First, Lady Di bowed to Nick, then moved around him to the left in a full circle before turning and going around him to the right. She jumped up on her hind legs and danced around before bowing again. Then Nick had the goat standing on her hind legs and doing twirls. Kara watched as Lady Di jumped over his legs and even through a hoop he had.
There were even obstacles set up in the paddock that the goat easily maneuvered around when prompted, jumping between overturned barrels to an old tire. Someone, probably Nick, had built a wooden bridge between a stack of pallets and an old picnic table. The goat happily walked across it when motioned to do so.
They ended the show-off session when Nick bent over and Lady Di jumped onto his back and shoulders. Then she actually kissed him on the chin, making them both laugh.
“Well?” he asked when the goat was back down on the ground. “What’d you think?”
She smiled as Lady Di walked over to her to get attention.
“I think,” she looked up at Nick, “that I just lost a bet.”
He laughed as he leaned on the fence. “James doesn’t know how to jump through hoops?”
She shook her head. “James can bow and dance. That’s about it.”
“That’s a pretty neat trick. For a dumb horse,” he joked, and she smiled again.
She stood up when Lady Di walked over to get some water. Nick was standing so close to her, she lost her breath for a few seconds. Even though the fence separated them, she could smell his aftershave, a rich musky scent that had her knees going weak.
She leaned heavier on the rail of the fence.
“So…” He smiled. “How about tomorrow night?”
She blinked a few times, trying to clear her foggy mind. “Tomorrow?”
“You lost the bet. You aren’t going to chicken out, are you?” he teased.
“Chicken…” She thought. The date. She’d lost the bet. He’d wagered a date with her. He’d won. “Oh,” she said and swallowed hard. What would it be like, being seen in town with Nick? Would everyone assume they were an item or just two friends casually eating dinner together? She knew how little towns were. She’d gone to lunch with a high school friend once and word had spread so fast that they were an item, the guy had purposely made fun of her in front of his friends so that he wouldn’t be associated with her in a romantic sense.
“I was thinking, since I need to stick close to the ranch because of my dad’s health, that you could come over here tomorrow night for dinner,” Nick said.
“Oh,” she said again. “Sure.” She bit her bottom lip.
Did that mean he didn’t want to be seen in public with her? Maybe he too was questioning being seen with her?
That couldn’t be it. They’d just had breakfast at the diner yesterday morning. Then again, everyone in town knew that his father was in the hospital. They would assume that she was just being a good—
“You’re overthinking it,” Nick said, breaking into her thoughts. “I can see your brain working overtime.” He laid his hand over hers. “Kara, I want to go out with you,” he said softly. “But I need to stick close to my dad.” He shook his head and took a deep breath. “When we can, I’d like to take you out somewhere nice.”
She felt her heart kick in her chest and smiled back at him. “I’d like that.” And the truth was, she meant it.
“Good,” he said, and then he surprised her by leaning over the fence a little more. “Then you won’t mind if I…” He dropped off as he brushed his lips across hers.
The kiss was so soft, so smooth, so… damn sexy that she wanted more. She needed more.
He leaned back just a couple inches, and his eyes searched hers. Had his eyes always been the color of coffee just the way she liked it? Dark and rich, but with a swirl of caramel.
As if in slow motion, his hand came up and cupped her face, drawing her closer until her eyes slid closed as he pressed his lips against hers again, this time a little more firmly.
He even tasted like coffee. Rich and full of dreamy flavors she could spend hours exploring. His fingers tangled in her hair, pressing to the back of her neck ever so lightly. If she wanted to, she could jerk away, but instead, she pressed herself to him and, feeling a loose nail dig into her side, realized that the fence was still between them.
She jerked back slightly when she felt the sting of the nail.
“Oh,” Nick said, looking down. “Damn, I meant to nail that in.” He took the hem of her shirt in his hands. “It’s torn.”
She looked down at it, not caring. Then he lifted the hem up to check her skin, and she felt her entire body heat at the thought of him removing all of her clothes.
What was wrong with her? This was Nick. This was… the boy of her dreams who had turned into the man of her dreams right before her eyes. Somehow, she hadn’t even realized how much she’d wanted him. How much she’d grown to like him. What he meant to her.