Page 46 of Head Over Spurs

She had herself fully believing it too by the time she reached Sterling Vineyards. Then as she weaved up the drive through rows of grapevines, her thoughts stilled. It was marvelous here—the vineyard enclosed by mountains, the low sun casting orange and pink across the valley. Tucked away in the back sat awooden lodge boasting two stories of glass and chandeliers gleaming from inside. The sight was stunning, and she made a mental note to thank Riley for suggesting it.

Jules parked and reached for her phone to tell him where she was, so they could walk in together. He had offered to pick her up but she’d insisted on arriving separately, in case he needed to make a getaway from her drama.

Before she could get her phone out though, there was a knock on her window. With a slight start, she turned to find Riley standing there in a crisp, pale blue button down and his hair freshly trained back from his face, no hat in sight.

“Look at you all cleaned up,” she remarked as she climbed out. Closing the door and leaning back against her car, she studied him head to toe. “While I prefer you looking like the Riley I know, this blue is really nice on you.”

His eyes sparkled as he took her in, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Well, none of my looks have anything on you. Juliette, you’re gorgeous.” He took a step towards her, his hands dragging down her bare back. “I especially like the backless thing you have going on with this dress,” he added in a low, alluring tone.

She took a step closer as well, reaching up to undo the top few buttons of his shirt. Adjusting the opening, she ran her fingertips down the chain around his neck. “Now you look more like my Riley,” she murmured to herself.

When his grasp around her tightened and he dropped his lips to her temple, she had a feeling the words reached more than herself. “YourRiley, huh?” he rasped against her hairline. Then before she could respond, he kissed her head and turned towards the winery. “Ready?”

She took a steadying breath, unsure if it was necessary for the impending dinner, or the way he was making her insides feel like slush. “As I’ll ever be.”

Keeping one hand on the small of her back, he led her through the parking lot. It was a mild night, a gentle breeze catching the hem of her dress as they moved, and his palm felt warm pressed against her.

Stopping short of the door, Jules turned to him. “You know, there was a time when I would have never believed you if you said I’d dread this. My family was my everything. That won’t be my mom in there, not really. And whatever she says about my dad tonight, it won’t be accurate. He’s not a bad guy, just determined.”

Riley nodded, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing. “There’s something to be said about a man and his foolish pride.”

From the tone of his voice, it sounded like he had his own experiences with foolish pride. She wondered what those first few months of recovery were like for him, she wondered how he handled the news he couldn’t do what he loved any longer. Suddenly, she felt a pang of regret for leaving the hotel room before he woke that morning. Would they have stayed in touch? Could she have been there for him?

Pulling the winery door open, he promised, “Say the word and we’re out of here.”

“Should we have made a code word?” she whispered back, spotting her mom across the way.

“You just give me thatlet’s get out of herelook,” he replied with a grin. “Same as that night in Texas.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t protest. Not when the mention of their night together flooded her with heat. It would be so easy to give him that look again.

Trying to clear the memory, she turned her attention to the scene before them. Sterling Vineyards was beautiful inside. They passed under the second story walkway with a towering fireplace and headed towards the center of the room lit up bythe breathtaking crystal lighting. Weaving between the white cloth tables with small wildflower arrangements and tea light candles, they headed for the back corner of the space. Her mother had managed to snag the best table in here on a crowded summer night—secluded, overlooking the vines, and the back porch didn’t obstruct the sights.

She noticed that heads turned as they made their way over, everyone clearly interested in Riley’s presence. “You have fans,” she murmured to him.

His hand returned to the small of her back as he leaned in. “This town likes their rodeo. But I think you’re the one turning heads tonight looking like a cowboy’s dream.”

A shiver ran through her as his breath tickled her ear in tandem with his thumb sweeping up her spine. Her senses were overwhelmed by his presence, only stoking that heat further.

“Riley, right? It’s so lovely that you came along,” Francine said, rising to shake his hand before pulling Jules into a stiff hug. “Tell me, how do you know my daughter?”

They all took a seat at the round table and Riley leaned back in his chair before replying. “I’m the wrangler at Hayes Ranch. I have the pleasure of working closely with her this summer.”

To anyone else, he would still appear relaxed and pleasant with that lazy smile on his face. But she could see it in his gaze as his eyes shifted over to her. There was a discontent simmering there, a guardedness. On her behalf?

“Well, aren’t you lucky, getting more time with her than her family.” Apparently, Francine was in a mood tonight. “I barely got this dinner.”

Riley’s jaw tensed. But before any other words could be said, the server appeared at the table.

“Welcome y’all—oh, Riley. What a treat to have you here,” the pretty brunette purred. Her eyes glanced around the table,finally noticing the rest of her patrons. “Are you here with your girlfriend?” she asked, her voice icy now.

“Maren,” her mother read the server’s name tag politely. “I’ll be ordering a bottle of this lovely special edition you’re advertising—for the table.” She lifted the foiled card from the centerpiece and pointed at the cabernet listed.

Jules’s shoulders relaxed as she watched them bend their heads over the specials list, her jealousy settling back down.

With her mother distracted, Riley reached over and squeezed her knee under the table. There was amusement in his eyes once again—either at her jealousy or the fact that Maren had referred to her as his girlfriend, she couldn’t be sure. All Jules knew was that she was going to need more than one bottle of wine for the whole table.

Maren excused herself without another word about Riley or Jules, and a beat of silence hung over the table. Everyone waited for someone else to bring up the tense conversation that had started. But Jules was more interested in why Francine had tracked her down with a surprise visit.

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