Page 80 of Ocotillo Kisses
Chapter Twenty Eight
Condecided he couldn’t wait to see what it was Britt had meant about needing to talk, so the following morning, he saddled two horses and headed over to her ranch, along a path he’d ridden for years, but not in a long time. He crossed through the gate, rode up to the house. There was no place to tie up the horses that wouldn’t damage Millie’s garden, so he dismounted near the cars on the drive, and looped the reins over the bumper of the older Escalade Millie didn’t drive anymore before he headed up to the house.
Britt opened the door, dressed in shorts and a long shirt over a tank top, looking all of about sixteen.
“Con! What are you doing here so early?”
“I thought we could go for a ride before I take my mom to church.”
She looked past him to the horses. “Before church?”
“Sure, just a short ride. I felt like we didn’t get to really talk last night, and we won’t really be able to at The Wheel House later.”
“Talk about what?” She stepped out on the porch and closed the door behind her. “Did you have breakfast?”
“Ranchers’ hours,” he said, not wanting to admit he hadn’t slept much last night since she arrived. “Yeah, I did. Did you?”
“Grandma’s making it now.”
“I thought you were here to take care of her.”
“Well, it doesn’t always work that way.” She looked down at her bare legs, her bare feet. “I’m not really dressed for riding.”
“I can wait.”
“No, you can’t,” she said, smiling. “That’s why you’re here. What do you want to know, Con?”
“I want to know why you came back.” But as he said the words, his heart was thundering. Did he really want to hear her answer?
She propped her hip on the porch rail. “I came back because this is where I want to be.”
“You couldn’t leave here fast enough before.”
“I’m not that person anymore. I came back and...I saw what I wanted now.”
“And what is it?” He had to hear her say it. He needed to know where he stood in her plans. And he needed to let her know where she stood in his.
“I want a future here.”
Was she having trouble putting her thoughts into words, or was she just worried at his reaction?
“What about Houston?”
“I told you, I made plans to take care of my business.”
But she hadn’t cut ties with it. He wondered if that was because she was worried about how he would react to her coming back, or if she wanted an out in case she changed her mind. He really wanted to ride, because he was worried she would turn back into the house to escape answering him. But no, she wasn’t dressed for riding. And he needed to know.
