Unlucky in Love

by Maggie McGinnis

  “I do.” Lexi swallowed, clicking her helmet strap closed. “You sure Rocket here isn’t going to try to live up to his name and take off for the hills?”

  “He won’t.”

  “And you know this how?”

  Gunnar’s face grew serious. “Because I train horses for a living, Lex. First, I wouldn’t let anybody on a horse I thought was risky. Second, I most certainly wouldn’t let a cautious, brand-new rider on a horse that wasn’t completely bulletproof. I’ve got him on a lead line, and we’ll do circles until you’re comfortable having me unhook him. It’s all your call.”

  Lexi bristled at the word cautious, even though she knew it was accurate. God, she could make a list of adjectives people applied to her, and she’d hate most of them.

  Still, though, she knew she should be thankful that he was reading her correctly…and making sure she didn’t end up on a horse that would be a bad match.

  “Okay,” she finally said. “I’m ready.” She started to reach for the reins, but Gunnar put a gentle hand on hers.

  “Want to say hello first? Let him see who he’s hanging with this morning?” Gunnar cocked his head toward Rocket, and Lexi took a deep breath.

  Right. She’d forgotten his little horses are people, too lecture from yesterday.

  “Hi, Rocket.”

  She reached out a tentative hand to pet the bristly hair between Rocket’s eyes, and the horse lifted his nose, snorting. Lexi was inordinately proud of herself that she didn’t jump backward or squeak at the sound. “Guess what? Goldie already tried that. I’m not scared of your little snorty nose, okay?”

  “Little snorty nose? Really?”

  Lexi leveled Gunnar with a look. “I’m attempting to show him who’s boss. Wasn’t that what you told me to do?” Lexi looked at Rocket’s deep brown eyes, liquidy and innocent…right now.

  “Can we just come to an understanding here, Rocket? You don’t dump me, and I’ll give you carrots when we’re done.” She looked sideways at Gunnar. “He likes carrots, right?”

  “Yep.” Gunnar rolled his eyes as he cupped a foot for Lexi to step in. “C’mon, cowgirl. Up you go.”

  Twenty minutes later, after doing so many circles that Lexi had lost count, Gunnar said, “Ready to try a canter?”

  “I don’t know.” Lexi tightened her jaw, trying to stop her teeth from clacking together. “If I bounce any more, I’m going to lose a filling.”

  “Cantering feels better than trotting, I promise.”

  “But it’s faster?” Lexi felt her hands tighten on the reins. Yes, she’d been holding her own here, but only because Gunnar had a firm hold on Rocket as they circled the ring. Her confidence was intimately tied to Gunnar’s strong hands on that lead line.

  “It’s faster, but it’s smoother. You’ll like it. You’re ready.” Gunnar nodded. “Want to try it?”

  Lexi took a deep breath, then lost it as Rocket took a particularly bouncy step. Oh, boy.

  “How about tomorrow, maybe?” Again she clenched her teeth.

  “If you want. But you’re ready now.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I know. Trust me, okay?”

  Lexi closed her eyes, searching for the ever-elusive dose of courage. It never came, but she knew if she didn’t do it right now, she might never dare again.

  “Okay. Ready. What do I do?” There. At least she sounded confident.

  Gunnar gave her directions, and after she took a couple of calming breaths, Lexi squeezed her thighs and signaled Rocket. There was a brief moment when she was sure he wasn’t listening, but then his gait changed, and suddenly, she felt like she was on a grown-up version of a rocking horse.

  A laugh bubbled out as she held onto the saddle horn in surprise, and she saw Gunnar smile.

  “Hands off the horn, cowgirl. Reins.”

  She adjusted her hands as Rocket cantered around the ring, and finally, after weeks of dancing around and disbelieving she could ever learn to like riding, omigod, she saw what all the fuss was about.

  “How’s it feel?” Gunnar let the line play out a little longer.

