Callie blushed as Chad rolled his eyes and headed for the door to help Stevie, who was staggering in under the weight of two large bags of ice. “Too bad you can’t stay,” Callie told Luke, keeping her voice casual. “It should be fun.”
“I’ll bet.” Luke’s gaze was hungrier than ever as he reached out and ran a hand down her arm, from shoulder to elbow, making her skin tingle under her sleeve. “Lots of fun.”
Chad was walking past again, heading down the hall to the kitchen, but he paused and gave Callie a worried glance before continuing on his way. Callie didn’t pay much attention to him. She was too busy trying to figure out what to say next to keep Luke interested. I’m getting rusty, she thought in dismay. It’s been so long since a cool guy gave me the time of day that I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like.
“So listen,” Luke said, leaning a little closer. “Callie. Do you think you might be coming up to visit Chad with Stevie anytime soon? Because I—”
“Luke.” Chad had returned just in time to interrupt his friend. “Listen, man. I’m serious. Get your butt out to the car and help carry in the last few bags, or we’re going to be late. Remember, we’ve still got to move all our ice from your car to Mom’s if you want me to drive tonight.”
Luke shot his friend an annoyed glance, then sighed. “Yeah, yeah, okay,” he said, sounding a bit irritable. “I’ll go get the damn ice, okay?” He rubbed Callie’s arm again lightly. “Don’t go anywhere, okay, beautiful? I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.” Callie shivered with anticipation as she watched him turn and lope toward the door, leaving her alone in the hall with Chad.
“Callie.” Chad’s voice was serious. “Listen, I feel like I ought to say something here. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that Luke is into you.”
“Really?” Callie tried to act casual, though she couldn’t help smiling. “You think? He seems pretty cool.”
Chad glanced toward the door, then gestured for Callie to follow him into the quiet, empty dining room. She did so, feeling intrigued.
“Okay,” Chad said when they were inside, running one hand over his handsome but worried face. “Here’s the deal. I don’t know you that well, and I don’t want to come across as, like, some kind of busybody. But I just think you should know what you’re getting into with Luke. He’s kind of bad news.”
“I thought he was your friend.”
“He is.” Chad shrugged, looking slightly sheepish. “I’m not saying he’s all bad, you know? It’s just that he has kind of a history when it comes to women. He’s a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy.”
Callie bit back a smile, thinking about everything she’d ever heard from Stevie and the others about Chad’s own dating history. According to all reports, he’d made a habit of dating a different girl just about every week from the age of fourteen on. You’re one to talk, loverboy, she thought with amusement. But she didn’t say anything, since Chad still looked very serious and concerned.
“Really.” Chad’s voice was earnest. “I mean—Look, Callie, you’re a big girl. You can do whatever you want about Luke. But I just thought you should know what you were getting into. He’s always really attentive and everything at first, but as soon as the girl starts getting into it, really liking him, he dumps her. Not usually in the nicest way, either.”
Callie couldn’t help frowning a little at that. She could take care of herself, but maybe Chad had a point. Right now, with everything else that was going on in her life, it might not be such a good idea to get involved with someone like Luke.
“Thanks, Chad,” she said, meaning it. “I get your point. And I appreciate it.”
Chad nodded, looking relieved. “Good.” He patted her on the shoulder and smiled. “Sorry if I came across like the date police there.”
“You didn’t,” Callie assured him, returning his smile. “Thanks again.”
It was nice of him to warn me, she thought as the two of them returned to the hallway. Luke was just entering with a large bag of ice. He didn’t have to do that. And he was so cool about it, too—he didn’t lecture me like Dad would, or even Scott.
Luke spotted them and shifted the ice from one arm to the other. “This is the last bag of theirs,” he told Chad. “What should I do with it?”
“Take it into the kitchen,” Chad directed. “Stevie and the others are there setting up.”
Luke nodded, then shifted his gaze to Callie. “Want to come along?” he asked. “Keep me company?”
“I’ll be in in a minute.” Callie kept her voice completely neutral this time, figuring that it wasn’t a good idea to encourage him anymore. “I’ve got to take care of some other stuff first.”
Luke obviously got the message. He looked surprised, then annoyed. “Whatever,” he muttered, heading down the hall.
Callie watched him go, feeling a pang of regret. He really was awfully sexy.… But when she saw Chad shoot her a quick wink and a thumbs-up before following his buddy toward the kitchen, she felt a little better immediately. Meeting a hot guy who was interested in her looks was one thing, but it was a lot rarer to find out that someone she barely knew seemed interested in being a real friend.
Buy Penalty Points Now!
About the Author
Bonnie Bryant is the author of over one hundred forty books about horses, including the Saddle Club series and its spinoffs, the Pony Tails series and the Pine Hollow series. Bryant did not know very much about horses before writing the first Saddle Club book in 1986, so she found herself learning right along with the characters she created. She has also written novels and movie novelizations under her married name, Bonnie Bryant Hiller. Bryant was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives today.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1999 by Bonnie Bryant Hiller
Cover design by Connie Gabbert
ISBN: 978-1-4976-5390-0
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
PINE HOLLOW EBOOKS
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
Available wherever ebooks are sold
Open Road Integrated Media is a digital publisher and multimedia content company. Open Road creates connections between authors and their audiences by marketing its ebooks through a new proprietary online platform, which uses premium video content and social media.
Videos, Archival Documents, and New Releases
Sign up for the Open Road Media newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign up now at
www.openroadmedia.com/newsletters
FIND OUT MORE AT
WWW.OPENROADMEDIA.COM
FOLLOW US:
@openroadmedia and
Facebook.com/OpenRoadMedia
Shying at Trouble Page 19
