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I had no regrets.
“Do you need a hand up?” I asked London, but she mounted Jessica without any trouble.
“You’re going to have to lead the way,” she said.
“That’s fine by me.” I hefted myself onto Debs’s back and slid my feet into the stirrups.
Meanwhile, London had already walked Jessica out of the Corral and turned back toward us.
“Don’t wait up,” she called to Kate, and winked.
I urged Debs out of the Corral and past London, who smiled eagerly. We rode together down the drive and then I took charge, showing her the way to the Castle River track. It was lesser known than others in the area, so we had the place to ourselves. We talked about our days as we headed down the valley, and then paused at a clearing near the river and let the horses much on grass while we unpacked our picnic dinner. I’d made a simple meal of salad rolls, diced fruit, and a couple of different types of cheese with crackers. When we were full, we checked that the horses were content before picking our way over the rocks and to the water’s edge.
London reached the river first, and she straightened and put her hands on her hips as she watched it flow by. I allowed my gaze to journey over each of her slender arms and sink to her cute little ass. She stiffened and leaned forward, as if she’d spotted something in the water. The rock moved beneath her feet, and I lunged forward, able to see what was coming before she’d noticed it was happening. The rocks shifted, she lost her balance, and tumbled toward the river. I grabbed her arm just in time to stop her from getting wet, and I swept her into my embrace. She clutched my chest, breathing heavily.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured. “You’re okay.”
To my surprise, she laughed. I looked at her quizzically. Her eyes were twinkling with amusement.
“You certainly do have me,” she said. “I’d better keep you around.”
I steered her away from the edge, keeping her close, and when we were a safe distance away, I pulled her into a hug. “You gave me a scare.”
She nuzzled closer, and when she spoke, her mouth moved against my chest. “I would have been fine if I had fallen. Just a little wet. But I’m glad you caught me.” She drew back, and in her eyes, I could see the same yearning I had right before she’d tried to kiss me yesterday.
This time, I was the one to take the initiative. I touched my mouth to hers, enjoying the small gasp that passed between her lips. She pressed closer, and I kept an arm around her lower back to support her. Her lips parted, and I stole a quick taste of her, wanting to imprint the moment in my memory as fully as possible.
We separated for a moment, then she made a sound in the back of her throat and pulled me in for another kiss. This one was deeper and more demanding, leaving us both breathless.
She buried her face in the crook of my neck. “I’m not ready for our date to end yet.”
“I know how you feel,” I admitted. There was nothing I wanted more than to draw out our time together for as long as possible, but we needed to get back before darkness descended. “Why don’t you come over to my place for a drink? No pressure for anything else.”
She smiled shyly. “That would be perfect.”
We mounted the horses and rode them back to the stables, then spent a little while taking care of their needs before taking our respective cars into Destiny Falls. I parked in the drive and she pulled to the side of the street. We were like teenagers as we hurried to the house, pausing every few steps for another kiss. I slotted the key into the lock and ushered her in, shutting the door behind us. I captured her lips in another kiss, pinning her to the wall, and that was when a throat cleared behind us. I stiffened and, shielding London with my body, slowly turned. My mother stood in the hallway, one hand on her hip and humor gleaming in her eyes. My stomach sank. So much for a romantic night with London.
“Hi, Mum.”
8
LONDON
My face feltlike it was on fire. I couldn’t believe Cal’s mother had seen me making out with her son. I’d pretty much been trying to climb the guy. I couldn’t meet the woman’s eyes as Cal stepped aside so she could finally see me.
“I’m so sorry,” Cal said. “I had no idea she’d be here, I swear.”
“Of course he didn’t,” his mother agreed, barely containing her laughter. I supposed at least she was seeing the humor in the situation. If my parents had caught me like this, they’d have been mortified. “It’s been a while since we saw each other so I dropped by.”
I forced myself to look up, although I still couldn’t meet her eyes. Cal’s mum was short and skinny, with graying blonde hair and a washed out complexion. The resemblance was clear, but she was lacking the vitality that he exuded.
“I wish you’d called.” His tone was tight. “I had a date tonight.”
“So I see.” She still sounded amused. “Are you going to introduce us?”
I held out a hand and raised my eyes to hers, relieved not to see any disapproval in them. “I’m London McNally,” I told her.
“Ah, you’re the girl who started the horse trekking operation just out of town.”
