Serenity Falls(23)

“Hell, yeah, I do! You’re a bull rider, but yet a few potholes scare you. You think you’d be used to being jostled around a bit,” I reply, still laughing. I have no choice but to pull over. The tears in my eyes from minutes ago return with a vengeance. My cheeks hurt from the smile that won’t leave my face. A stitch pierces my side from the uncontrollable laughter. Just when I think I’m able to gain some type of composure, I look to a see a humorless Wes staring at me with a dubious expression.

After a couple of minutes and many deep calming breaths, he says, “I knew I shouldn’t have let you drive. Come on. Get out. I’m driving the rest of the way.” When his hand hits the handle to open his door, I hastily reach the button beside me, locking us in.

“Uh-uh. I let you drive my Jeep, and I didn’t give you any ground rules, so I’m gonna drive your truck,” I say, stopping him from trying to evict me from the driver side.

“You do realize I can unlock the door, right? And, by the way, I gave you a shot at driving my truck, and you blew it.”

“Wait! Wait!” I reach for his arm and pull him away from the door. “How about I make you a deal? What if I follow one of your ground rules?”

“Double or nothing,” he replies, with a smirk.

“One?”

He sighs, shaking his head. “Fine. Which one?”

“I won’t hit anymore potholes, but come on, the laughing and the whole no music thing is a tad ridiculous, don’t you think? I even heard you blaring your music coming up the driveway yesterday.”

“Okay. I see your point, but I promise, if you hit anymore potholes, I will haul your little ass out of this truck myself,” he says, settling back into his seat.

“Fair enough.” I shift the truck back into drive, ease it back onto the main road, and this time avoid potholes.

After a few minutes of quiet background music and uncomfortable silence, I can’t take it anymore. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah.”

“No laughing, really? Why on Earth would you make that a ground rule?” I didn’t want to ask, but I just couldn’t help myself.

“Honestly?”

“Of course.”

“You asked for it. I like your laugh. You sound so full of life and so free that it makes me want things I shouldn’t,” he replies, his eyes trained on me.

That’s not at all what I expected him to say. I swallow hard and keep my eyes trained on the road. Quietly, I clear my throat before I sneak a peek at him from the corner of my eye. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, because I like to laugh, and I like to laugh a lot. So, you better get used to it.” I give a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the atmosphere within the truck.

“What did you need to get from the store?” he asks, successfully changing the subject.

“Oh… um… I forgot my robe back at my dorm, so I need to pick up one.”

“Is that why I saw you hauling ass into the bathroom this morning?” He laughs. Funny how the tables have turned, and now he’s the one laughing at me.

“Well, if you saw me, then you already have the answer to your question. Don’t you?” If I looked in a mirror right now, I’m sure my face would be the color of a beet. I can feel the heat penetrating off my skin. I can’t believe that, after being so careful, I still got caught after all.

“I like the little shorts you sleep in,” he says in a quiet voice.

Now it’s my turn to change the topic. “I think it would be a good idea when we get back if we put the saddle pads on while we walk Lucy and Jane in the corral. You know, to ease them into having the added weight on their backs.” I pull into a parking spot outside of Kris’ department store. “I hope you don’t mind if we stop here first? We’ll go wherever you need after I pick up a robe,” I say as I turn off and jump out of the truck.

“Sounds good to me.”

Wes follows my exit and meets me around the front of his truck. Nonchalantly, he drapes his arm over my shoulders and pulls me into his side. I try to act as if I don’t realize how perfectly I fit tucked in next to him. I try to act as if the musky, citrus scent of him doesn’t suck me in. I want to act like there isn’t something pulling me to him, but I’d be lying to myself if I said those things didn’t affect me. Instead, I try to play it off. Playfully, I shove him away and laugh as he tries to put some swagger in his step.

We drift through the decent sized department store, looking for the women’s clothing section. Finally, we find it and I’m not greeted with many choices to pick from as far as robes go.