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My shrug is completely unbothered. “You needed the antibiotics. I had the means of getting them for you.”
“How did you get in?”
“A man can’t reveal all of his secrets.”
“Chance Steven Benson! Tell me this instant.”
“Careful,” I groan while a full-body shudder rolls through me. “I find it extremely arousing when you’re feisty.”
She presses her lips into a thin line, but I can see the humor dancing in her eyes. “Thanks to you, I need to find a new place to live. Somewhere that takes security seriously.”
“My house it is.”
Laughter bursts out of her before she can slap a palm over her mouth. “Dammit, you’re incorrigible.”
“Is that a yes on moving in?”
“No!” But her shoulders are still quaking with amusement.
“Fine,” I grumble. “I’ll settle for making you laugh.”
Regardless of what Gemma says, she doesn’t mind me pushing the limits. Not really at least. I’ve seen her mad beyond reason. This isn’t anywhere close.
“Thank you.” It sounds like expressing gratitude physically hurts her.
Meanwhile, I’m beaming. “Does this mean you’ll let me stand guard through the rest of your shift?”
“Only if you want me to call the cops.”
“Understood.” I push off the counter.
She watches me back toward the door, stopping to give Betty Lou a farewell treat. “Are you just going to hide in another blind spot?”
“Nah, too predictable. I’ll be admiring you from a safe distance behind my windshield.”
Gemma’s narrowed focus slides to where my truck is parked just outside the front window. “You’re going to stay there for three hours?”
“With pleasure.” My smile has returned to match the pep in my step. “Call if you need anything or feel free to answer my texts.”
I’m walking across my parents’ lawn to where my horse trailer is hooked up to Big Red when my phone pings. A smile splits my lips before I even read the text. Two more appear in rapid succession.
Heartbreaker: It was awesome when we used to plan out rodeo routes together.
Heartbreaker: Rodeo routes pair well with meadow memories, but I also want them to be part of our future.
Heartbreaker: Speaking of that, we should visit our meadow. It misses us.
The man has no issue sending me multiple messages without ever getting a response. Any other guy would’ve labeled me as not worth the effort. If they ever cared enough to try in the first place.
Meanwhile, I’m still trying to keep my distance from Chance. That doesn’t erase the hard truth, which is getting more difficult to ignore. The ache in my chest pulses like a living, breathing reminder.
I care about him. Deeply. It eats me up inside and that constant gnawing is getting worse with his relentless efforts.
When he abandoned me and our friendship, I never thought I’d get over it. Hell, I’m still not over it if my reactions to him are any indication. He used to be my person. It’s difficult to forget that even after all the pain he caused. I also can’t overlook the playful side of Chance that he lets slip around me. He never showed those goofy, irresistible charms to anyone else. Or maybe that’s changed.
Gosh, I’m pathetic. Chance pays me a bit of attention and I’m swooning like one of his buckle bunnies. My grin twists into a grimace and I tuck my phone away.
When I’m about ten feet away from my horse trailer, noise from inside the living quarters portion stops me in my tracks. It sounds like someone is in there. My gaze quickly roams around the otherwise silent farm. I take a tentative step forward as my heartbeat spikes through my chest.