  “It’s—awesome!” Lexi felt her smile grow as they circled the ring. Instead of bouncing around in a creaky saddle feeling like she was four seconds from sliding off, she felt like she was—wow—almost part of the horse, if that was possible. There was no bounce like when they’d trotted, just a smooth lift and land of hooves, and she wished she could just keep doing this all afternoon.

  After she’d circled the ring five times, Gunnar called out. “You remember how to slow him down?”

  “I don’t want to!”

  Gunnar laughed. “Good. So now’s the perfect time to stop.”

  “No.” Lexi shook her head. “I feel like I want to open the gate and just ride off toward the Crazies over there.”

  She did—that was the strange thing. All of the fear that had held her back seemed to have whooshed right out of her when Rocket had hit his cantering stride.

  But Gunnar didn’t seem to be quite as ecstatic about the whole thing. He started shortening the lead line, reminding her how to pull Rocket back to a trot, and before she knew it, she’d successfully slowed the horse down. Once again, she bounced around the ring, but it felt different this time, because she knew with a touch of her heels and a squeeze of her thighs, she could be back in that magical stride again.

  At Gunnar’s signal, she slowed Rocket to a walk, steering the horse back toward the center of the ring, where Gunnar stood waiting.

  “Well? What’d you think?” Gunnar looked up at her as he took hold of Rocket’s bridle.

  “It felt like…magic.” Lexi felt herself grin. “Which sounds stupid, but really. That’s the only word that does it justice. I never knew it could be like that.”

  Gunnar smiled. “Well, now you do.” He reached out a hand to steady her as she dismounted, and when both of her feet hit the ground, a strange feeling came over her.

  She didn’t want to let go.

  He looked down at her, not pulling away, and for a long, long moment, neither of them spoke. Then his eyes skated to her lips, and Lexi felt her breath stop in her throat as heat rose in her cheeks.

  But then Rocket snorted, and the spell—such as it was—was broken. Gunnar cleared his throat and pulled his hand back, fiddling with the reins.

  “Hey, you know what we should do?”

  Lexi tried to find her voice. “What?”

  “Do you have your phone? Let’s take a pic you can send to what’s-his-name.”

  Oh.

  Well, what had she hoped he would say?

  “It’s—Tristan.”

  Gunnar frowned, searching her eyes for one beat longer than was necessary. “I know.”

  —

  “Nice pic.” Katie’s voice came over Lexi’s phone that evening. “Does this mean you finally got on a horse?”

  “Very funny. Yes, I got on a horse. Even rode him around the corral for an hour. And I didn’t fall off.”

  “Win-win, then. So what wild and crazy things are you up to tonight?”

  Lexi bit her lip, looking at the book she’d closed when her phone had rung—looking at the cooling cup of tea on the table under the window.

  “Um, haven’t quite decided yet.”

  “You were reading, weren’t you?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with reading. I like reading. I only get one day off a week, and I have this perfect little cabin with the perfect little rocking chair under the perfect little window. How could I not want to sit here and read?”

  “Are you going to send Tristan a selfie of that?”

  “I’m not sending him self—”

  “Alexis.” Katie cut her off. “You sent that pic to Tristan, too. We both know you did.”

  She took a deep breath. “He said—you know—he still wants to be friends. Friends send each other pictures.”

  “How many pics have you sent?”

  “Just—a couple.” Ten or so.


  “And has he answered?”

  Lexi sighed. No. “I don’t even know if he got them. He could be camping in the woods in Canada, for all I know. No cell service or whatever.”

  “Lex, sweetie, I think you’re setting yourself up to get even more hurt here.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Alexis Marie.” Katie’s voice got fierce. “I can see your right eye twitching.”

  “You can not.” Lexi pulled the phone away from her ear like Katie really could see through the airwaves.

  “Please-please-please just tell me you’re not trying to become a Tristan-approved version of my sister. Because I’m not sure that exists.”

  Lexi swallowed hard. Ouch. “Um, thank you? That didn’t hurt at all?”

  “I’m sorry.” Katie sighed. “I’ve just been sitting back here, dealing with Mom—who is driving me berserk, by the way—but consoling myself that at least you’re out there having the time of your life, shrugging off all of the chains and going nuts.”

