He shivered. It was something new. He’d been a distracted idiot for a few days after the first time he’d made out with a girl in high school, so it only made sense that he’d be mentally short-circuiting after the other night. Except he’d been a horny seventeen-year-old back then. It was to be expected. A thirty-six-year-old man should’ve had a better grip on his own brain, even if it had taken him this long to finally lose his damned virginity. There was no reason for—
“Uh, Matt?”
He shook himself and turned, but realized Beth wasn’t beside him anymore. He twisted around in his saddle.
She and her horse had stopped, and she was looking at him like he’d lost his mind. Pointing to the right with a gloved hand, she said, “Stalls are this way.”
“Oh. Right.” He doubled back, and Brandy plodded along beside Beth’s horse.
“You sure you’re okay tonight?” Beth cocked her head. “You rode great, but Jesus, Matt. You’ve been somewhere else.”
“I’m fine.” He gestured dismissively. “I…” He hesitated. “I’m not sure I’ve got the focus for roping tonight.”
“I could’ve told you that.” She paused. “Is this about Dara?”
He stared at her. “What? Why would it be about her?”
“Because of what you told me recently? Over breakfast?”
“Oh. Right.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, there’s… I mean, it’s a lot to think about. But no, tonight, I’m…”
She raised her eyebrow.
“I’m fine.”
There were just some things he couldn’t explain to his sister. Being distracted as hell by Dara, wanting so badly to take her home and take her to bed again, fell very firmly into that category.
“Okay.” She shrugged. “Do you want me to go back to the show office and scratch us from roping?”
“You don’t mind?”
“There’s always next weekend. And if you’re this distracted…”
Matt nodded. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She stopped in front of their stalls, which were along the barn’s outside wall. She swung her leg over the saddle and dropped onto the dirt. “You mind putting him away for me?”
“Sure.” He dismounted and took her reins. “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry about it. Some of my students are riding pretty soon, so I’ll meet you down by the arena?”
“Sure.”
While she headed back to the office and the arena, Matt clipped a rope to Brandy’s halter. He untacked his sister’s horse and put him in his stall, then stripped Brandy and put her in hers. After he’d made sure they both had water, he brushed one, then the other.
As he came out of the tack room after cleaning off their bridles, Dara’s voice sent a jolt through him.
“Hey, cowboy.”
He turned around. She stood beside Brandy’s stall, hands in the pockets of her jeans.
“Hey.” He smiled, wondering if she could heart his heart pounding. That was silly. Of course she couldn’t. But as hard as it was thumping, he supposed it was a possibility that—get a grip, Coolidge. “Are you having a good time?”
She smiled, but there was something in her gaze that tightened his gut. “Yeah. Of course.”
Matt eyed her just like his sister had eyed him a few minutes earlier. “Dara…”
The smile fell, and she bit her lip.
He dusted his hands off on his jeans. “What’s up?”
She took a breath and met his gaze. “Uh, well, I didn’t want to bring this up before, but it’s been bugging me today.”
His stomach twisted. “Okay…”
She swallowed. “My mom knows. About the baby.”
Matt wasn’t even drinking anything, and he nearly choked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I didn’t tell her.” She gestured at her breasts. “These did.”
He blinked. “Come again?”
Dara laughed, a little color blooming in her cheeks. “They’re a bit, uh, bigger than they were when I moved back. Apparently she noticed.”
“Oh. And, what does she think?”
“Well, she’s not happy, and she’s suddenly decided I should reconcile with Jon.”
Matt gritted his teeth. “She’s aware of what an asshole he’s been to you, right?”
“Mmhmm. But in her mind, this changes everything.” Dara rolled her eyes. “Somehow, reconciling with an insecure cheating jerk is better than volunteering to be a single mom.” Her shoulders sagged. “I guess a baby needs a father more than I need my self-respect.”