Page 30 of Sweet and Wild

“It’s gonna take a little getting used to.”

A slow smile plays on her lips. “Well, would you look at us, finally agreeing on something.”

“We used to agree on everything.”

“We were different people back then.”

“I guess we were.” I let out a bone-weary sigh and decide it’s time to change the subject. “The fence is just up over this rise.”

“I remember.” She flicks the reins and Teraway races off, disappearing from sight.

A beat later, we climb off our horses and get to fixing the fence posts. The sun beats down on us as we work. After more than an hour of manual labor, I take off my hat and wipe my brow. Down the embankment, sunlight shimmers on the surface of the water, taunting us with the promise of a cool dip.

Lemon’s gaze follows mine and she grins. “Think we have time for a sneaky swim?”

“Nope.”

She screws up her little button nose and folds her arms over her chest, then she surprises me by smiling. “God, how I missed this place.”

“Bet there ain’t nothing like it in New York.”

“No, sir. There is not.”

I head to my horse and slip the thermos from the saddlebag before pouring a cup of sweet tea.

I offer it up and she takes it from my hands, bringing the cup to her lips. Before she drinks, she pauses and says, “You’re not tryin’ to poison me, are you?”

I roll my eyes and snatch it back, downing the liquid in one go. I pour another cup and thrust it toward her. “No poison.”

“I was kidding …” She shrugs and looks away sheepishly. “Mostly. I wouldn’t blame you, ya know?”

“For poisoning you?”

“For being angry.” She leans up against the fencepost and stares at me.

“I’m not angry,” I lie. “I’m not anything anymore.”

“Right. Me too.”

Jesus. Why are we lying to one another like this? I’m fuckin’ livid, but she’s moved on. She was going to marry someone else, and what I feel, what I want doesn’t matter anyway. She’s back home to bury her father and then she’ll be gone again. Back to New York. Back to her life that doesn’t involve me. “So, what’s this fiancé of yours do?”

“He’s an oil tycoon,” she mutters as if on autopilot, and then shakes her head. “Was.”

“He’s no longer tycooning oil?” I say with a forced grin. I don’t wanna know this shit. If I had my way, I’d strangle the asshole. But I don’t know how else to talk to Lemon, and I can’t handle the silence between us when we used to have so much to say.

“No. He is, or his family is. Stav just sits around board meetings pretending to give a shit. But … he’s … no longer my fiancé.”

I glance up at her then. Flaming hair and cool blue eyes meet mine, and all I want is to remove the distance and years between us. “Why not? You skip out on him too?”

“No. He cheated.”

I whistle. “I bet that went over well. I know how you feel about cheaters.”

“With my best friend.”

“Ah, hell. I’m real sorry to hear that.”

She cants her head to the side and studies my expression. “Are you?”

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