  “I’m having—fun. I am. Promise.” She sighed again. “But give me a little leeway here, Kate. I was supposed to be four weeks into a newlywed summer right now. You have to admit, life isn’t exactly turning out the way I’d been thinking it would for the past year.”

  “I know. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m a terrible sister.”

  Lexi rolled her eyes as she laughed softly. “The worst.”

  “So can we please stop talking about Tristan for a minute?”

  “Gladly. What do you want to talk about?”

  “Cowboys. Please at least tell me the cowboys are still as amazing as they look.”

  Lexi paused, sitting down in the rocker so she had a clear view of the stables just down the hill. Ever since this afternoon, she hadn’t been able to get Gunnar’s touch out of her head, and it was driving her absolutely crazy.

  She shouldn’t be falling for him. She couldn’t fall for him. In four short weeks, she’d be heading home to her job, her home, her ocean. He’d be here, two thousand miles away.

  “Lexi? The cowboys?”

  “Um.” Lexi paused again, unsure of what to say. For some reason, she didn’t want to share any more about Gunnar with her sister, and she wasn’t even sure why. “They are definitely as hot as the website promises.”

  “But no elopement news yet? You sure you don’t need me to come out there and see if we could work together to rustle up a couple of good ones?”

  Lexi laughed, but at the same time, her stomach clutched. Yes, just what she needed right now was for her super-sparkly sister to come out here and shake up Whisper Creek. Katie would have the cowboys—all of them—drooling at her feet by day two of her visit, and she wouldn’t even have to expend any effort to make that happen.

  “I’m all set, Kit-Kat. Thanks, though. I’ll let you know if I need a wing-chick.”

  “You totally do. And I’m willing. Really. Seriously.”

  “Wow. Mom really is driving you crazy. You’re desperate.”

  Katie sighed again. “I know I’m doing the whole preaching to the choir thing here, but I think Mom might actually be losing her mind. She’s definitely making me lose mine. I hate that I’m counting the days till you get home, but I kind of am.”

  Lexi matched her sigh. “Welcome to my world, Kate. Welcome to my world.” Then she heard Katie’s doorbell in the background.

  “I gotta go, Lex. Meg and I are headed to Boston for the night. She got tickets to a game, and she knows somebody who knows somebody on the team, so we get to hang out after the game, maybe go out with the guys.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  Sounded like a nightmare. Boston traffic, Red Sox crowd, after-game party with a bunch of mega-athletes who were accustomed to dating models? No, thanks.

  Katie laughed as Lexi heard Meg blast through the door. “I can hear you gritting your teeth.”

  “Well, it sounds like fun for you. Better?”

  “Yup. Hey, Lex? Promise me you’ll do something besides read a book tonight, okay?”

  Lexi rolled her eyes. “I’ve been sparkly all week. I’ve met my quota. I’m taking the night off.”

  “So one question before you get back to your super-enthralling novel of the week? How’s your list coming? How many check marks?”

  Lexi frowned, knowing there were a lot less of them than she’d hoped she’d have by now. “I’m getting there.”

  “What have you done?”

  “I’ve tried three new foods.”

  “Ooh. Going wild.” Lexi could hear Katie’s smile through the phone. “What else?”

  “Um, took a joyride with a cowboy?”

  “Really?” Katie’s voice registered disbelief.

  “I swear! And it was…fun!” Lexi rolled her eyes, knowing Katie would see right through her.

  “Mm-hm.”

  “I’ve done other things on the list, I swear. But I’m also a little busy working here. Let’s not forget I have a job, okay?”

  “Okay, but you’re running out of time to get to that final item. Just saying.”

  Lexi didn’t have to look at the list to know which one that was, and she rolled her eyes. “No intention of getting there, sis.”

  “Fine. So maybe you don’t have to do a cowboy. How about just kiss one?”

  “Kate?”

  “Do it for me?”

  Lexi laughed at her wheedling tone. “I don’t want a cowboy.”

