Page 57 of Thaw My Heart

The fresh air, surr­ounded by horses, wildlife, and a stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains… I’d be happy to stay at Lone Pine Ranch for the rest of my life.

My phone vibrates on the wooden coffee table in front of us, but we ignore it.

“I’m not surprised, considering you’re surrounded by attractive cowboys all day,” she winks at me.

I smile. “There is that.”

“But I don’t know… spending every day straddling a horse while covered in dirt? It doesn’t sound fun to me.” She brushes lint off her leggings as if dirt and dust offend her.

I stifle a laugh. Averie isn’t built for ranching life, but that’s okay. I could never be a singer or perform on a stage. We’re different people, but I feel that our hearts still beat the same. With the same fire deep in our souls.

My phone vibrates again, grabbing our attention.

Averie glances at it, smiling. “Speaking of straddling… is Blake upset that I’m occupying your time tonight?”

Reaching for my flip phone, I scroll through Blake’s messages, ignoring my discomfort from Averie’s remark about straddling. As great as that would be with him, it makes me feel anxious just thinking about it. “He’s at the bar with his friends. He says to have fun tonight.”

Averie smiles. “That’s sweet.”

“He is,” I confirm. Sweeter than I deserve, and one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. Not to mention he’s handsome as hell, a pure gentleman, and a fun person to hang out with. But after two dates, I’m still not sure if I feel that way about him, that I want anything more than a friendly relationship.

Something must be deeply wrong with me.

The wires in my brain must’ve crossed in the worst way, because here I am with a rugged man like Blake Dalton, and yet I’m holding back. It should be a crime against women everywhere.

“It’s a shame you don’t really like him,” Averie grins.

“I like him,” I defend. Damn, how can she see right through me?

“Have you kissed him yet?” she challenges.

A lump forms in my throat. “Well, no.” Even I’m mad at myself for that fact. I need to get my shit together.

“Is it because you still want someone else?” Her smile turns into a smirk as she glances at the frosted window towards Kit’s house.

Deep crimson flushes in my cheeks. “What? No.” But she doesn’t look convinced. “He hates me. He won’t even speak to me. He runs away at the mere sight of me.” Literally something he did three days ago.

“And when you think about kissing Kit, how does it make you feel?” she pushes.

Heat swells inside, threatening to burst. “It makes me feel…” But just the thought of him and the attraction I have for him makes me feel guilty as fuck. “Look, it doesn’t matter because he hates me,” my arms dig into my ribs.

All that everyone has been talking about for the past two days is the fact that Kit was promoted. Except he didn’t seem particularly happy about it, but when was Kit ever happy? However, he has been working himself like a dog, so maybe there’s a small part of him that wanted it… that wanted to work for it.

“Besides, he’s the Ranch Manager now,” I add.

“And that’s bad because…” Averie struggles to understand my reasoning.

“Well, he’s the manager now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes over someday.” Cash Harlow is supposed to be the next heir, but I haven’t seen him since he tried to dance with me that night at the bar. And to be honest, Kit’s a much better fit for this place than that fancy-suited man.

Regarding my feelings… it’s better that I don’t cross lines that could ruin my chances of staying here. No matter how much the thought of him burns me up inside.

“So, if you marry him, all of this could be yours?” she grins.

Her words sit like ice in my chest. “That’s not helping.” It would be a dream come true to have a permanent place on this ranch… but marriage? That’s an absolute fuck no. Never again. I’d rather run butt naked in the street. “I’m not looking for marriage.”

She eyes me up. “Then, what are you looking for?”

Fun. Freedom. Unlimited marshmallows for the rest of my life. “Not commitment,” I confirm.