laughed softly. “You always dance in the dark?”
“No. I actually was headed to bed,but I just can’t seem to stay away from this space.” Jess fluttered her arms around. “I could live here.”
She saw him shift his feet. “Seems to be a common problem for you Boston gals. One whiff of Whisper Creek air, and you’re all packing your bags to move out here.”
“Oh, I’m not moving. I didn’t really mean that. But I do love it…here.”
There went her voice again, getting all breathy andstrange, just because Cole happened to be within ten feet of her.
He took a step backward, like he was trying to snap an invisible thread pulling them together. “So…you like dancing at night. How about riding? Ever ridden under a full moon?”
Oh, sweet honey. Just what she needed right now was an offer like this—a moonlit ride, a hot summer night, a steamy cowboy.
“Don’t you have to be up earlyin the morning?”
“Nope. Come on. Let’s go for a ride. I’ll show you one of my favorite spots.”
“I don’t know—”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Afraid this is all part of my hot-charming-cowboy routine?”
Jess choked on the water bottle she’d raised to her lips. “Maybe?”
“Just a ride, Jess. Just a ride.” He motioned to her. “Come on. Trust me.”
Half an hour later, Jess’s horse cresteda hill behind Cole’s, and the sight took her breath away. “Oh!” was all she could say.
He smiled back at her, then reined Scooby to a stop so she could pull abreast. “Not bad, eh?”
“Oh my gosh. It’s—wow.”
She’d heard a growing rush of water over the past ten minutes, and now that they’d reached the top of a hill, she could finally see where it was coming from. Like something out of a movie,a moonlit clearing stretched before them—a small grassy meadow surrounded by tall pines. On the far side of the clearing was a sheer cliff that stretched upward at least three stories, and over the top of the cliff came a cascade of water that sparkled under the full moon.
Jess looked up at the water, mesmerized by how it fell through the air. “This is nothing like the falls we rode to yesterday.How did I never know this was here?”
Cole smiled. “We don’t show it to just anybody.”
“Good.” Jess breathed deeply, the scent of pines and water filling her nose. “Can we get closer?”
“Sure.” He dismounted, then came around to the left side of Sky Dancer, reaching up to help her down. She hesitated before she put her hand in his, scared that she would like the feel of him far too much.
“Comeon, cowgirl. I know you’re perfectly capable of dismounting on your own. I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”
She slid her hand into his, and was inordinately relieved to feel a warm, comforting, protective heat. And when both feet were on the ground, she fully intended to pull her hand back, but nestled there in Cole’s, it felt—good.
Good.
It didn’t feel like running.
Didn’t feel like panic.
Didn’t feel like…fear.
—
“You’re hurting me, Billy.” Star tried to pull her hand out of Billy’s iron grip as he yanked her through the back entrance doors of the mall. “Please let go.”
“Not a chance.”
Star cringed when she saw the ugly sneer cross his face. Oh no. She’d made him crazy.
Again.
She tugged. “Seriously, you’re holding me too hard.”
“Should have thought of that before you startedflirting with that asshole back there.”
“Flirting? That was Garrett! We’ve been friends for, like, ever. I wasn’t flirting, I swear. We were just talking.”
Billy continued to tug her through the parking lot as Star tried to stop him. “Come on, Billy. Let’s go back inside.”
“No.” He pulled harder, and she squeaked in pain. “You have any idea how that looked to my guys in there?”
“You’re overreacting,Billy. I was just talking to him. He’s just a friend!”
“Looked like I ain’t got control over my woman,
“No. I actually was headed to bed,but I just can’t seem to stay away from this space.” Jess fluttered her arms around. “I could live here.”
She saw him shift his feet. “Seems to be a common problem for you Boston gals. One whiff of Whisper Creek air, and you’re all packing your bags to move out here.”
“Oh, I’m not moving. I didn’t really mean that. But I do love it…here.”
There went her voice again, getting all breathy andstrange, just because Cole happened to be within ten feet of her.
He took a step backward, like he was trying to snap an invisible thread pulling them together. “So…you like dancing at night. How about riding? Ever ridden under a full moon?”
Oh, sweet honey. Just what she needed right now was an offer like this—a moonlit ride, a hot summer night, a steamy cowboy.
“Don’t you have to be up earlyin the morning?”
“Nope. Come on. Let’s go for a ride. I’ll show you one of my favorite spots.”
“I don’t know—”
He raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Afraid this is all part of my hot-charming-cowboy routine?”
Jess choked on the water bottle she’d raised to her lips. “Maybe?”
“Just a ride, Jess. Just a ride.” He motioned to her. “Come on. Trust me.”
Half an hour later, Jess’s horse cresteda hill behind Cole’s, and the sight took her breath away. “Oh!” was all she could say.
He smiled back at her, then reined Scooby to a stop so she could pull abreast. “Not bad, eh?”
“Oh my gosh. It’s—wow.”
She’d heard a growing rush of water over the past ten minutes, and now that they’d reached the top of a hill, she could finally see where it was coming from. Like something out of a movie,a moonlit clearing stretched before them—a small grassy meadow surrounded by tall pines. On the far side of the clearing was a sheer cliff that stretched upward at least three stories, and over the top of the cliff came a cascade of water that sparkled under the full moon.
Jess looked up at the water, mesmerized by how it fell through the air. “This is nothing like the falls we rode to yesterday.How did I never know this was here?”
Cole smiled. “We don’t show it to just anybody.”
“Good.” Jess breathed deeply, the scent of pines and water filling her nose. “Can we get closer?”
“Sure.” He dismounted, then came around to the left side of Sky Dancer, reaching up to help her down. She hesitated before she put her hand in his, scared that she would like the feel of him far too much.
“Comeon, cowgirl. I know you’re perfectly capable of dismounting on your own. I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”
She slid her hand into his, and was inordinately relieved to feel a warm, comforting, protective heat. And when both feet were on the ground, she fully intended to pull her hand back, but nestled there in Cole’s, it felt—good.
Good.
It didn’t feel like running.
Didn’t feel like panic.
Didn’t feel like…fear.
—
“You’re hurting me, Billy.” Star tried to pull her hand out of Billy’s iron grip as he yanked her through the back entrance doors of the mall. “Please let go.”
“Not a chance.”
Star cringed when she saw the ugly sneer cross his face. Oh no. She’d made him crazy.
Again.
She tugged. “Seriously, you’re holding me too hard.”
“Should have thought of that before you startedflirting with that asshole back there.”
“Flirting? That was Garrett! We’ve been friends for, like, ever. I wasn’t flirting, I swear. We were just talking.”
Billy continued to tug her through the parking lot as Star tried to stop him. “Come on, Billy. Let’s go back inside.”
“No.” He pulled harder, and she squeaked in pain. “You have any idea how that looked to my guys in there?”
“You’re overreacting,Billy. I was just talking to him. He’s just a friend!”
“Looked like I ain’t got control over my woman,
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