Summer Nights

As the teen spoke, Shane felt a prickling on the back of his neck. He didn’t even have to turn around to know who had arrived, didn’t have to see to understand that his afternoon had just taken a jog toward the impossible.

Elias slid off his horse. He dropped the reins and pulled off his hat, then walked to the fence.

“Afternoon,” he called, his eyes wide, his lips curving in a stupid grin.

Shane gave in to the inevitable and shifted so he could watch Annabelle approach.

She’d replaced her fitted summer dress with jeans and a T-shirt, which shouldn’t have been sexy, but were. The jeans hugged impressive curves, and while her legs weren’t all that long, they were well-shaped. She’d pulled her wavy red hair back into a braid. Her green gaze met him and damned if he didn’t want to go down on his knees and beg. He wasn’t sure what for, but at this point he would gladly take anything she offered. Although if it was hot, took a long time and was illegal in several states, he could like it even more.

“Yours?” Elias asked, speaking under his breath.

“No, but stay away.”

“But I—”

“No.”

Elias huffed in annoyance and spun his hat in his hands.

“Hello, Shane,” Annabelle said as she stopped in front of him. “I’m here for my lesson.” She smiled and held up a tiny foot. “I bought cowboy boots. I want to tell you that you should be impressed, but honestly any excuse to buy new shoes is welcome.” The smile blossomed. “It’s a girl thing.”

“They’re real nice,” Elias said.

“Thank you.”

Shane gave in to the inevitable. “Annabelle, this is Elias.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said easily.

“My pleasure.” Elias looked her over thoroughly. “I was supposed to be heading to Wyoming. It’s my grandma’s birthday in a couple of days. But I could stay put for a while.”

“No, you couldn’t,” Shane told him, watching Annabelle to see if she was going to start flirting with the younger man.

“We should let the lady decide.”

Annabelle watched them both, then frowned. “I’m sorry. Do you mean me?”

“Elias wants to know if he should stick around,” Shane said. “For you.”

A delicate frown pulled her eyebrows together. “I don’t understand.”

“We could go out to dinner,” Elias offered. “Or back to my place.”

“You don’t have a place,” Shane reminded him. “You stayed with me last night.”

“I could get a place.”

“You have a girlfriend.”

Elias turned back to Annabelle. “It’s not serious.”

“You’re nineteen.”

Elias glared at him. “Don’t make me hurt you, old man.”

Annabelle shook her head. “I’m still confused. I’m, ah, here to learn how to ride.”

Shane winked at Elias. “That was a no.”

“Like you’re going to do any better.”

Shane knew that was probably true. More important, for reasons of self-preservation, he needed to stay clear of Annabelle Weiss. Even if she was a temptation.

“About the riding lesson,” she began.

Elias sighed. “Is it an age thing? Everyone thinks I’m real mature.”

Shane slapped him on the back. “Is that what they’re saying?”

“You stay out of this, old man. This is between me and the lady.”

Old man?

Annabelle’s green eyes widened. “Are you trying to ask me out?”

“If you have to ask, then I’m doing it wrong,” Elias muttered.

“Something else the girlfriend says?” Shane asked quietly.

Elias glared at him. “Shut up.”

Shane patted him on the back. “Give it time, kid. You’ll get the hang of it.”

“I do just fine.”

“Uh-huh.”

Shane turned his attention back to Annabelle. As he’d suspected, she created trouble wherever she went. He was torn between regretting his offer to help and wondering how he would survive if he didn’t get to see her. She was the kind of woman who—

He was interrupted midthought by a whole different kind of trouble approaching from the direction of the barn.

* * *

ANNABELLE WAS WILLING to admit she had a sucky track record when it came to men, but she’d never found them quite so perplexing. The young cowboy was hitting on her, which was flattering, but made no sense. She was too old for him. Sure, her new boots were cute, but she’d yet to meet a guy who was that into shoes.

It was the height thing, she thought with a sigh. Because she was small, people often assumed she was younger than she was. Or incompetent. Or both.

As for Shane, who was even better looking in person than in her memory, he seemed more amused than attracted to her. Probably for the best. At least he was acting more normally today. Maybe he hadn’t been feeling well the last time they’d met.