18
Summer
Summer:I almost kissed the cowboy again.
*Willa Calling*
* * *
“Wait. So, you didn’t kiss him?” Willa sounds horrified by the prospect.
“No, Wils.” I huff out a breath, still jumbled this morning from my run in with Rhett yesterday. Still slightly embarrassed by my outburst when I slid off his horse and sulked the rest of the way back to the ranch. And still a little obsessed with the way it felt to have him pressed up against me while we doubled up on the way back.
Too good is what it felt like.
Oh, and I also have bruises on my inner thighs from riding like a bat out of hell to rescue Rhett from what I was envisioning as some sort of hillbilly showdown in my head.
“That’s disappointing. You’re such a bore sometimes. A young, hot bore who should be living it up.” She sighs and takes a bite of something crunchy on the other end of the line.
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, bestie. How’s your dating life then if I’m so boring?”
“Meh. Every time I think I’ve met someone, they either end up boring me to death or just wanting to tell me what to do.”
I laugh. “Godspeed to the man who tries to tell Willa Grant what to do.”
“Amen,” is my friend’s solemn reply.
“It’s okay to put yourself first. Don’t settle, Wils.”
She’s quiet for a few moments. All I can hear is her chewing. Probably cookies. She loves baking. “You should take your own advice.”
I grunt at that. I guess if I’m going to hit her with truth bombs, she can do the same to me. “I’ll try if you do.”
“Okay.” I can hear the smile in her voice now. “Keep me posted on how riding the cowboy goes.”
I shake my head and say, “Love you, psycho,” before hanging up on her.
I head down to the cozy kitchen to have a cup of coffee before Rhett and I need to leave for the airport.
Butterflies dance in my stomach at the thought of coming face to face with him after practically climbing him last night. He was the perfect gentleman, never taking more than I was willing to give. But there’s this part of me that wishes he had. Then I wouldn’t be kicking myself for not telling him to kiss me again.
Because I just know that having Rhett Eaton kiss me for real, not because my ex is watching, would be different. Good different.
And I don’t know if I’m ready to cross that line with him. We’re already dangerously close, closer than is professional, but not career-ruining levels of unprofessional.
Friends.
I huff out a quiet laugh at how adept I am at lying to myself as I round the corner into the kitchen and plaster on my go-to smile, the one I wear like a suit of armor.
But I don’t need it. The only people here are Harvey and Cade.
“Good morning,” I sing-song as I breeze in and grab myself a mug from the wooden cabinet.
“Good morning, Summer,” Harvey smiles kindly, as always.
Cade crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. I think he offers a low grunt and a tip of his chin in way of greeting.
“Not a morning person, Cade?” I ask, knowing that I’m poking the bear and not really caring. He could use some poking.