  As she set down her phone and felt her eyes scan the stables, looking for one particular cowboy for the hundredth time today, she sighed.

  Did she?

  Chapter 10

  “Have you ever been paragliding?” Gunnar asked the question casually, like he didn’t already know it would send Lexi reaching for an inhaler or a Xanax. It was Tuesday morning, and she’d been organizing supplies in her little first-aid office when he’d poked his head through the door.

  “Para what?” She looked up, eyes wide.

  “Paragliding. You know, where you head to a peak, strap on some fake wings, and fly?” He sort of hated himself for tormenting her with his casual description, but hey. She was the one who’d said she wanted to amp up her wild and crazy side. He was just offering her an opportunity.

  “I—I know what paragliding is. Just didn’t know you could do it…here.”

  “It’s an excursion package. That sorority reunion group wants to do it, so I got elected to take them.”

  “Shocker.” She said the word almost under her breath, but he heard it loud and clear, and he didn’t know why, but it made him smile.

  “I’m sorry, what?” He leaned closer.

  “I said awesome. Sounds like fun.”

  “Ah.” He nodded, backing up. “Thought I heard something different.”

  “Nope.” She turned away, then back to him. “Are you the only guy going?”

  “Yep. We don’t do the instructing. There’s an outfit up in the next town that has actual professionals.”

  “Always a good plan when you take your life into your own hands, I guess?”

  He smiled. “So is that a yes? Want to come?”

  “Gunnar? Tiny question here. Are you trying to torment me, or does it just sort of come naturally?”

  “Hey.” He put up his hands. “You’re the one building a selfie library. I’m just trying to give you an opportunity. If you’re trying to prove you can go all nuts out here, I can’t think of a better picture to send than you strapped into para wings, with just the blue sky in the background.”

  Lexi sighed carefully, and he knew she was weighing his very logical statement against her very real fear of dying. He knew the dying thing would win, but it was kind of fun to watch the internal battle happen.

  “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll do it.”

  “What?”

  “I will. I’ll do it. You’re right. It’s perfect.”

  “No. It’s really not.” He shook his head. “I was kidding.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Y
ou’re not doing a paragliding expedition today?”

  “No, I am. I mean, yes. We are. But it’s not—you’re not—I really don’t think—”

  “I know.” She put up a hand. “It’s not necessary. You’re not that kind of girl. I really don’t think it’s a good idea. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

  “No.” Yes, for hell’s sake.

  “Well, so far it looks like I’m all talk and no action, right? I mean, really. It took me how long to even get on a horse here? It’s borderline pathetic. So yes. I’m going paragliding. Me and the Alpha-Beta-soup chicks. I can keep up with them.”

  He nodded slowly. “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely!” She forced a smile, but he could see the panicky shine in her eyes as deep pink spots grew on her cheeks. God, he loved redheads. There was no emotion she could really hide, with that practically translucent, beautiful skin.

  He cleared his throat. Her skin wasn’t what he needed to be focused on here. “All right. We leave in an hour.” Then he hooked a thumb toward the three cabins the sorority women were staying in. “Pretty sure they’re down there doing shots to work up their courage. You might want to go do a couple, just in case.”

  —

  Oh, holy mother of God. Lexi stood on the ridge two hours later, setting her feet so the wind didn’t tip her over. What in the world had she been thinking? Delta-Gamma-whatever chick number three was getting strapped in, about to take off, and Lexi was about to lose her breakfast.

  She should have done the shots. Then at least she’d have false courage at her disposal here. As it was, she closed her eyes tightly as each woman did her running leap, praying that the glider things would stay straight, that the wind wouldn’t die, that the woman wouldn’t crash.

  They’d done this before, of course. And they each had their own perfectly cute set of wings, while she was standing here waiting to get strapped to a professional.

  The professional part of this wasn’t actually helping.

  Only three people left until her turn, and she was pretty sure she was about to faint from pure terror. Meanwhile, the sorority girls whooped and hollered and cheered one another on, none of them looking the least bit like death was a distinct possibility here. Had they seen a life insurance application lately?