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“I could eat.” He said it with such nonchalance that it caught her attention again. This time, she didn’t allow herself to dwell on it. They headed for the chili booths and picked out which ones they wanted.

She picked one that had a lot of chopped veggies and was made with chicken instead of beef. Chet picked the one with no beans and some kick. They also grabbed some cornbread and headed for the tables.

There were more people dancing by now, and it caught Chet’s attention. She glanced over her shoulder toward the dance floor. Plenty of beautiful women out there enjoying themselves.

She wouldn’t say she was jealous, really. But when she considered their future as friends, she was a touch nervous. One day, Chet would find a woman he loved. He’d woo her, date her, make her his. And where would that leave Lydia?

Right now, she couldn’t picture herself dating anyone. It wasn’t only the rodeo cowboys that she was shying away from. Lydia wasn’t sure she’d be able to trust herself with finding love anytime in the near future.

“What are you thinking about right now?” Chet asked, leaning back in his chair. It couldn’t have been comfortable. The chairs they were sitting on were the plastic folding monstrosities that most activity committees rented. His eyes were locked on hers, though, and for a moment she could read the amusement in them. “You gonna go ask that guy to dance?”

She stiffened, and her head whipped around to see who Chet was talking about. Her eyes collided with a man who was on the other side of the floor. She didn’t recognize him, so he was either with the guys who came and went in the rodeo circuit, or he was a tourist. He flashed her a grin and on any normal day, she might have smiled back, flirted a little.

Today was different, though. The air had changed. She couldn’t explain it. One thing was for certain, she wasn’t going to admit what she was really thinking about. Chet wouldn’t let her live it down if she admitted to a sliver of jealousy over his future with whatever lucky girl he found. Because whether she liked it or not, she’d be pushed out.

He kept his eyes on her, not pushing, not egging her on. A sadness came over her as she thought about losing this connection they had. It wasn’t proper to have a best friend of the opposite sex when one was married or in a relationship. Even if it was innocent, people would talk.

Lydia lifted a shoulder. “No.”

“No?” Chet almost sounded shocked. He leaned forward, his hands clasped together on the table before him. “Wasn’t that the whole point of us coming together? So I could be your wingman?”

She flinched inwardly. No longer did she want to think of him that way. One day their friendship would be different, and she didn’t want to squander what time they had together. “Maybe that was just an excuse so I could spend time with you.”

He went still, and she lifted her eyes to meet his. Lydia couldn’t read him. She couldn’t tell if he was surprised or put out by her statement. Did he think she was being clingy? Shoot! Had he caught on that her friendship with him was a shade more than innocent? That latent crush had never gone away. She scrambled for the right words just as he opened his mouth. “You’re my best friend, Chet.”

His mouth closed and a muscle in his jaw jumped. Then he settled back on his chair and a smile surfaced. It didn’t reach his eyes, even as he murmured, “You’re my best friend, too, Lydia.”

Why did that come off as placating? She wasn’t normally so suspicious of him and yet she couldn’t escape the sense that he was holding back on her. It irritated her to no end.

Lydia nodded, forcing a smile of her own. She kept her eyes trained on her chili, but she’d lost her appetite. She wasn’t such a martyr that she’d ask him to take her home. She still loved his company and how he made her laugh. After they were done eating, she’d make sure she enjoyed herself fully. They could play some games, and she might even convince him to dance with her.

That made her smile a little more genuine.

Chet moved in his seat, but she didn’t look up. Then a small thud sounded on the table next to her paper bowl. Her focus dragged to what Chet had placed between them.

Her heart nearly stopped. Chills prickled all over her body.

Sitting between them was a small horse figurine. It was carved and about two inches tall. Rearing back on its delicate hind legs, it looked almost exactly like Misty, right down to the gray coloring.

Lydia’s eyes darted upward to meet his. His expression was guarded, but one side of his mouth was tilted slightly. “Chet…” she whispered with awe, as she reached for the figure. “Where did you…”

“I went back and asked if he had any gray ones.” Chet took off his hat and scrubbed at his hair. It was a nervous tic of his. He placed his hat back on his head and peered at her in earnest. “Do you like it?”

She blinked back tears. She wouldn’t cry. Nope. She refused. Because this was who Chet was and it shouldn’t have surprised her in the least. He knew her better than she knew herself. “I love it,” she admitted. “Thank you.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“That’s it. Easy. Don’t try to move in on her too fast. Yeah. Just like that.” Chet held back as Lydia approached Misty. Apparently, she trusted women more than she trusted men. They’d have to work on that eventually, but for now, he wanted her to get used to interacting with people.

Misty was far too skittish for Chet’s liking and each time Lydia got close to her, his muscles bunched with nerves. Jason would never forgive him if his sister got hurt.

Heck, Chet wouldn’t forgive himself.

Over the last couple of weeks, it became more and more clear that a line had been crossed somewhere. He wasn’t sure when it happened exactly. He just knew that it had. His heart felt like it was being torn in two completely different directions.

On one side he wanted to take the leap. He told himself he trusted her, and it’d be worth the risk to confess his feelings. But on the other hand, he had a clear picture of what it’d cost.

His life as he knew it would change irrevocably. The work he had with Jason. The job at the training barn. Even his friendship with Lydia. All of it would be snuffed out or put him in a difficult position of having to decide if he was going to stay or go.