“A few weeks I think, I haven’t got a return flight booked yet, so it’s pretty open-ended.”
He nodded and gestured down to Cookie. “You’re pretty good on a horse for someone who doesn’t ride very often.”
“Thanks. I was fifteen the last time I was here, and we rode every day, I loved it. I don’t get the chance at home, but I seem to have picked it up again pretty quickly.” I leaned forward and patted Cookie on the neck.
“You’re nineteen then?” Mason asked me, his eyes finding mine as I looked over to him.
“How do you know that?” I was curious to see if he’d been asking Brody or Savannah about me.
“When we met at the lake the other day you said you hadn’t ridden in four years, if you were fifteen when you last came that would make you nineteen now.” He smiled. “I listen to what you say, sweetheart.”
“I’m twenty soon, you’re twenty-six right?”
“Yep, you’ve been asking Savannah about me?” He teased, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I like that you’re asking about me Lib.” He said quietly. My face heated and I heard him chuckle.
We fell silent heading further away from the barn and house. We rode across what felt like acres of land, the sun beating down on us. There was no sound other than the constant chirping of crickets, and the occasional snort from the horses. I chanced a look over at Mason. His strong thighs were gripping Titan, and one of his tanned arms rested on his leg while the other held the reins. He wore a cowboy hat that covered most of his dark, messy hair, but I could still see some of it poking out. He looked gorgeous, like he should be on the cover of a magazine or something. He turned and caught me looking at him, and I quickly looked away.
“We’re here.” I heard him say.
I turned to look, and due to my gawking, I had completely missed that the field we were in had quite a few big trees and a small lake. “Wow, this is beautiful. I never knew this was here.” I’m sure I would have remembered if Savannah had shown me this the last time I was here. Mason had jumped off Titan and was at my side waiting to help me down. “I can manage,” I told him, secretly wishing I couldn’t so he could help me down like he’d helped me up. I swung my leg over not realising that he hadn’t moved out of the way, I felt my boot crash into him.
“Ooomph,” I heard him moan.
“Oh my god Mason! I’m so sorry! I thought you’d moved! Are you okay?” I jumped down spinning around to see him bent double and groaning. “Let me see where you’re hurt?”
“I don’t think you want to see sweetheart.” He squeaked out. “This is our first date after all.”
“This is not a date Mason,” I told him, taken aback by what he’d said. “And why wouldn’t I want to see?”
Mason attempted a laugh, but it came out like a strangled cry. “You’ve kicked me in the balls Libby, so unless you want to kiss them better, I think I can manage.”
“Oh,” I replied my face flushing for about the fifth time today. I don’t know what it was about him, but he managed to make me blush nearly every time he opened his mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be okay in a minute.” He reassured me, standing up straight and taking a deep breath.
After a few minutes, he seemed to have recovered. He led the horses over to a shaded area where he left them to graze. He grabbed my hand again, which I had to admit I was beginning to like and pulled me towards a large oak tree. He sat me down in the shade of the tree and went off in the opposite direction. He returned a few seconds later with a picnic basket and a blanket.
“You hungry?” He asked, spreading the blanket on the ground and motioning for me to sit on it. I scooted over so that I was on the blanket and he sat down next to me.
“Starving.” My eyes met his. “Mason this is amazing, when did you set all his up?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Just before I came to get you. I didn’t know what you liked so I brought a few different things. I hope you like it.”
He looked nervous, not at all like the cocky Mason I’d met at the bar the other night. I kneeled up and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. “I’m sure I’ll love it. Thank you.” I told him. No man had ever done anything like this for me. I was genuinely shocked by how much trouble he’d gone to. He looked up at me obviously surprised that I’d kissed him, albeit only on the cheek. I think I’d surprised myself a bit as well. “Mason, what would you have done if I’d said no to coming with you? Or if I’d gone out?” Thinking how Aunt Claire had asked me to go to Marble Falls with her.
“I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I saw Claire leave and I knew you weren’t in the car with her. I figured you must be somewhere on the ranch. I must admit I didn’t expect to find you exactly where you’d said I’d find you. You looked terrified the other day at the river when I said I was going to come and steal you away from your book. I was sure you’d have been somewhere else hiding.” He grinned at me. “Maybe you wanted me to find you?” He raised his eyebrows at me in question.
“Maybe,” I whispered.
“I like you, Libby. I like you a lot. There’s this thing between us. I can’t explain it. I know you feel it too. I’ve seen how your body reacts to me. What are you so afraid of?”
I couldn’t tell him the truth, so I went for the obvious reason instead. “Mason I live in England. I’m only here on holiday. What would be the point of starting something? One or both of us would only get hurt.” I sighed. “I do like you Mason, and I feel the connection too, but it wouldn’t work.”
His face lit up with a smile. “Why are you smiling? Did you not hear, what I just said?” I looked at him confused.
“I heard you. You like me; you feel what I feel. That’s all that matters right now.” He was still grinning from ear to ear.
I shook my head. “You’re not listening though Mason.”