Asking for Trouble by Jannine Gallant

then laid bacon and toast on top. “Breakfast is ready. You can refill the cups.”
    “Sure.” After pouring the coffee, he slid onto his chair. “Thanks for doing all the work.”
    “No problem.” She munched overcooked bacon and studied him. “About last night—”
    “That’s why I suggested a picnic.” Cole raised his voice to drown out words he was pretty certain he didn’t want to hear. “You can’t get much more platonic than a picnic. We’ll go for a ride. Jackson seems to like Chief.” When she opened her mouth, he rushed on. “You wouldn’t want to deprive him of a horseback ride, would you? I can’t manage on my own.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “That’s low, dragging poor little Jackson into this.”
    “Can’t we have some fun together? Hanging out in the ER doesn’t count, and you agreed to—”
    “You’re worse than Tucker with a steak bone. Tenacious.” Her huff of breath fluttered the paper towel she was using as a napkin. “Jezebel’s been alone since yesterday afternoon—”
    “The cat will survive a few more hours of its own company.”
    “What am I going to ride? You only have one horse.”
    “I’m boarding two others at the moment. One’s a sweet little mare that should suit you.” He glanced over when his nephew squealed and smacked a couple of blocks together before returning his attention to Miranda.
    “Fine, but you have to promise not to turn this into an all-day adventure. Besides Jezebel and the waiting petunias, I have laundry to do.”
    He bit into his toast and widened his eyes in mock innocence. “Whatever you want. You’re in charge.”
    ****
    The horses trotted side by side across the prairie, soft wickers mingling with Jackson’s happy chirps. The baby bounced on his uncle’s lap while his little fingers tangled in Chief’s mane. The man had lied. Cole didn’t need any help managing the baby on horseback. He looked far more relaxed riding the big Appaloosa than he did in his own living room.
    Not that Miranda minded being tricked. Beauty, the small, gray mare, quivered with warmth and energy beneath her bare legs. The sun shining brightly overhead lulled her into a meditative state as she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the breeze whispering across her face beneath the too big straw hat Cole had plunked down on her head. Better an oversized hat than a sunburn, he’d pointed out, and she didn’t argue.
    She hadn’t put up much of an argument about anything. Once he started talking, with persuasive if faulty logic, she’d been sucked into his plans for the day. Deep down, she hadn’t wanted to protest. She hadn’t been on a horse since they’d broken up six months before, and she missed riding. But not nearly as much as she’d missed the man. Agreeing to his just friends proposal was asking for trouble, yet she hadn’t been able to say no.
    Pushing the thought into the back corner of her mind to mull over later, she straightened and kicked Beauty into a trot when the horse slowed.
    “Where’re we headed?”
    “Comanche Creek runs through that dip to the west. We can stop there if you like.”
    “Sounds good to me.” She stroked the mare’s velvety neck. “Who does this girl belong to?”
    He shifted in the saddle, repositioning his grip on Jackson. “One of my neighbors. They’re in Spain for a couple of weeks.”
    “Wow, everyone is on vacation. It would be fun to go somewhere exotic.” She gave a little shrug. “But I can’t leave the daycare for more than a long weekend. With Jenna expecting her baby next month, I’ll be really short-handed.”
    “Is Jenna coming back full-time afterward?”
    “Probably not.”
    “Did you hire someone to replace Amy Jo after she moved to Dallas?”
    When his eyes flashed with concern, she hesitated before answering. “No.”
    “Good God, Miranda, you can’t run that place alone.”
    “I wasn’t planning to—”
    He overrode her protest. “You may think you’re Wonder Woman,