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For a second, my breath gets all tangled up in my lungs, but eventually, I just wrap my arms around her waist and squeeze her sweet body back.
“Happy birthday, Leah,” I say, grinning down at her. “Now, let’s go enjoy this party, shall we?”
“Yes, please.”
As we head into the lodge and start chatting with everyone in attendance, I can’t deny that her reaction was far more than I could’ve ever imagined.
It was priceless. And it makes me want to do more shit like this for her.
Fucking hell, I’m starting to think I’d do just about anything to see that kind of happiness in her eyes.
July 16th, Friday
Leah
“So, that’s the grumpy cowboy,” Carla says over her glass of wine, and Taylor nudges me with her shoulder while a big goofy grin sits prominently on her face. Both of them have their eyes fixated on Rhett, who currently stands on the other side of the room, chatting with Tex and another man I don’t recognize.
This is the first moment since Rhett caught me by absolute surprise with a birthday party that I’ve had a chance to chat with my friends. And the fact that he flew them out here and they dropped everything to be here makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
“That’s him,” I answer. “Rhett Jameson. The grumpy cowboy.”
“He doesn’t look all that grumpy now,” Taylor comments, her eyes still looking across the room. “I mean, he threw you a freaking surprise birthday party.”
God, I still can’t believe he did this. To be honest, I felt like bursting into tears over how sweet and thoughtful it was. No one has ever done something like this for me.
“For real, Tay,” Carla agrees and meets my eyes with a pointed stare. “Though, the last we heard from you, he was a dick and you guys didn’t get along. Something’s not adding up.”
I shrug. And take a sip of my wine.
“Did you seriously just shrug at us? No explanation. No updates. Just a freaking shrug? We’ve been demon-texting you for an age with no answer—and before you say you had no service, consider that we’re standing right next to you now—and you’re going to try to hold out on us?” Carla scoffs. “You better fess up, girlfriend. Right quick.” She eyes me with a look that says, If you don’t give us an update, I’ll resort to violence.
“Fine. Relax. No need to get bitchy.” I hold up one hand in the air on a laugh. “So, I guess you could say things have changed since I last talked to you guys. Which, by the way, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’re glad to be here too, but let’s focus on the important shit,” Carla declares. “What is going on with you and that cowboy? And why in the hell have you not updated us on any of this insanity?”
“My questions exactly,” Taylor agrees, tossing her long red hair over her shoulder. “We texted you like one million times.”
“Which is why I’m currently super pissed at you,” Carla states and pokes me in the shoulder with her index finger. “The last time you even tried to contact us was back in freaking June. It’s July, by the way. And from what I heard from Sam on the flight over here, your ass was even in Salt Lake around the Fourth.”
Whoops. “Sorry about that.” I cringe. “In my defense, when I was in Salt Lake, it was because Rhett’s dad had a heart attack. So, my mind was pretty focused on that.”
“Well, I totally forgive, but only if you spill the freaking beans.”
“Same,” Carla agrees with Taylor. “You’ll officially be forgiven if you tell us what in the hell is going on with you and that hot-as-hell man. I mean, I didn’t even know men like him still existed. It’s practically criminal they’re hiding them all the way out here. He makes the men in Salt Lake look like the MySpace of the dating pool.”
“Wait…does that mean he’s the Instagram?” I furrow my brow. “Or the TikTok of dating?”
“Well, I know he’s definitely not the Facebook or Twitter,” Taylor comments on a laugh. “Otherwise, I’d just feel sad and angry when I look at him. Which I don’t. I only feel incredibly jealous that one of my best friends is possibly getting to ride that stallion.”
“For real,” Carla snorts, but then she fixes her gaze on me. “Please, for the love of everything, fulfill our dreams. Tell me you’ve done the nasty with that fine-as-hell man.”
“Well…” I pause. “Not to disappoint, but it hasn’t gone that far yet.”
Which, honestly, should actually be considered a crime. I’m a walking, talking, living, and breathing ball of horny these days because of it.
“Hasn’t gone that far?” Taylor inquires with narrowed eyes. “But it’s, like, gone places, though, right?”
