Page 32 of Ocotillo Kisses
He nodded, and turned to collect his mother, hoping she was ready to leave, because after making a fool of himself like that, he sure was.
Chapter Thirteen
Whathad she agreed to? Britt saddled Lonesome Dove, the horse she’d been riding since she’d come out to spend time with her grandmother. Her own horse from her girlhood, Silver, had long since passed away, but Dove was a good gentle horse for someone who hadn’t ridden in a few years. She’d kept to the fields within sight of the house, though, since she’d been back. She wasn’t nearly as daring these days as she’d been in high school.
She had to accept Con’s overture if she wanted peace. She’d thought maybe he’d just made the invitation because he’d had a few beers, so she’d texted him this morning. He responded right away, reaffirming his invitation, telling her Caleb had decided not to bring his daughter out, which was fine because she couldn’t ride very far yet.
She wished she would have called instead, because that way she could tell by his tone if he actually regretted issuing the invitation.
She headed down the path she’d always taken between the two ranches, and was glad to see the gate was still in place. When she’d been a girl, she and Silver would jump the fence, but she didn’t know Dove well enough to know her capabilities, and she hadn’t jumped a horse in a really long time.
So she passed through the gate like an adult, and across the path that had grown up with disuse. She’d come this way a few times a week back when they were young, or he’d ride over to her. She’d always preferred to come to his house. It was a lot less chaotic than her house, with its multigenerational population.
But in the summer, he’d preferred to come to her house since she had a pool. Maybe they’d end up back there today. She couldn’t help but wonder what grown-up Con looked like in a bathing suit. He wore those snug t-shirts that gave her a good idea, but still, she wouldn’t mind getting an eyeful herself.
What would her grandmother say? She hadn’t told Millie she was going riding with Con, just that she was going riding. She didn’t know how it would go, and she’d be just as glad if no one knew, and wouldn’t quiz her on the outcome.
Two dogs started running toward her on the path, seemingly out of nowhere, and Dove shied. Only years in the saddle had Britt responding automatically, drawing the horse up, smoothing a soothing hand on her neck. Once she got the horse calmed, she looked up to see Con approaching over the rise in land she’d forgotten was there. He set his teeth on his lower lip and gave a sharp whistle. The dogs responded immediately, pivoting to join him.
Dove didn’t react well to the whistle, either, and by the time Britt had her calmed, Con had joined her on the trail.
“Sorry about that,” Con said. “I shouldn’t have brought the dogs, but they were ready to get out and run.”
She looked down at the two dogs, the black and white one a shoulder higher than the little hyper tan one. “Who do we have here?”
“The bigger one is Polka, the little one Daisy. Daisy’s just a puppy, but Polka’s been trying to teach her some manners.”
“Pretty girls.”
“My buddies,” he said. “Where did you want to go?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I thought I’d meet you at the house and we’d go up the hill behind the house.”
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure, we can still do that.” He turned his horse around with a slight move of his hands.
No doubt he was thinking of all the hours they’d spent on that hill, alone. Private. “Sorry, was I running late?”
