Page 8 of Sultry Summer

Fiona glares at me and Monroe hugs her tightly. But Aspen’s response shuts down the feelings rippling along my skin. Like maybe there’s more between us than I hoped. Like maybe she’s just like me. Still searching.

“Maybe someday,” she sighs. Then she turns to the door and her head whips back to me. “Let’s go, Hunt. You’re the one that wanted to go somewhere alone with me. Here’s your shot.”

I jog along behind her, my boots loud on the hardwood floors. I don’t know why but I can’t stop myself from following along behind my tempting little treat.

She never looks back just hits the door and strides through like a valkyrie laying waste in a war that she’s going to win.

And I follow her like a soldier willing to follow my angel to Valhalla to my ultimate reward.

CHAPTER 5

Aspen

“Ican’t believe you talked me into this,” he grumbles behind me and I turn back to watch him sitting stiff as a board in Nutmeg’s saddle. Nutmeg is ignoring him completely as she reaches out her dappled roan neck and takes a long drink from the little stream we’re crossing.

I giggle and his head comes up, his eyes narrowing. “You’re gonna pay for this later.”

“You’re gonna pay for this later, trust me. Saddle sores are real,” I giggle again.

“I should paddle your ass for this.”

I shrug my shoulders and hold Titan’s reins loosely. He guzzles some water too and I let him have his head for a minute. “Don’t let them drink too much. They’ll get sick.” I watch him as he shifts in the saddle. “I can’t believe you’ve never ridden a horse.”

“I’ve ridden a horse,” he grumps, a sullen look on his face.

“I can tell,” I giggle again.

I pull Titan’s head up and kick his sides lightly. He shuffles out of the water and the sound settles something inside me.

I glance back and Hunter’s managed to get Nutmeg’s head up and she’s following Titan, her neck stretched out to stay as close to him as possible.

He whinnies and huffs at her and she trumpets back at him.

We follow along the rippling stream and the sound of the horses splashing through the cool water settles something in my soul. The sun shimmers on the surface and the occasional splash of fish darting under our feet makes me smile.

“Why don’t you go out more if you love this so much?” he asks me, his voice soft, gentle.

“It’s no fun on your own. And my cousins are wrapped up in the men in their lives. Not that I begrudge them what they found with Monroe and Darius. I just feel like I’ve just come home and everything’s so different. Fiona never wants to leave the shop unless Monroe drags her out. And Harper…well, you heard. She’s having a rough time of it right now and she hasn’t announced yet that she’s pregnant but we all know. You can’t hide stuff like that from your family for very long.”

“Sounds like you guys are really close.”

I nod my head. “Yeah. We’ve always been close. Since we were kids. We grew up together. Which is great and all but sometimes I wish we didn’t know each other quite so well. I think Fiona’s starting to guess that I’m not telling her something.”

“What are you hiding?” he asks me. I glance back and his head is cocked, his eyes narrowed from the sun. I can see little lines bracketing his gorgeous blue eyes. They glow like the summer sky around us, bottomless and never-ending, dragging me into their shimmering depths.

I shrug my shoulders, turning back. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does.”

“It really doesn’t. I can’t do anything about it. I’m needed here.” My chest tightens and I tug at Titan’s reins, turning himtowards the shallow bank. He climbs out and then trots along, his head high and his eyes locked on the trail.

I hear the gentle clop of Nutmeg’s feet behind me and then he’s beside me, his blue eyes searching mine like he can see into my soul. I almost feel like he can.

He tugs at my reins and pulls Titan to a stop. “What do you want to do with your life, Aspen?” he asks me quietly. His eyes search my face.

“I told you it doesn’t matter.” I don’t look at him until he reaches out and his hand catches my chin, lifting it so I can’t look away.

His skin is warm and softer than I thought it would be. But I feel the little callouses that he has scraping my soft skin lightly. I shiver and close my eyes.