Page 35 of Tinsel in Telluride

“I’m sure it’s amazing.” The compliment sticks to the roof of my mouth, but I mean every word.

Luca nods and turns toward the house. He takes two steps before he stops and his shoulders slump forward with the weight of a sigh. Turning back around, his crystal blue eyes connect with mine, this time soft like snow instead of sharpened into ice daggers. “Since the proposal is done, would you like to come with us?”

I might as well be a fish out of water with the way my mouth gapes. If I wasn’t caught off guard by his question, the emotional whiplash would have killed me.

“Is this you speechless?” Luca chuckles. “Because I think it’s my second favorite view of you.”

“Do I even want to know the first?”

He shrugs. “It might surprise you.”

“I doubt that,” I say, shaking my head. I absolutely do not need a reminder that he’s seen me face down, ass up.“Thank you for the offer, but I should read through this proposal. And I’ve got Zach to think about.”

Luca closes the space between us in two of his long strides and grabs the proposal from my hand.

“Hey!” I try to grab it back, but I’ve got nothing on his six-foot-four wingspan.

“You can have it back later.” Luca folds it back over and shoves it back in his pocket. “Does Zach have a jacket and snow pants?”

“Well yeah, but?—”

“Do you?”

“Yes, but?—”

“Then you are both set. He’ll love it, and I get the feeling you don’t take a lot of time to slow down and take in nature.”

Nature, yes. Spending half the summer at the Renegades Hearts summer camp up in upstate New York, I am well acquainted with nature. Though he might have a point when it comes to slowing down.

Still, with all the uncertainty between us, I’m not sure it’s a good idea.

Luca smiles, waiting for my answer and my stomach flips in a way it has no business doing.

Why couldn’t he have been smug and ugly instead of confident and gorgeous?

In a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control, I cross my hands over my chest and dig my heels in. “I thought you said you were too angry to be around me.”

He nods. “I’m still too upset to talk about co-parenting, but I’m pretty sure I can manage being around you for the day if you think you can.”

I cock a brow.

“What if I promise not to talk about the paternity test, or Zach’s parentage?”

“Considering the way you bit my head off back in the kitchen, I’m not sure I believe you.”

He mutters a string of curses under his breath, and for a moment, I think he’s about to give up his quest.

Instead, he doubles down.

“Today is supposed to be about celebrating life and friendship. Even you and your type A perfectionism can understand that. Plus, we both know spending the day with us will be more fun than reading a proposal and staying cooped up in the guest house.”

He’s clearly never spent time with an almost two-year-old, because there is no way I am going to keep that kid cooped up. I’ve already looked up every park within walking distance of the rental.

“Plus, Zach will love seeing the horses.”

Damn him for resorting to using my son’s obsession with horses against me. Which he only knows because my best friend couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“I’m still?—”

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