“Right? I think that could be said for us all, though. What do you think about her? Honestly.”

“That she’s kind of stuck up on her own pedestal. I probably need to get to know her better, though.”

“Yeah. Coax her down, and she’s cool.”

They grabbed their bags, exited the truck and headed toward the building. From what he could see through the glass wall, looked like they would have it mostly to themselves, which was a good thing. A few people were walking on treadmills or working the ellipticals.

“What’s going on with her?” Brian swiped his card key and pulled open the door. “You put me under the gun; now it’s your turn.”

Damn. He couldn’t help the Cheshire cat grin that spread across his face when he thought about seeing her again. Touching her, tasting her. She was the last damn thing he needed right now. There was all the crap over Raina, the band, his nana. But she was the only thing he had to look forward to. The only thing that made him think he would get through it all okay.

That was…scary.

“I’m just gonna let the chips fall where they may, brother.”

Chapter Twelve

Macy’s parents’ ranch lay on the outskirts of town, nestled away from the rest of the world within a solid barrier of pine trees. She maneuvered the winding tree-lined driveway in her Acadia with Jason Aldean serenading her from the stereo, shaking off the stresses of the workday. There had been many.

Ever since getting her business degree, she’d managed her parents’ local outdoor-sports store while they mostly enjoyed retirement. It was a good gig; she couldn’t complain. But there was a certain employee who was getting a lot of complaints lately, and she wouldn’t abide that. It wasn’t her favorite thing to fire someone, but it looked like it was coming to that. She’d need to talk to her dad about it.

But this had always been her oasis, the place where she could leave everything behind. She looked forward to the days when she gave Jared’s six-year-old daughters, Ashley and Mia, their riding lessons. They were eager students, which made them a pleasure to work with. The girls reminded her a lot of herself at a similar age, fascinated with the beautiful equine majesty, determined to harness all that power any way she could. That fascination had fueled her for years, and she wanted to pass on what was left of it to anyone willing to accept it.

She turned a corner, and the unfamiliar sight of Jared’s massive, gleaming red Chevrolet dually pickup came into view, parked near the arena. Macy frowned. Usually his mother brought the girls for their lessons, which was fine with her. It dispensed with any awkwardness, and Mrs. Stanton would stay around and chat with Macy’s mom until they were done. Their frequent visits with each other had been how Macy ended up roped into this deal in the first place, but she didn’t mind that.

What she did mind was unexpected encounters with her first lover, and memories of her most serious, longest-enduring relationship, when she had a date with Seth tonight.

“Great,” she muttered, pulling around to the old-fashioned red barn and parking beside the truck. Ashley and Mia had taken up residence on a bench by the duck pond, their favorite spot aside from the arena. They hadn’t even noticed Macy drive up. Their dad stood with one boot hooked in the fence, talking on his cell phone. He turned and waved when he saw her.

This so wasn’t what she needed. Jared Stanton was as single as they came now, and she remembered how he’d told her he wanted to dance with her at the bar the other night. It didn’t seem like a coincidence that he’d shown up this evening.

He’d always been just the sort of man she could really see herself settling down with. Stable, dependable, devoted to his kids. Someone with all her interests…heck, if she sat down and drafted a compatibility checklist, she could check off every box. On paper, he was perfection. And hot to boot.

They’d broken up not long after Macy had her accident. He’d wanted to be by her side but she’d chased him away in her anger and bitterness. He embodied too many memories of a life she’d turned away from. Shortly afterward, he married another girl in a rush. Macy had cried for days. When his twins were born only five months later, it all came a little clearer. He’d been trying to do the right thing, but in the end it was a dismal failure. His divorce had only recently been finalized.

“Hey,” he said as she got out of her car, and quickly ended his call. Thanks to the very erratic Texas winter, it was considerably warmer today; she barely needed her light jacket, and he was wearing a blue flannel shirt that brought out his incredible eyes. “About time you showed up.” A maddening dimple dug into his cheek. No way she couldn’t return that grin.

“What? I am so not late. You, however, are half an hour early.”

“Miss Macy!” the girls shouted in unison. Their ponytails, one brown, one blonde, flew behind them as they scurried over from the pond. They crashed into her, knocking her back a few steps as they threw their arms around her waist.

“Whoa there!” she laughed, hugging them back. “Glad to see someone appreciates me.” She cast an exaggerated glare at Jared over the tops of their heads.

“You’re appreciated, all right. Always have been.”

Macy let his flirting go right over her head. “What brings you out?”

“Thought I’d see how you’re doing, catch up…take you out to dinner with us, if you’re interested.”

“Oh…that’s really sweet of you, Jared, but I have plans after we’re done here.”

The grin turned a little sad, but he comically slapped a hand across his chest and took a step back. “Still shooting me down after all these years.”

“Stop that, now. Maybe I’ll take a rain check, okay?”

He nodded without further comment and set out to help her saddle up Rose and Trinity for the girls. The familiar rituals were so much like old times, it unnerved her. If things had been different, and she hadn’t been such a bitter über-bitch, maybe they’d be doing this for their own kids by now.

She slapped that thought aside before it could drag her down. She’d made her choices. Maybe they hadn’t necessarily been good ones, but she would own them now. Too much had changed to go back.

“You look incredible,” he said later, after they’d finished up and the girls scampered off for the duck pond again. It always took forever to wrangle those two up. The sun was just dropping behind the distant pines, and a chill breeze nipped Macy’s cheeks before they warmed with his compliment.

“Thanks. You look pretty great too.”

He propped the heel of his boot on the bottom rung of the fence and leaned his elbows back on the top. “You never did dance with me the other night.”

She laughed, certain her blush deepened as she thought about what she’d been doing that prohibited any further contact with him. “You actually remember? You were three sheets to the wind.”

“Naw! I had it handled.”

“Suuure you did.” Just like I did.

“I guess it’s my fault. I should’ve grabbed you up right then.”

She had absolutely no idea what to say to that. “I was…um, blocked in.”

“Yeah, if that guy beside you could’ve killed me with looks alone, I might not be standing here right now. Is he…surely you’re not with him, are you?”