his, sighing contentedly. Pugsly jumped onto the sliver of cushion in front of her and curled up. Trixie pulled Pugsly closer, so he was resting against Nick’s hand, and put her hand over his again. It was a strangely wonderful feeling, having his two favorite friends so close. He knew he was digging a hole he’d have a hard time finding his way out of if he stayed in that position, but Trixie was soft and warm and fit perfectly against him. He didn’t want to move.