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it was an emotion he wasn t used to.
So instead of facing the issue, he focused on bandaging her up. He had to think. That s
the only thing that would help right now. They were about an hour away from the house
now, or maybe a little more, depending on how slowly they went. And they d gotten such
a late start.
He was quiet as he finished up, and then he looked at her and took a deep breath.
 You re going to have to ride on my horse on the way back.
He knew that was going to test every ounce of endurance and control he had in his
body. Because now wasn t the time to see how much chemistry the two of them had
together.
She gaped at him, and took in a few of her own deep breaths.  I ll be fine on my own
horse.
 Sorry, Princess. You ride with me, or we both walk, and I m telling you, we re a long
way from the house if we go by foot.
He was firm, and her eyes narrowed. He knew she hated it when he called her
Princess, and she also hated to be told what to do, but it was something she was going to
have to get used to. She deserved that name. Besides, he had to create distance
between the two of them if he was expected to ride with her pressed against him for the
next hour.
 Whatever, Colt, she said at last, though her body was tense as he helped her to her
feet. She was limping when he led her over to his horse, and he knew she was in more
pain than she was letting on. This wasn t going to be a pleasant ride for either of them.
The sun was getting low in the sky, and they d be lucky to make it back to the house
before it set. Gathering the reins to her horse, he tied a lead rope on, and then helped
Brielle up on his horse before joining her and setting out toward her house with Brielle
sitting in front of him  with her curvy ass pressed against him.
This was going to test him to the very limits. They were silent as they rode the miles
back to her place, and Colt recited every church hymn he could remember. It was a good
thing his mother had made him attend Sunday school for so many years. Maybe it was
time to start going again.
Conversation. They needed to have a conversation.
 Where did you grow up?
Brielle was quiet for so long that he thought she was just going to ignore him. When
he d given up, she finally spoke.  In Maine. It was a small seaside town, but I loved it as
a kid.
 And did that change? he asked when she paused a while.
 Everything changes, she said with such a sigh that he felt it run through him. What
was her real story? When she was silent for a while longer, he decided to speak about
himself.
 I grew up right here in Sterling. Loved it then, love it now. This community, while very
small, has the greatest people you will ever want to know. I could go anywhere, but I
choose to stay here.
 Have you ever left?
In the moment, Colt didn t even think about the fact that he was supposed to be a
ranch hand.  Yeah, I ve done some traveling. I got my MBA at Harvard. Met some of my
best friends there. To this day we re still as close as brothers.
 Harvard? You went to Harvard and you re a ranch hand?
Crap! There was the thing about lying again. He was silent for a minute while he tried
how to answer as honestly as he could.
 I had amazing parents, the best in the world. They died five years ago while on
vacation in Oregon. Black ice. I was devastated. But I worked hard in school, got
excellent grades, and played basketball. That was honest, at least.
 Wow. That s impressive, Colt. But why ranch if you have an MBA from Harvard? You
could go anywhere with that, make so much money.
 I grew up here, and I love it here. I knew when I went to college that I would come
back home. That was also true. She just didn t know he was extremely wealthy. She
didn t need to know that right now. Maybe never. Well, that wasn t true. She would have
to know when he bought her land.
 I went to Brown, she admitted shyly.
 You re pretty impressive yourself, Brielle. Colt didn t add that he was surprised to
hear it.
 I don t tell too many people, because I didn t finish. I had one year left, English major.
I once thought I would write for the New York Times, or USA Today, and then I thought
maybe Time magazine. Then, that dwindled to a fashion magazine; then it all just sort of
fell away. Her voice trailed off in embarrassment.
 Why? Why would you quit if that s your passion?
 Probably similar reasons to yours, though not as noble. I had a bad experience at the
end of my junior year of college and I wanted to go home. I hadn t planned on returning
home, but after that, I tucked in my tail and ran, and home is where I landed. My
relationship with my father and brothers was already shot by that point, but I still knew I
could come back; I still knew it was a safe zone.
 Was it a guy?
 No, nothing that typical, she said with a laugh that he was glad to hear.  I had a
professor I didn t get along with, and a roommate who betrayed me. Really, I think back,
and I know it was stupid to leave. I know I should have just moved out of that
apartment, and transferred out of the professor s class, but I was spoiled and frustrated,
and&  She trailed off as she thought about past decisions.
 I think all of us make choices in life that we wish we could take back. Those choices
don t define us, though, Brielle. If we learn from them, we grow.
She was silent for a while after his words, either processing them or rejecting them.
Colt wished he could see her face, read her expression. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]