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I didn’t know if I could find another room for the week. Hadn’t checked and wouldn’t. I trusted Melvina and therefore trusted Wilde and his house felt good.Peaceful. I needed to feel good.
“And shall we not forget, you spent a month in a bungalow in Thailand with a man you didn’t know simply because it was by the water.”
“You’re not me. You’resensible, I’m not. I think I see what’s happening. Is he a cowboy?”
“Well, yeah. Why?”
“He’s sexy, isn’t he? The jeans, boots, hat, and body built from hard labor kind of sexy I bet.”
“He’s verycowboy sexybut that has nothing to do with why I’m staying. It was either this, struggle finding a hotel in a bordering town, or come home. Neither were appealing options. I need this time away, Summer.”
“I know,” she said quietly. The only reason my sister didn’t push too hard about getting in the way of my trip was because she was concerned. The meltdown that had cost me my job had been a long time coming but she had no clue. My sister was a bit selfish so she rarely saw beyond her own needs.
I knew I was on the edge. The anxiety and stress had been too much for years but I never said a word because the embarrassment of not being able to manage kept me silent.
My family was proud of me. I was the lawyer in the family. A far cry from my sister who floated from job to job doing whatever made her happy. I, on the other hand, had to be the one to live out dreams my parents couldn’t.
I was handed the role of giving my parents something orsomeoneto be proud of at the cost of my own happiness. It all got to be too much which was how I’d ended up here. I needed a break. I needed something simple. At least for a while.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.
I smiled and nodded even though she couldn’t see me. The two days on the train had been magical. No stress, no panic attacks, even when I thought about how disappointed my parents were going to be when they found out about my failed career. And when I pulled up on the ranch,hisranch, I felt like I could breathe, truly, for the first time in years.
“I am. I promise, please don’t worry.”
“Sorry, you’ll have to demand something else. You’re my sister, my only sister. I’m going to worry.”
My smile expanded and I cradled the phone to my face, gripping it tighter. “I know and I love you for caring.”
Finally.
“Love you too, but I need you to make me a promise.”
“Okay.”
“Two actually.”
“What?”
“Check in. Call, not just text. I need to hear your voice.”
“Voice message,” I negotiated. I didn’t want to call my sister everyday and feel the lingering weight of her worry.
“Fine, twice a day and keep your location on, no matter what. On your phone and iPad. Promise me, Shore.”
“I promise.”
“Okay then. Have fun and if he truly is cowboy sexy then consider riding him. That’s what you’re supposed to do anyway. Ride ’em cowboy.”
I busted out laughing. “Why the hell would you say that?”
“Because it’s a thing. Save a horse. Ride a cowboy.”
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was already on my mind but I was not trying to get caught up focusing on riding Wilde.
A Wilde ride.
