Courtney trotted up next to me. “You get the feeling she knew he was going to be out riding?”
I had the sickest feeling in my stomach. “Yeah, I do. I also get the feeling she thinks she’s going to embarrass us in front of them. ”
Courtney let out a gasp. “Fuck me. Why is he here?”
I looked over and saw Layton, Kevin, and Reed. My heart felt like it dropped into my stomach when I saw Layton.
“Who? Kevin or Reed?”
“Reed. Blah. He’s such an asswipe. ”
I let out a laugh. “He’s a nice guy, Court. ”
I watched as Olivia rode up and started talking to Layton. He seemed pissed. He looked over toward Court and me, and when our eyes met, my stomach started to flutter.
Stop it, Whitley—right now. You don’t like him that way.
My breath was taken away by the smile he was giving me.
Good Lord, his smile is breathtaking—that dimple and those lips.
Courtney leaned closer to me and whispered, “Is it just me, or does his smile cause your panties to just melt?”
I snapped my head over and glared at her.
She laughed and winked. “Nope, it’s clearly not just me!”
“Fuck off, Lollipop!”
“Lollipop?”
Courtney and I both turned to see the guys all riding up to us, and Reed was smiling.
Court’s face turned fifty shades of red. “Yeah, it’s a stupid nickname that Whitley gave me when we were little. ”
Reed smiled from ear to ear. “What’s your favorite lollipop?”
Courtney smirked back. “Blow Pops. ”
Reed’s smile faded. “Um…”
Courtney smiled and winked at him. She really was good at this shit.
When I glanced over toward Layton, I saw he was just staring at me. I smiled, and the smile he returned would have brought me to my knees if I had been standing.
“So, CG, you any good on that horse?” he asked with a wink.
I looked over at Olivia. The smile on her face answered all my earlier questions. She had known Layton and his friends would be out riding. She was trying to set me up to look like a stupid city girl from New York.
Okay, Whitley, time to reach in and pull out your inner cowgirl, and show this bitch she messed with the wrong girl.
I grinned. “I bet I could hold my own against you and your Thoroughbred. ”
Olivia, Kevin, and Reed all laughed.
“Oh hell, Layton, I believe she just challenged you and your horse,” Kevin said.
Layton gave me a crooked smile that melted my heart completely. For the first time in years, I actually wanted to be with another man besides Roger.