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“Is there a horse inside?”
He could hear the interest in her voice then. It was still laced with that same disdain he’d gotten used to, but the curiosity was there. Lucas peeked over his shoulder toward her. “There are two horses in there. Saddled and ready to go.”
Her eyes sparked with surprise, but that was the only reaction he caught. And just like that, he knew he was back in the game. He hadn’t met a single woman who couldn’t resist goingfor a horse ride. It didn’t matter if they grew up in Copper Creek or if they grew up in the city. They all loved animals.
“You brought horses for a walk?” she hedged.
“Why? Does that change things?”
She worried her lower lip and glanced away. “I can’t remember the last time I went for a ride on a horse.”
“Yeah?”
Ella nodded. “I live in town. What do you think?”
He turned to face her fully. “I think that if you haven’t been riding since you were a kid, then it’s high time you get out there and see what you’re missing.”
She didn’t move right away. Her sharp gaze drilled into him, and that spark evaporated just like a firework in the sky. “If I go on this ride with you, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Lucas made a face. “Seriously? Not that again. We went to lunch, and nothing came of it. Look, I’m not asking you to go with me because I want you to like me. Okay, I want you to like me a little, but not inthatway. Based on our history, I would wager that neither one of us would survive going on even one date. I just thought that…” He tilted his head again, and one side of his mouth pulled into a half-smile. “I guess I thought it would be nice for you to get out there and enjoy yourself before we got to work. A happy boss is easier to work for than an uptight one.”
Ella scoffed. “Hey! I’m a decent boss.”
“You have your moments,” Lucas admitted. “But there are also moments when the guys think you could ease up a little.”
Her mouth fell open. “They didn’t say that!”
He shrugged. “I guess you’ll never know, right?” He grinned and nodded toward the door. “Come on. The guys still won’t show up for a while yet. If I promise not to talk to you, will you go?”
She considered him for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes seemed to dive past all his defenses right down to his core. Hewasn’t sure why, but he fidgeted beneath her stare. What could she see that he wasn’t prepared to share with her?
That was a dumb question. She couldn’t see anything because there wasn’t anything for him to hide.
Ella groaned, tossing her head back as she did. “Fine. I’ll go for a ride, but you have to promise to keep your mouth shut.”
He pretended to lock his lips.
“I mean it, Lucas. No—” She cut herself off and blushed deep scarlet.
“No what?”
“Nothing,” she mumbled, turning on her heel to head outside.
He hurried after her, catching up just as they reached the door. “What were you going to say? No what?”
She made an attempt to escape through the small entrance, but he blocked her like he had before. Ella rolled her eyes. “No flirting, okay? I don’t need that kind of distraction in my life. I don’t have any interest in dating you or even going on one date.”
He snorted. “Why do you keep going back to that? Fine. I promise. I won’t flirt. I won’t ask you out. I’m not interested either. You’re not my type.”
She huffed. “Yeah, I know.”
Before he could demand that she explain what she meant by that, she’d slipped through the door. Lucas caught up to her when they got to the trailer. She had her arms crossed and kept looking in any direction but directly at him. That was fine. He’d won this battle, though it left him with more questions than he was thrilled to admit.
Lucas opened the trailer, pulled the horses out one by one, and then handed the reins over to Ella. He offered her his hand, but she gave it one look and climbed into her saddle without any assistance.
That was fine. He was slowly getting through to her, and he could see it. That was all that mattered.
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