I break the kiss and look out the window.
A horse gallops past the truck, kicking up dust. The rider is hunched low over the mane, wearing a blue hat.
It’s Walker. He lives next to Levi’s ranch. He waves a hand as he passes, not slowing down.
The dust settles, and I look back at Sedona.
Her hair is a mess. Her shirt is askew. She looks thoroughly kissed.
My heart swells.
I run a thumb over her cheek.
“So,” I say. “Do you want to go back to the clinic? Or…”
I’m giving her an out. I am giving her a choice.
She looks at the clock on the dashboard. Then she looks back at me.
A slow smile spreads across her face. It’s mischievous. It’s sexy as hell.
“I pick or,” she says.
I laugh, a full-bellied laugh. It feels good.
“Or it is,” I say.
I shift the truck back into drive and pull onto the road.
But I don’t head toward the clinic. And I don’t head toward the ranch.
I head toward the creek. The spot where the willows hang low, and the water runs cool.
I have thirty minutes, and I plan to make them count.
I reach over and take her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. She squeezes back.
She’s mine… at least for now.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Sedona
My heart is racing so fastI can feel it in my throat.
Tex pulls his cap off and ruffles his hair. The dark strands catch the sunlight filtering through the trees.
He looks younger without the hat. Less guarded.
He tosses the cap onto the dashboard and turns to me.
“Come on,” he says.
He opens his door and jumps out. I follow, my boots hitting the grass.
We’re at the edge of the property, where the pasture gives way to woods. The creek runs below us, but Tex isn’t heading down to the water.
He walks toward a trail I haven’t noticed before. It winds up a small ridge, hidden by a thicket of mesquite.
