My phone pinged again, and both Abi and I looked down at the screen.
Wyatt
Oh, I have your schedule confirmed—all settled there. And I forgot—what episode are we on?
I didn’t pick up the phone to answer; I just let the banner go black with the rest of the screen before I made eye contact with Abi. Her eyebrows raised.
“We’re friends,” I said again.
“You’ve said that four times now.” Kyla gave me a side glance as she moved Poppy to her shoulder.
“I’m trying to get it through your head.”
“Just being frank here.” Abi leaned back in her chair. “You’re not fooling me.”
“Me either,” Kyla added, her voice raised to appease Poppy, who buried her face in her mom’s shoulder, her fist working to get to her eyes.
I sat back and watched as Rhett came out to take his daughter, giving Kyla a kiss on the temple before humming into his daughter’s ear. Shortly after Rhett disappeared into thehouse, Kyla said goodnight to us and followed him. Abi offered to walk back with me to the main house and stables, and on the way, her phone rang, and by the blush on her cheeks, a dead giveaway that it was Cash on the other side. I could see the light in both of their eyes, and even though I kept telling myself that Wyatt was just a friend, I was having a hard time fooling myself, too.
Wyatt opened the bunkhouse door, actually wearing a shirt this time, and his smile spread across his face. I made it to my truck, took one look at the bunkhouse, and without even thinking twice, I bypassed my truck and the next thing I knew I was knocking on the door. He had shown up to my house every night for the last few months, always with food and drink, and here I was… empty-handed. I raised my palms in the air.
“Pretend I’m holding a pineapple pizza and a six pack.” I took a step into the threshold. “We’re on season two, episode thirteen, by the way.”
“Ah, right.” Wyatt shut the door, following me into the living room.
I had been in his place above the bunkhouse once, and even then, I mainly stayed in the kitchen, but I took in my surroundings. It was probably no more than five hundred square feet, the living room and kitchen sharing a space, the queen-sized bed just a few steps to my left. It was nothing special, nothing to fawn over. No part of it screamed Wyatt Hartwell. I twisted my lips and plopped on the couch in front of a small flatscreen.
“This is where you bring girls?” I asked, instantly regretting it.
“I haven’t brought a girl here—or been to a girls' place”—he plopped down next to me—“in months.” He tossed me the remote. “Season two, episode thirteen. How was girls’ night?”
“Good,” I replied, cueing up the episode. “I mentioned the book club.”
“Yeah?” He raised his brows. “What did they say?”
“That we should join one that meets at the local bookstore. Abi said they read mainly spicy books.” I gave him a sideways glance.
His eyebrows raised even higher. “Oh…really? If you have TikTok, you can get some great recommendations from there.”
“No. No TikTok. And I won’t be joining the Smutty Grannies.”
“The Smutty Grannies? Oh, that's fantastic, and I really think you should join.”
“I won’t be doing that.”
“Come on, you can’t just live off of rodeos andOnce Upon a Timeyour entire life. Join the book club.”
“There’s more in my future than a TV show and rodeos, you know. I’ll have to retire sometime.”
“Tell me.”
I met his gaze. “Tell you…what?”
“Your future. What does your future hold after you’re retired, after we’re done watching this TV show?” He shifted himself on the couch so one leg rested between us, his knee close to mine, his arm draped on the back of the couch.
My future. I could count on one hand those who asked me what I wanted to do with my future. My dad, my first boyfriend Orion, Cash, and now Wyatt. I licked my lips…did I want to tell him? Telling him about my mom was easier than this. This dream was mine and mine alone, but the look on his face, theeagerness he was showing to hear everything…I trusted him to hold it close, too.
“A horse sanctuary,” I answered, my voice soft.
