“Okay,” I said, desperate to change the topic. “I’ll go once on Saturday and see how it goes.”
Hannah’s face lit up. “You’re going to love it. Devon has some incredible horses. I hope you’ll figure out that he’s harmless and a pretty nice guy once you see through his bravado.”
I highly doubted that, but I could get through an hour or two in his company to make Hannah happy.
I felt more than a little guilty because I couldn’t share everything about myself with her.
Hannah, Lauren, and Anna had become good friends to me, but I wasn’t being entirely honest with any of them.
Anna was an incredibly famous pop star who was married to Kaleb Remington.
Lauren was like a sister to Tanner.
I adored all of my new friends, but there were just things I couldn’t share with any of them, and that bothered me.
A lot.
There had never been anything mysterious about me before I’d moved to Montana.
I was honest.
I considered myself a good friend.
So my lack of truthfulness was wearing on me, but I didn’t have much of a choice.
“I really don’t hate it here,” I told her sincerely. “I don’t regret my decision to move to Crystal Fork. I was grateful when you offered me this job, and the challenge of getting a new business up and running has been good for me.”
At least that comment was entirely true.
Crystal Fork was a quirky small town, which actually appealed to me, and everyone had been so kind and genuine.
Well, except for the man who was a thorn in my side.
I’d never lived in a town as small as Crystal Fork. It had taken some time to get used to, but the longer I lived here, the more it grew on me.
“You’ve been invaluable as a manager, Reese,” Hannah said genuinely. “But as a friend, I worry about you sometimes. I’m not sure why, but you seem a little edgy and cautious at times. I understand that because I lived in Seattle for years. I guess we’re just more cautious when we’ve lived in a metro area. I’m hoping you’ll feel more relaxed as time goes by.”
“Salt Lake City isn’t as big as Seattle,” I told her. “But yeah, it’s different here.”
I’d use any excuse I could find to explain my wariness, and Hannah had given me a good one.
God, I hated my life right now, but I was hoping things wouldn’t go on like this forever.
“I’m getting out on Saturday,” I added in a lighter tone, trying to stall any further discussion about my lack of a personal life.
She beamed. “I’m overjoyed you’re going to learn to ride. You’ve been talking about it for months.”
I’d actually be happy about it as well if I didn’t have to have Devon Remington as an instructor.
I’d always loved horses, but I’d never learned to ride. The closest I’d gotten to riding was being led around on a pony as a child.
Try not to let him get to you, Reese.
I let out a long breath and wondered how I was going to accomplish that.
Devon did get to me, and his constant questions about my personal life made me squirm in my seat when he was here in the office.
Something told me that he knew how much it bothered me, which just encouraged him to keep asking more questions.