Chapter 13
13
Emma
E mma needed to rein it in—her infatuation with Caleb, to be specific. She needed to stop looking at him like he was some Prince Charming who could ride in on a white horse and save her from herself.
He wouldn’t be able to handle Rachel; that was certain.
And he definitely wouldn’t want to deal with the fame that came with being in Emma’s inner circle.
Not only that, but Caleb didn’t even know who she was. She was an idiot if she thought she could play pretend and not get hurt. But at this rate, her heart was done listening to her head’s advice.
How did the saying go?
The heart wants what the heart wants.
And Emma’s heart only grew to care for him more and more with every passing day. What was she going to do? She didn’t want to leave, and yet at the same time, she knew eventually she’d have to.
Emma paced in the room where she was staying. Her conflicted thoughts were getting her nowhere. Maybe she needed to look at this in a different way. What if her feelings for Caleb weren’t even a big deal because he didn’t feel the same?
She groaned, unsure if she could handle knowing that he had zero interest in her. Frustration continued to mount with each passing day they spent time together. There was no going back; that much was clear. There was only one path she could see available to her and that was to simply live in the moment.
That’s what she’d been doing when she came here, wasn’t it? She’d gotten on that plane, then on that bus, and eventually ended up in Copper Creek with one goal.
She wanted to have fun—and not just any fun. She wanted to feel like she was calling the shots. What better way to experience it than to let herself fall for a guy who was so out of her league that she wouldn’t blame him if it didn’t work out?
Who was she kidding? She already knew it wasn’t going to work out, and she wanted to do it anyway. It was time to throw caution to the wind. He’d said he wanted her to stay, and she’d let him know that she was pleased with his answer. What other choice did she have at this point?
“Emily?”
She yelped at the sound of his voice through the door. “Yeah?”
“Might I have a word?” Caleb hadn’t spoken to her all day. They’d spent supper in an awkward silence. It would be so easy to assume she’d offended him somehow or scared him off.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Emma moved toward the door, her nerves on fire. He could want anything at this point. He could take back his answer from the other day and tell her he wanted her out of there.
He could confess he had feelings for her—to which she would have to take action. Her heart fluttered savagely as she continued taking small steps toward the door. Whatever it was, he didn’t sound upset, so she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of whatever it was.
Emma reached for the knob and pulled the door open just far enough to meet his gaze. “What do you need?”
He stared down at her, his steady gaze making her feel more vulnerable than she had even a few days ago. “I think you need to get back on the horse.”
She sucked in so sharply that she coughed. “What?”
“You need to get back on the horse,” he repeated.
“Yeah, you said that already. What are you talking about?” She pushed the door open wider. “You don’t mean literally, do you? Like… you don’t want me to climb into a saddle and ride that deathtrap again.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.” His lips twitched with amusement. “And Tilly isn’t a deathtrap. She only took off because she was scared. Wouldn’t you have done the same if you were startled by another animal?”
“That’s different,” she stammered, already feeling her resolve wavering.
“How so?” he demanded.
“Well, for starters, I only have two legs and Tilly has four.”
He snickered. “The point I’m trying to make is that you can’t live your life in fear.”
“Says who? I’m pretty sure sixty percent of the world does.” She was teasing him, but his expression turned serious.
“Actually, there was a study done. Turns out roughly four percent suffer from anxiety.”
Her eyes rounded. “What?”
“Roughly—”
She held up her hand with a laugh. “I wasn’t asking you to repeat yourself. I just… you don’t really look like the type of guy who knows that sort of thing. Facts and whatnot,” she clarified.
He smirked. “I’ll have you know it was in one of those magazines you said I wasn’t interested in reading.”
This time she laughed. “Okay, fine. I yield. I’ll go for a ride, but I’m not riding Tilly. Give me a horse that wouldn’t be able to outrun a turtle to save its life and I’ll go.”
He snorted. “I don’t think?—”
“You know what I mean. Give me a horse that’s gentle and slow. I don’t need adventure right now.”
He leaned forward suddenly, causing her to gasp and yet also unable to move. His voice came within mere inches of her own. “But adventures are what make life worth living. Excitement, getting your blood rushing—without those experiences, what would we be left with?” His whispered question hung in the air, anticipation practically oozing from it.
She pressed two fingers to his chest and pushed him back so she didn’t feel quite so suffocated from his nearness. “A long, healthy life.”
He chuckled.
Caleb Keagan actually chuckled.
The man had been quiet and straight-faced the entire time they’d been interacting. Suddenly, he was smiling and flirting with her. What had gotten into him?
