Page 12 of Heart & Hope

“We’ll take Huddo’s truck. It knows these hills backwards.”

When we reach the old Chevy, he opens the door for me, and I climb in. The door closes, and he walks around the front of the vehicle and hops in. With a flip of his hair, he starts the engine and backs away from the barn.

“So, lived here your whole life, Reed?”

“Born and raised. But don’t hold that against me, will ya?” He winks, and I roll my eyes at him.

“I wouldn’t dare,” I finally say, looking out the window.

“Wouldn’t you?”

Are we still talking about the same thing?

“How far are Addy and Hudson going?”

“Not sure, maybe to the river. But we have to take the long way, no loping across pastures today, Miss Ruby.”

“Do you ride, too?”

“Yup, kind of a mandatory skill round here.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess it is. I’ve ridden a couple of times with Addy, when we were younger. Before...”

Do I tell him about the accident? Do the Rawlinses know the details of that day? It has affected Addy for so long. If she doesn’t want them to know everything, I won’t be telling them.

“Yeah, I bet,” Reed simply says. “Addy said you two were like sisters.”

“She did?”

I can’t flatten the smile that lights up my face. Of course she did. But it still fills me with happiness every time someone brings up the fact that Addy loves me like a sister. And I guess it also stings a little. I have actual sisters. None of them treat me the way Addy always has.

“Addy’s somethin’ else. I know Hudson likes having her around,” Reed says, but his eyes don’t leave the road. I take a moment to study him. Big hands grip the wheel, forearms flexing as the road tosses the wheel side to side. His pale blue Wranglers are fitted, the checkered shirt he’s wearing has the sleeves rolled up, white t-shirt underneath. The top three buttons are undone. He’s sexy, and he’s not even trying.

As if he read my stupid, wandering mind, his green eyes flick to meet my gaze. “You okay?”

I shoot my focus back to the road ahead and grip the door handle, the other hand holding the front of the seat as the truck lurches a little to the left. “Sure, all good.”

He chuckles softly. And I fight the urge to turn back and see the smile I can hear in his voice.

Shit.

Rule numero uno, Ruby Robbins.

No distractions.

Tell that to the hammer in my chest right now.

When we finally turn with the road and head toward a line of trees that flanks the river, I sit up straighter. Addy is still sitting on her horse as we roll to a stop. Hudson stands at her side,looking up at her.Addy, girl, if you can’t see the way he looks at you, you’re blind.

It’s like he’s going to fall apart if she so much as breaks a nail.

“Shit,” Reed mutters, his face twisted with worry, eyes locked on Addy. These two guys... they’re all heart. He shoves the truck into park, rushing from the vehicle, and rounds the front to open my door. With another cheeky grin, he crooks an arm, and I slide mine through. We walk to where Addy is still sitting on the horse.

“You okay, Adds?” Reed says, the grin slipping from his face.

“Yeah, a little achy.”

Hudson glances up, brows dropping, head tilting.

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