Olivia
The day had passed uneventfully, and I decided to spend the afternoon in the hot tub. I’d hoped Sadie would show up, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was hard not to feel alone as I sat in the hot tub by myself. I’d expected to spend more time with Lucy on this trip, but she and Austin and run off to some cabin together almost as soon as I’d arrived.
Amelia was in the kitchen cooking up a storm with Ranger, and Beau was somewhere on the ranch with his other brothers. I knew I could call Sadie and see if she wanted to hang out, but I didn’t know her that well, and I didn’t want her to think I was the sort of person that always needed to be with someone. I wasn’t. Usually, I enjoyed being alone, but thinking about the fact that Lucy was never coming back to New York made me sad.
She was my best friend, always had been, and now she was gone. Of course, I was happy for her. In fact, I was so excited for her wedding that I could barely contain myself. When I told other friends in New York where I was, they were completely flabbergasted to hear that I was in Montana, let alone that Lucy was staying here.
I tried to tell them how beautiful it was, but they didn’t want to hear about the majesty of the mountains. I guess I understood. If you’d asked me even a couple of months ago, I would have scoffed at the thought of visiting Montana. But I liked being here. I liked these people. I liked the serenity of nature. And if I was honest with myself, I liked Beau, even though he was one of the most annoying, arrogant, and frustrating men I’d ever met in my life. And that was putting it lightly.
Of course, because I was thinking about him, he would show up; that was just my luck.
“Hey, there,” he said in his deep drawl as he walked out onto the deck.
I popped my head high. “Hi,” I said simply, because I didn’t want him to hear my voice trembling as my heart raced.
He was absolutely gorgeous. If he’d wanted to be a model or an actor or even president of the United States, he could have been. With a smile and eyes like that, he could have anything he wanted, including me. Not that I would let him know that.
“So, you’re just chillaxing in the hot tub?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I was hoping to go clean out the stables, but I said to myself, ‘Why don’t I let Beau clean out the stables, and I’ll just chillax in the hot tub instead.’”
“I mean, if you want to help me in the stables, I’m not going to say no.” He grinned, his eyes sparkling. “I was actually thinking about you in the stables as well . . .”
I grinned back. “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind my help. And what were you thinking?”
He chuckled slightly at my question and looked me up and down.
“You like horses?” He took a seat on the edge of the hot tub as he changed the subject.
I felt slightly self-conscious as he looked down at me. I wasn’t wearing a provocative swimsuit, but I was still showing a lot of skin. “I do like horses,” I said, which was true. I loved watching movies about horses. I’d never really had much interaction with them myself.
“So, you want to go riding after dinner?” he asked.
I was about to say, “Yes, I’d love to show you just how fast I can ride.” But as soon as I got on a horse, he’d realize I was lying. “So . . . I don’t actually know how to ride.” I gave him my most beguiling look. “But I wouldn’t mind learning.”
“You don’t know how to ride?” He frowned. “You came on a vacation to Montana, and you don’t know how to ride?”
“Well, I didn’t come on a vacation. My best friend is getting married to your brother. That’s why I’m here.”
“But they’re not getting married yet.”
“But they are getting married soon, and she wanted me to visit.”
“It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m just surprised, is all.”
“Are you willing to teach me?”
“Are you a fast learner?”
“Well, I don’t know if I’m going to be a fast learner because I haven’t gotten on a horse yet.” I shook my head. “Forget it. If you don’t want to teach me, then—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll teach you,” he interrupted me. “I’m just saying.”
“You’re just saying what?” I rolled my eyes. “It’s a good thing you guys don’t run a resort here because I don’t know how many people would want to take lessons from you.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not going to be the instructor at the resort we’re building on the property.”
“You’re building a resort on the property?”
“Yeah. Why do you look so surprised?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just wouldn’t have thought it would be your kind of thing.”
“Why not?”
“Because you guys have such a close-knit family. I guess I just assumed you’d want to keep everything in the family, but you do have a lot of land.” I could tell from the expression on his face that he didn’t like what I was saying.
“Yeah. We have a lot of land. But what’s that got to do with anything?” He leaned down and looked into my eyes. “You don’t happen to work for the corporation that we’ve—”
“Seriously, Beau?” I cut him off this time. “Do you really think I work for any company that’s interested in buying this land? You know that I’m Lucy’s best friend, and I came here from New York.”
“Fine, fine, fine. Maybe you’re not. Maybe this isn’t a long con.”
“It’s no con, dude.” I stood up and made to get out of the hot tub.
“Where are you going?” he said.
“The water’s not very hot, and I think I’m going to get a shower. I want to get ready for our ride.”
“What ride?”
“You just told me that you’re going to teach me how to ride.”
“I said after dinner.”
“Okay. So I’ll get ready for after dinner, then.”
“You are a strange one, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. I think you’re the strange one.”
“Could be.” He shrugged. “Could be.” He looked me up and down, his eyes twinkling. “So.” He licked his lips.
“Yes?” I answered him, wondering if he was going to pull me into his arms and kiss me. It would be a bad idea, of course, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be tempted if the situation arose.
“Are you okay?” His voice interrupted my crazy thoughts.
I felt my face grow warm. “Yeah. Why do you ask that?”
“You looked like you were a million miles away.”
“No, I was just thinking about what sort of job I’m going to apply for when I get back home.”
“Okay then,” he said. “Well, I’ll let you think about that. I’m going to go into the kitchen and get myself a snack.”
“Is your mom going to like that?”
“She’s not the boss of me,” he said with a laugh. We both knew full well that his mom was the boss of everyone in the family. “You want anything?” he asked.
“No, I’m okay. I’ll see you at dinner.”
He nodded and walked away.
I wrapped myself in a towel and gazed at the sky, wondering what I’d gotten myself into. What was this whole thing between us? We weren’t exactly flirting, but we were more than just being friendly. There was an underlying tension between us that I hadn’t felt with a man in a long time. And I liked it. I enjoyed the banter. I enjoyed being around him. I wanted to touch him. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted so many things, and yet it seemed like such dangerous territory. He was the last person I should be flirting with. The very last person.
I knew Lucy would understand. But I also knew that it could complicate things for our whole dynamic. If he and I hooked up or had a fling and then fell out, what would that mean for the future? Would Lucy have to choose a side? If it came down to it, I was sure that he would win. Not because she liked him more, but because he was in Montana, and I’d be in New York. She’d be around him constantly. How could I ask her to choose her best friend over her husband’s brother?
No, I’d have to keep my distance. Be sweet but firm. And no flirting, no matter how badly I wanted to.