Between Hope & the Highway (21 page)

I scowled. “Don’t be so inappropriate.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “What? It’s true. You’re a great boss. You’re responsible and much better with the horses than I am…and your ears are definitely cuter.”

“Are you ever serious?”

“Just because I say things to make you laugh doesn’t mean I’m not serious.”

I shook my head and urged Shooter into a trot. Rawson followed, making me blush as he hollered, “I love the view from back here.”

“I hope Shooter passes gas.”

“It’d still be worth it.”

As we headed across the meadow, a heavy metal song shattered nature’s peace. When he read his caller ID and cursed, I figured it must be his crummy friend.

“Don’t answer it,” I dared him. “You promised to help me work out the horses on this
picnic
.”

Rawson frowned, but shoved his phone into his pocket. Maybe there was hope for him.

We made it to the next rise before the annoying song blared again. Our gazes locked, and I could tell he struggled. His hands clenched as he chewed his bottom lip, but he dug his boots into Taco Twister and took off down the hill. I let out a “Yeehaw” and chased after him.

When we reached the flat meadow, that irritating song began playing again. His jerk friend just wouldn’t give up.

Rawson gave me a pleading look. “Let me answer so he’ll stop calling.”

“Just turn off your ringer.” He’d short-changed me all week because of his stupid friend. This was my time.

“Not a chance. I’m Damon’s only friend.” He brought his iPhone to his ear, making me scowl. “Yo, homey. This isn’t a good time. Can I call you back after—”

Even a few feet away, I heard someone scream.

Rawson winced and pulled the phone away from his ear. “Damon man, you’re fine.” He rubbed his forehead. “Calm down. You’re just hallucinating. There aren’t any shadow men.”

I don’t know what he heard next, but his whole body stiffened. “Damon? Damon! Where are you?” His voice held an edge of panic. “Talk to me, man.” The color seemed to drain from his face as he yanked his reins to the side and turned Taco Twister. “I have to go,” he said without looking back at me.

Stunned, I sat on Sidekick Shooter and watched as he galloped away. When he disappeared over the rise, I remembered that Rawson had the bag with our picnic lunch in it.

“Dang, stupid, good-for-nothing cowboy,” I growled. I’d been stood up in the middle of nowhere in exchange for a sorry waste of manhood. That stung more than I liked.

Chapter 34

Rawson

Four days had passed since Damon ruined my ride with Lizzie. All over a false alarm. Because of his idiocy, Liz now gave me the cold shoulder. Not that I blamed her.

“There you are,” I called, acting as if I didn’t already know where she’d been hiding. I held up my phone. “Bryce Levanson’s having trouble with the sorrel mare we sold him. I told him we’d come out to help.”

Her face scrunched into an adorable pout. “You go. I’m kind of busy.”

“We’re all busy, but customer relations come first. He asked for you by name, said you’re the best.”

“Oh, Mylanta,” she muttered.

“Stop talking about antacids and go spruce up, boss.”

She shook her head, but I caught a smile.

By the time Liz crawled into the cab of my truck, I was twitchy as a mouse in a cheese factory. “My, my. Don’t you look nice.”

“Stop being a ding-dong.”

“I’ve never been called that before.” Lizzie’s dated slang cracked me up. “Sing-song, Ling-long, Qui-gon Jin…but never ding-dong.”

Lizzie giggled. I found her tamed giggles adorable, but longed to make her laugh hard so those seal-barks would erupt. Those were my favorite.

Throwing my Ford into drive, I pulled away from the stable. “I haven’t cussed once in your presence since we made our deal,” I said to make conversation.

“How many times have you cussed outside my presence?”

I grinned. “I believe they use a symbol that looks like an eight turned sideways to count that high.”

She snickered.

“I’ve held up my part of the bargain. What about you?”

“I’ve done a stellar job not listing my deficiencies.”

“Tell me three new things you love about yourself.”

Lizzie groaned. “Not this again.”

“Hel—ck yeah.”

“That was close enough to count. You lose.”

“You can’t count helk as a swear word. You’ll never find it in a dictionary.”

“No, but you’ll find hell in there, and that’s what you said before you added a hiccup at the end.”

“Hellll-o. Did you just swear?”

“Stop it,” she laughed. “You’re such a goober.”

“Goober? I haven’t been called that either. Now loober, toober, boober.”

She leaned over and covered her mouth. “Stop.”

“Why? I’m hoping to hear the seal escape.”

When she half barked-half huffed, I pulled onto the side of the road as my own mirth rendered me incapable of driving.

“You did
not
just call me a seal.” She swatted my head.

I lifted my hands to protect myself. “Hey, it’s better than heifer.” I chortle-snorted. It wasn’t pretty sounding, but it did what my words couldn’t. Lizzie’s full inner seal escaped. More of my snorting guffaws followed, feeding the cycle. The harder we tried to stop, the more we laughed until she added hiccups between her barks that made tears roll down my face. Who knew laughing could be such a workout? I had stitches in my side and felt as though I’d finished an intense ab routine.

Lizzie blew out a long breath. “I’ll never laugh again now that I know you think I sound like a seal.”

“That would be a travesty.”

She folded her arms and looked out her window.

“Has Chance asked you out yet?”

An eye roll. She had that down to an art. “He’s not going to ask me out.”

“You are so naive. Pretend I’m him and have just convinced you to give me a pity date.” I played with the front of my hair and gave her a toothy grin. “So I paid for two tickets to
Iron Man
and my loser friends just ditched out on me…so that friendly, casual group date I led you to believe we were going on just ramped up to toasty hot on the romance scale.”

