She gripped the horn, shifted in the saddle, then swung her right leg up and over. She swayed on the ground but found her balance. Her hands were shaking and there was a bead of sweat by her temple.
I really was a dickhead, pushing her so hard. She might have liked it, but I’d still gone too far.
Before I could apologize, Gemma took Sprite’s reins from my hand and forced a too-wide smile. “That was fun. I forgot how much I liked it here. Maybe I’ll take Katherine up on her offer to stay a while.”
My eyes narrowed, the apology forgotten. “What offer?”
“To stay in the guest bedroom at Cash and Katherine’s place. I’m in no hurry to get to California. So maybe I’ll stay.”
I scoffed. “You’ll make it a week, maybe two before you get bored.”
“You’re so sure you know me. That you have me pegged.” Her eyes blazed defiance. “But you don’t know shit.”
“Oh, I know you. Intimately.” I inched closer, the smell of her perfume hitting my nose. She held my gaze by raising her chin higher. Those luscious lips right there, positioned and ready for the taking.
If I kissed her, would she kiss me back? Or would I see the Cadillac’s taillights racing toward the highway by supper?
“What do you want from me, Easton?”
For you to get the hell out of my head. “I want you to leave. You don’t fit here.”
I’d expected a snarky comeback. More of that stubborn, infuriating attitude that clearly hadn’t changed in the years she’d been away. But something flashed in her eyes that looked a lot like sorrow.
She dropped her chin and unlocked her gaze, turning to stare off into the distance. “Maybe you’re right. I’m not sure where I fit.”
Her words were no more than a whisper, but they sent me rocking on my heels.
Gemma brushed past me, leading Sprite to the stables.
Son of a bitch. This wasn’t my problem. If this road trip was Gemma’s way to find herself, more power to her. She. Is. Not. My. Problem. So why wouldn’t my heart climb down from my throat?
I gripped Jigsaw’s reins and he followed me without hesitation into his stall.
Gemma was standing in Sprite’s stall, pointing to the saddle. “What should I do?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay.” She patted Sprite’s cheek. “You did good. It was nice to meet you.”
I took a step back, giving Gemma a wide berth to exit the stall. She gave me a small nod, then turned and walked down the center aisle. Lesson complete.
She wasn’t the same girl who’d left here. I was man enough to admit she’d changed—not to her face, not today. Gemma had grown into a mature, breathtaking woman. Even with the sadness in her eyes, the longing, she was close to irresistible.
But if I let myself worry about Gemma, I’d turn myself in knots.
“She’s a good girl.”
“Shit.” I jumped at Grandma’s voice, slapping a hand over my heart. “Give a guy a warning.”
She laughed, watching as Gemma disappeared around the corner and into the sunshine. “How was the lesson?”
“Fine.”
“She’s lost, that girl. Always has been. She’s running from anything that makes her feel.”
I frowned. “She screwed Kat over. You remember how upset Kat was when Gemma ditched her.”
“She was nineteen years old, Easton. I recall a few mistakes you made at that age. There was the time you stole your dad’s car and drove into town to get drunk at the bar. There was the time you—”
“All right, all right.” I held up a hand. “You’ve made your point.”
“Katherine has chosen to forgive her and welcome her here. We can all do the same. For however long she wants to stay.”
I swallowed a groan. “She’ll leave.”
“I’m not so sure. Not this time.”
I wouldn’t argue with Grandma, but her soft spot for Gemma had made her blind. There was nothing for Gemma to do here. She wasn’t cut out for ranch work. She’d be bored working for Kat in one of the trivial jobs at the lodge. And where was she going to live? Cash and Kat’s guest bedroom?
She’d stay and this vacation of hers would run its course, then she’d be gone.
I just had to wait it out. Stay away from Gemma so that the second time around, I didn’t fall into her trap.
And make the same mistake twice.
Chapter Six
Gemma
“Knock. Knock.” I inched Katherine’s office door open and peeked inside.
“Hey.” She waved me in. “What’s up?”
“I need to ask you a question and I need the answer to be yes.”
“Okay,” she drawled. “Should I be nervous?”
“Probably.” I plopped down in a chair across from her desk.
Katherine’s hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was wearing a long-sleeved zip-up with the resort’s name embroidered on the chest. She looked comfortable yet authoritative.
I had the comfort with my jeans and black sweater, but I lacked authority.
I missed authority.
“I’m bored,” I admitted. “Like, going-out-of-my-mind bored. Can I have a job? Please?”
It had been three days since I’d gone on my ride with Easton, and I’d spent those days largely in my room. It was easier to avoid him while locked inside. I’d passed the days by reading and pestering Benjamin. After my seventh call in seventy-two hours, he’d threatened to block my number. There were zero emails in my inbox and I’d poured over my financial statements with more attention to detail than I had in the past five years—total.
My life had gone from ninety miles per hour to a standstill gridlock. This morning, I’d admitted defeat.
Vacation pace was highly overrated and simply not for me.
I needed to work.
Katherine blinked. “A job?”
“Dusting. Cooking. Scrubbing toilets. I’ll do anything. But I don’t want to leave yet and if I spend another day in my room reading, I might die.”
“But you’re on vacation.”
I grimaced. “I hate that word.”
“Why not do the four-wheeler excursion? Or hike? Or go for another ride?”
“Thanks, but no, thanks,” I muttered.
It was too risky outside. It was much safer indoors where Easton avoided me and I had more places to hide.
“You don’t have to pay me,” I said. “Just give me something to do so I don’t sit around and dwell on the fact that last month, my life had purpose. And now the only thing I have in my future is a long trip to California in someone else’s car. Please. Pleasepleaseplease. Give me toilet bowl duty.”
Katherine giggled. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
She picked up the headset to her desk phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Annabeth, it’s Kat.”
Kat. I was still getting used to her nickname. To me, she’d always be Katherine.
“I have someone here who’ll be working temporarily for the resort. Would you mind if I send her your way?” She paused, the smile growing on her face. “Great. Thanks. She’ll be right over.”