Chapter 24 Colton

CHAPTER 24

Colton

AFTER TAKING CARE of the mules, I lead Chance out into the prairie to let him graze on some prairie June grass, buffalo grass, and blue grama. He nuzzles his head against my shoulder and swishes his tail, happy for something other than the grain and hay we brought for him to eat.

Sinking into the solitude, I take a deep breath. It's easier to think out here, away from the wagons and the hubbub of packing and loading and getting ready for another day on the trail. Away from Jake, who always manages to needle my last nerve. Away from Riley, who's somehow managed to get swept up in Jake and his antics. After everything we've shared these past few days, I expected her to see past his bullshit. After all, she saw through mine.

And now she's lodged up under my skin like a splinter—a smart, sharp, sweet splinter—but a splinter that'll take a fair amount of poking and prodding to work loose.

If only I could forget the way her hands felt tucked under mine, soft and warm and right. Or the way she bites her bottom lip when she's concentrating on a sketch in her notebook. Or the way her dark brown eyes go wide just before she laughs at one of my jokes, as if she's not quite sure if I'm being serious or if I have a stealth sense of humor tucked away under my Stetson.

A red-tailed hawk soars in a wide arc above us. Her shriek is loud enough that Chance pauses his chewing for a moment but not quite interesting enough to get him to lift his head from his meal. My eyes trace her gliding circle, the tips of her feathers barely fluttering. She eases lower, her wings slightly angled to slow her descent. Just before she disappears into the prairie grass, her talons extend before her. Her hunt must have been successful, since she doesn't reappear to take to the skies.

Before Riley, moments like these were just part of being on the trail. I didn't exactly take them for granted but I definitely wasn't awed by them, either. Being out here alone used to be refreshing. But now that I know how it feels to share moments like this with Riley, the space beside me feels hollow without her in it.

The sound of boots crunching toward us has both me and Chance turning our heads. He snorts when he recognizes Jake sauntering over with his fake bow-legged cowboy swagger.

"?'Sup, dude," Jake says with a nod.

I return the nod but tension radiates outward from my spine, causing my fingers to flex at my sides.

"So, what's the deal with Riley?" He brushes his hand across his nose and shifts his weight, not because he actually has an itchy face or an uncomfortable stance but because he thinks it makes him look cool.

"Deal?" I ask.

"She's cute and all. But is she, like, single? Down to mingle?"

The fact that Jake actually talks like this on a daily basis never ceases to amaze me.

"You'll have to ask her yourself."

"C'mon, man, help me out," he says, lightly punching my shoulder. "You've spent a few days with her. There's gotta be something you can tell me to give me an in with her."

Hell would have to freeze over before I help Jake get with Riley.

"Sorry, man." I shrug, gathering Chance's lead. "I really don't know much about her. You're on your own."

"Wait." Jake crosses his arms over his chest. "Why are you holding out on me?" He leans back with a smirk. "Don't tell me you're into her, 'cause that would be awkward."

I can't resist taking the bait. "Why would it be awkward, Jake?"

"Well, there's two of us and one of her, and it's obvious who stands a better chance at sealing the deal, unless…" Jake narrows his eyes at me. "Did something happen between you two?"

A few intense moments.

An almost-kiss.

A handful of fractured possibilities.

"Nope," I reply, shoving my hand into my front pocket so I don't deck Jake. I'm not one for violence, but he has me seeingred.

"Phew," he says, mock wiping his brow. "For a moment there, I thought this was going to be a Kylie situation all over again."

He's referring to Kylie Taylor and the time we both asked her to the Harvest Dance. She said yes to me first, but ended up going with him. Not gonna lie, my pride took a massive hit that day.

"Or Livie St. Joseph."

Ninth-grade homecoming date who blew me off to dance with Jake.

"Or Anna Dresden."

Rebound date for the winter formal who also dumped me for Jake. He's really not pulling any punches. And if he hadn't done the same thing to almost all the other guys in school, I would have thought he had it out for me and my dating life. But honestly, Jake did me a favor. I'd rather be single than be with someone always looking out for the next best thing.

I think back to Jake's arm draped across Riley's back. Him eating from her plate. His hand resting on hers. She wasn't throwing herself at Jake, but she wasn't batting him away like a pesky fly, either. And the way her cheeks grew rosy at his attention? How she spent the better part of the night in his tent? She doesn't seem to be hating his company. Aside from Carrie Mae, I haven't known a single female in a fifty-mile radius who's been able to resist Jake's "charm" for more than a few minutes.