I slid across the bench seat and wrapped an arm around her. When she stiffened, I leaned in and said, “Play along. You don’t want to hurt Chance’s feelings. It takes guys a truckload of courage to ask a girl like you out.”

She swallowed hard. “That’s why I won’t say yes in the first place.”

I ran my fingers along the top of her arm, noticing goosebumps flare up clear down to her wrists. And there was no mistaking the hitch in her breath. My touch already put Mackay’s to shame, and I wasn’t even trying.

“Too late,” I whispered. “Show me how to let a guy down easy without annihilating his young passionate heart.”

“Rawson, uh—”

“I’m Chance.”

“Chance, I’m…uh…flattered, but not comfortable with your…ahh!”

She practically choked as I blew gently in her ear. “I don’t think Chance would do that,” she wheezed.

I nuzzled her ear. “Me neither.” For some odd reason, I had the strongest urge to pull her close and work my way down from her adorable ears to her graceful neck. My gaze flicked downward. Oh my. Her neck might be the most tantalizing I’d ever seen…not that I’d ever noticed necks before; I was usually guilty of looking further south as she’d once accused. Pulling back slightly, I winked. “It might be good for you to practice with a pro.”

“You?”

I waggled my brows. “Can you think of anyone better?”

As she gave me a deer in the headlights look, I brushed my thumb along her jaw. “You have the most gorgeous brown eyes.”

She blushed as though I’d complimented her perky chest, which I would totally do if I didn’t think she’d slap me. But she took everything too seriously.

“I could get lost in them.”

She scoffed. “They’re just plain brown.”

“Nothing’s plain about you, Lizzie. There are flecks of gold in your irises.”

“Liar, liar, pants on—”

I lowered my lips to hers, silencing her. It was a natural reaction; I didn’t even think about it. Her lips were as soft as I’d imagined, but I’d barely sunk into them before she shoved me back with her hands.

“What are you doing?”

I blinked and shook myself out of my trance. What
was
I doing? She was my freaking boss.

She clambered out her door as though escaping a serial killer.

I jumped out after her. “Wait up! Shiiiip!”

She turned to level a scowl at me. “You cussed.”

“I said ship. Like the boat.”

“I know what you meant.”

“And I know what you mean when you say heck, crap, freak, and dang.”

She folded her arms across her perky chest. “Why did you kiss me?”

“Because you looked like you needed it. Vanilla doesn’t do it for you. Rocky Road’s too shy to make a move. So blue Bubble Gum to the rescue.”

“Bleack, agh, ick!” She made spitting sounds. “Does that look like I needed it? I’m going to have to scour my mouth for germs.”

“Save it, sweetheart. I could have Ebola and you wouldn’t have contracted it from that pathetic contact.”

She put her hands on her hips.

“Not saying your kiss was pathetic, but honestly, our lips hardly touched. That’s the pathetic part.”

“And they’re not going to either. I’d rather kiss a Wookie.”

I threw my head back and laughed.

At that moment, a white Ford F-350 barreled over the hill and pulled up alongside us. Abe, the ranch foreman, stuck his head out the window.

“Anything the matter?” He glanced over at Liz and tipped his hat.

I answered before she could humiliate me. “Liz dropped one of her headbands out the window. We’re just looking for it.”

“Need help?”

“Nah. We’re good. Don’t want to keep you.”

As I waved him away, Lizzie huffed. “A headband? That’s the best you could come up with? I’m still wearing mine. Why didn’t you tell him the truth—that you pulled over to seduce me?”

I smirked. “Why didn’t you beg a ride off him to escape if you’re so upset?”

She pouted. “I didn’t think about it until he drove off.”

“Stockholm Syndrome.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve become attached to your abductor and secretly want to kiss me.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Most girls do.”

“As much as I admire your inflated confidence, you’re way out in left field.”

“You want to make out in the field?” I pointed to a crop of alfalfa. “I’m allergic to grass, but I’m willing to brave it if you are, baby.” I started walking toward her, but she stomped her boot.

“Be serious!”

I made smoochie lips at her. “Oh, I am, darling. I am.”

She pushed me out of the way. “Don’t we need to get to Mr. Levanson’s?”

“That we do.”

As I climbed in beside her, she glared at me. “Keep your hands and lips to yourself, fresh guy.”

“Whatever you say, Stockholm. All I was doing was preparing you for more flavor. You know Chance is going to ask you out someday.”

“And I’m going to say no.”

I chuckled to hide my chagrin. All I’d done was given her a simple kiss. It hadn’t meant anything. She should’ve been grateful. I excelled at the sport. Yet she acted as if I’d tried to steal her virginity.

The drive into town produced all sorts of awkward. I didn’t know quite what to say after being accused of seduction. Didn’t she realize I’d only been playing? She was cute. That’s all. And her lips begged me to taste them. But the girl had made an atomic bomb out of a sparkler.

Somehow, we managed to pull off normal while we worked with Bryce and his new mare, but as soon as we sat in the cab of my pickup again, tension prickled between us like a downed power line.

“Do you want to grab a bite to eat?”

“Uh, I don’t think we—”

“Look, can we forget about earlier?” My bruised ego sure wanted to. “I’m starving, and by the time we get back, supper will be over.”

“All right, but I’ll pay for my own meal.”

I took her to my favorite hamburger joint and let the stubborn woman buy her own meal. When I sat next to her in the booth, she squirmed into the corner.

“Rawson, this is inappropriate. You and me—”

“It’s dinner, baby. Everybody does it.” With her trapped, I scooted closer, trying to tease her out of her foul mood.

“Stop messing around. You’re acting like this is a date.”

I waggled my brows. “It is. August 13th to be exact.”

“Stop crowding me.”