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“Good morning, party animal,” Isabel said with a grin. “How are you feeling?”
“Absolutely sober.” He made a point not to look away from her so she’d know he hadn’t forgotten a single thing about yesterday. Particularly about the date.
“Lucky you. It’s a birthday miracle.” She wiped her hands on a towel then her gaze shifted to Blaze who had sat on his haunches beside Jackson. “Hmm. He only sits calmly beside me usually.”
Jackson ran his hand over the fur between the dog’s huge ears. “I think he remembers me.”
“You’re hard to forget.” Isabel’s eyes widened and her cheeks pinked as if she couldn’t believe she’d said that aloud.
But she had and Jackson savored every word.
“You know what else is hard to forget?” Jackson asked. “That you owe me an answer to an important question.”
“Do I?” She glanced at Charlie who quickly disguised the glare she’d been sending Jackson. “What question was that?”
“The date question.”
“Do you have a plan for this date?” Charlie asked, and Jackson wished she’d take a hike. Sure, she was looking out for her best friend, but his intentions were genuine. She could cut him some slack. He wasn’t the same person he’d been when she’d last seen him, and hurting Isabel again was the last thing he wanted to do.
“I do.” He shifted his gaze back to Isabel when he realized Charlie didn’t intend to leave them alone. “Horseback riding. Today. If you don’t have plans, that is.”
Interest sparked in Isabel’s eyes and he mentally patted himself on the back. The Isabel he remembered couldn’t say no to activities where animals were involved and it seemed that was still the case.
“Do I have plans, Charlie?” Isabel asked.
Shit. If she left this decision up to Charlie, he was probably fucked.
Charlie walked a circle around him and judging by the tiny upturn of Isabel’s lips, her friend was doing something behind him. He forced his body to stay facing Isabel, not wanting to suggest he cared what Charlie thought.
But he did. Charlie and Isabel had been inseparable as kids. Each of them was an only child and they’d bonded like sisters. He’d always loved that Isabel had a tight friendship like that, but today he wasn’t sure it would work in his favor.
A little laugh escaped from Isabel while Charlie was still behind him, but she quickly schooled her features.
What is Charlie doing back there?
Finally, Charlie circled to his front then leaned against the kitchen counter. She narrowed her eyes so only he could see the warning. “I guess you’re free today, Isabel.”
“Okay,” Isabel said. “Can I meet you in an hour, Jackson? I’d like to do a couple things for my grandfather first.”
“Sure. Come next door when you’re ready.” He turned to leave, not wanting to press his luck with Charlie. When Blaze followed him, he paused and said, “This guy can come too, if he’s feeling up to it.”
Blaze lifted a paw and Jackson shook it.
“I guess he’s interested,” Isabel said. “Thanks for inviting him.” She escorted him—thankfully without Charlie—to the door and opened it. “Hey, sorry about Charlie.”
“She’s looking out for you. It’s good to have someone like that.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
The little smile she gave Jackson told him maybe she looked forward to seeing him in an hour.
He loved everything about that smile.
****
The lush green landscape flew by as Isabel and Clover galloped on the trails crisscrossing Christian’s farm. Jackson was behind her on Zip and though taking in the view of a sexy Henley astride a horse would have been nice as they rode, she couldn’t seem to hold back from letting Clover pick up speed. She hadn’t been horseback riding in some time. She’d asked Scott repeatedly back in Pennsylvania to go, but he didn’t like large animals. He was more of a parakeet person, which was fine, but Isabel had always loved bigger and fluffier creatures, hence her choosing a dog like Blaze who was currently walking along behind the horses, enjoying the outdoors at a slower pace.
Zip and Clover were beautiful horses and she could tell they were well loved by Christian. He’d had the two horses ready for Jackson and Isabel and a small bouquet of wildflowers had been tucked into Clover’s saddle. She had a feeling that was Nicole’s touch, but as Grandpa had pointed out, these Henley brothers were pretty slick so Christian or Jackson could have orchestrated the flowers too. All Isabel knew was this date was off to a fantastic start.