A better question would be what had gotten into her?
She was actually tempted to take him up on his invitation. As nerve-racking as it would be to get back in the saddle, she found she wanted to be with him more—to investigate this new version of himself he was willing to share.
He was still close to her, mere inches away. His expectant gaze drilled into her, making her heart skip in ways it hadn’t in a long time. “Well? I suppose there’s only one question you have to ask yourself.”
“And what’s that?” she whispered.
“Is it worth the risk?”
No, the question she had for herself was what, exactly, was she risking? She nibbled on her lower lip. Hadn’t she just told herself to let go and enjoy the moment? She was here for the next few weeks if she was lucky. Why not? There were worse traveling companions than Caleb.
“Fine. But you have to promise me that you won’t let the horse take off.”
He chuckled. “I can’t make a promise like that. But I can ensure one thing. If your horse decides to go off on an adventure of her own, I’ll be right behind you.” Caleb’s voice was quiet, husky, even. His focus dipped to her mouth, where she’d just released her somewhat swollen lip. Her thoughts turned hazy as she leaned closer to him for just that moment.
Then she realized what she was doing and immediately withdrew. Her eyes darted away, and she mumbled, “Deal.”
“I’ll meet you down there.” His words sounded like they were far away, traveling through a cavern and echoing in her ears. Caleb retreated out the door and disappeared.
Emma’s hands shook, but it was unclear if it was due to the upcoming ride or the fact that this whole thing felt like a date. She grabbed her jacket and phone, then slipped out of the house and headed straight for the barn.
Caleb was in the middle of hoisting the saddle on the second horse when she arrived. He flashed her a smile and all the nerves momentarily disappeared. He patted the neck of the horse as he came around. “This one belongs to Isabelle. She’s Mateo’s youngest sister. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Buttercup get skittish a single day of her life.”
Emma moved closer to the horse, her hand outstretched. She’d nearly reached the animal when Caleb took her hand and guided it along Buttercup’s neck. There were callouses on his hand—a sign of all the hard work he was likely used to doing. His touch was firm and sure. It wasn’t any wonder that the horses behaved around him.
She glanced up at him over her shoulder but found him focused on Buttercup instead of her. He was alert, patient, and reserved, all at the same time. She wanted to lean into him, to feel the steady beat of his heart and feel the strength that emanated from him. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt safe. She didn’t have to be on her guard—always wondering if the person she was spending time with wanted to be with her or with the star they knew on stage.
In the absence of her security detail and the paparazzi, Emma had finally found her center, and it had only taken a few days to completely let her guard down.
Well, not completely. She still had her secrets.
His eyes flitted to her, locking on her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
Emma felt momentarily trapped but then reminded herself that Caleb didn’t know anything, and he didn’t have to. There wasn’t a reality where he would want to come with her and spend time in LA being part of her entourage. Their story would be but a moment.
“Ready?” he said.
She nodded.
He moved her hand into his other one and guided her to the side of the horse. But rather than guide her up, he dropped her hand and grasped her around the waist. In an effortless movement, he hoisted her into the saddle. “Now, unless you want to ride sideways, I’d suggest putting your other foot in the stirrup.” His charming smile and the laughter in his eyes were enough to set her blood on fire. If she wasn’t so terrified of getting completely attached to him, she would have thrown her arms around his neck in that moment and kissed him until stars glittered in the night sky.
Instead, she settled for doing exactly what he’d told her to do. He took the reins and walked Buttercup to the other horse that was tied up on a post near the door. “Are you ready for the best night of your life?”
She almost laughed, but it wouldn’t come. Caleb could very well be right. So far, tonight was beating out many of the nights she would have put as contenders for the best—and all because she was going to spend it with a cowboy who was easy on the eyes. “I’m ready,” she murmured.
Caleb handed her the reins, then he climbed into his saddle and led the way out of the barn. The ride wasn’t much different than the one she’d taken with Sophia. They wandered the trails while Caleb shared more about his family. He didn’t bare all, by any means, but it was enough for her to feel she knew him better than even some of the people she’d been on tour with.
Large family. Raised an orphan. A twin who had betrayed their family. His life could have been made into a television special, and yet he’d turned out to be the kind of guy who just needed to catch a break.
By the time they returned back to the house, the sky was lit with different colors.
“I’ll take care of the horses. You go wash up and get ready for bed.”
She hesitated, torn between wanting to spend another few moments with him and escaping so she could breathe again. Ultimately, she nodded and scurried toward the house. There would be more time. They still had at least a couple days together before Mateo and Sophia returned with their siblings.