Still, I underestimated Riley before. I don't plan on making the same mistake again.

I think back to breakfast again, but through a different lens this time. Riley didn't flirt with him. She didn't offer him food. She wasn't initiating contact. Could she have been blushing from embarrassment? If I'm being objective, she seemed way more interested in talking to me than him.

Crap. I hope my sour mood didn't screw everything up withher.

"One thing's for sure, Jake," I say. "This situation is completely different."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Back in Darby, you're in your element. But out here on the trail, you're in mine."

As we make our way toward Clark's Sod House, our nooning point, Chance shifts uneasily under my weight. I force myself to take a deep breath and loosen up. He doesn't need to be skittish because I'm only now realizing how stupid it was for me to tip my hand when it comes to Riley.

But Jake isn't exactly creative when it comes to pursuing his targets. His MO is to use the same old lines. Pull the same smooth moves. He had a standing weekly order for the same damn bouquet of flowers at Nan's Floral Shop. I bet he has a similar arrangement with a florist in Lincoln. Jake's a one-trick pony. He's perfected his method and it works for him, but after spending time with Riley, I have a sneaking suspicion she's going to be a lot harder to impress.

"We really going toe to toe, man?" Jake asks, slowing his horse to a walk beside me.

I'd thought that our conversation this morning would have been enough. Seems that instead of getting Jake to back down, knowing I'm interested in Riley is spurring him on. Jake loves the thrill of the chase too damn much to let an opportunity like this pass. Even better for him if he thinks he can rub my nose in it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, keeping my eyes fixed on the prairie before us.

Usually, I ride at the back of the caravan to keep an eye on the mules, but with all the rain we had last night, I'm traveling ahead of the wagons to make sure the trail is clear and passable. Since I'm riding up here, he's supposed to be back with the supply wagon, helping Ty with the mules, but as always, Jake does what Jake wants, everyone else be damned.

"You can play dumb all you want, Walker, but we both know I'm talking about Riley."

He must be feeling competitive, if he's calling me by my last name. I hazard a glance in his direction. The top button of his Pony Express uniform is unbuttoned, his posture is slouchy, and the expression on his face is beyond arrogant.

His mouth curls up into a sneer. "You don't stand a chance with her," he says.

Chance nickers at his name as if to say, "Says who?" I run my hand over his mane and give him a short pat on his neck to acknowledge that I know he's got my back.

"It's not a competition," I say, setting my jaw. "Riley's not a trophy." Or a prize. Or a notch on a hitching post.

"Now, see, I think it is a competition. You're interested in her. I'm interested in her."

"But you're assuming she'd be interested in both of us."

Jake narrows his eyes at me. "Be realistic, Colton. Out of the two of us, who stands the better chance?"

Based on our history, he does. But I'm not about to admit it.

"She's only here until the end of the week and then she's back to California and you'll never see her again. You and I both know you aren't the love 'em and leave 'em type," he says.

Jake's right again, but I can't stomach how willing he is to treat Riley so casually. Unlike local girls, she doesn't have a clue about his reputation. I know she's smart and strong and can make her own decisions, but leaving her in the dark on this is like leaving the barnyard door open when you know there're wolves in the hills.

"Riley and I are friends," I say, wondering if maybe I'm getting all worked up for nothing. It's possible I misread things last night. It seemed like she was into me, but then I think back to our conversation by the campfire, after we finished the peach cobbler.

"Friends?" I'd asked.

"Friends," she'd replied.

Maybe friendship with me is all Riley's interested in. But mixed signals or not, friends look out for each other.

"That's why," I say, "I'm asking you, as a friend, to leave her alone. Like you said, she's only here a few more days."

Jake smirks. "Exactly. We mess around and go our separate ways with a clean break and I don't have to worry about her leaving me voice mails or sliding into my DMs. This is exactly why she's perfect for me."

She's all wrong for Jake, but some of what he says resonates with me, since I'm starting to believe Riley's actually perfect for me. "Riley deserves better."

He snorts. "You? No offense, Colt, but you aren't exactly a hot commodity. I saw you two last night, with your little lasso lesson. The opportunity was right there, and you couldn't even make a move. Bet that goes over real well with the ladies."

My blood boils. A minute longer with this guy and they'll be pulling me off him. "Some of us have work to do," I say, tapping Chance's sides with my heels. He speeds up into an easy trot and we leave Jake and all his sliminess behind.

I never liked him before, but now I downright despise JakeHarding.