eyes.
“You must be tired. Maybe I should take you back to my pa rents’ place so you can get settled.”
She furrows her brow, like she’s giving my suggestion some thought, and then she nods. “I am a little tired. Are you sure it’s not going to be any trouble staying with you?”
“I don’t think you have that much of a choice,” I say.
She frowns.
“You lost the bet, remember?”
“Oh, yeah,” she says coyly.
I don’t want to drive Riley back to the farm in my BMW. I don’t want her to know that I own it until she gets to know me better. After she completely falls for me .
“Wait here for a minute,” I say as I jump from my chair and head toward the bar. I wait until Jake is done serving beers to a couple of girls to ask about borrowing his truck.
“What are you afraid of getting your new baby dirty?” he teases.
“Yeah,” I lie. I guess it’s only a half lie. I don’t want to get my car dirty but I want Riley to see it even less.
“And how am I getting home?” Jake asks.
“Get a ride with your girlfriend.”
Jake frowns. “You know I don’t do girlfriends.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Does Harley know that?”
“Do you want to use my truck or not?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Then stop being an ass.”
Jake hands me the keys to his Dodge.
“Thanks,” I say. I’m about to take off when I turn back toward him and say, “Oh, you know Riley is coming back to the farm with me. I invited her to stay the weekend. I’ll take her back to the city on Monday.”
“Sharing a guest bedroom?” Jake winks.
I don’t give him the satisfaction of a response.
Six
Riley
“Do you mind if we make one stop before I take you to my parents’ place?” Cooper asks.
“Where are we going?” I wonder aloud. “You’re not going to take me cow tipping, are you?”
Cooper laughs. “I’ve never been cow tipping. Where did you get that from?”
I shrug. “Some movie, I guess. I can’t remember. Can I have a hint?”
“It’s a surprise.”
When I glance over at him, I can see he’s smiling. I take that as a good sign. I’m in favor of anything that can bring out his smile.
The scenery is beautiful and I’m surprised by how many of the fields are covered with sunflowers. I would have thought there’d be more corn, or alfalfa, or whatever else they grow in country fields. Not here, though. All sunflowers.
I could do without so many curves in the road, however. When my stomach starts to get a little queasy, I’m glad we’re turning off the main road but the secondary road seems even worse. It’s narrower, bumpier and even windier than the previous road.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Stokes State Forest.”
“I’m not sure how much longer I can take these roads,” I admit. My stomach is starting to do flip-flops. It’s probably not just the roads. I’m sure drinking so much alcohol didn’t help either.
When Cooper glances over at me, his brow furrows with concern. “Don’t worry,” he tries to assure me. “We’ll be there soon.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when we finally stop in a small par king area.
“Sunrise Mountain is the second highest peak along the A ppalachian trail in New Jersey,” Cooper says as he turns off the engine. This is a great place to hike. But you’re not dressed for that today. Plus, it’ll be getting dark soon. I just wanted you to get a bird’s eye view of my hometown.”
Cooper hops out of the truck and quickly makes his way over to help me down.
There are a number of hikers milling around. Cooper grabs my hand and leads me toward a rocky pathway. I notice I’m the only one who’s not in sneakers and casual clothing. It’s not an easy walk in my business suit and wedge heels but when we get to the overlook, it’s worth it.
The landscape is breathtaking and Cooper was right when he called it a bird’s eye view. The bucolic scene is a panorama of lovely trees, rolling hills and picturesque meadows as far as the eye can
“You must be tired. Maybe I should take you back to my pa rents’ place so you can get settled.”
She furrows her brow, like she’s giving my suggestion some thought, and then she nods. “I am a little tired. Are you sure it’s not going to be any trouble staying with you?”
“I don’t think you have that much of a choice,” I say.
She frowns.
“You lost the bet, remember?”
“Oh, yeah,” she says coyly.
I don’t want to drive Riley back to the farm in my BMW. I don’t want her to know that I own it until she gets to know me better. After she completely falls for me .
“Wait here for a minute,” I say as I jump from my chair and head toward the bar. I wait until Jake is done serving beers to a couple of girls to ask about borrowing his truck.
“What are you afraid of getting your new baby dirty?” he teases.
“Yeah,” I lie. I guess it’s only a half lie. I don’t want to get my car dirty but I want Riley to see it even less.
“And how am I getting home?” Jake asks.
“Get a ride with your girlfriend.”
Jake frowns. “You know I don’t do girlfriends.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Does Harley know that?”
“Do you want to use my truck or not?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Then stop being an ass.”
Jake hands me the keys to his Dodge.
“Thanks,” I say. I’m about to take off when I turn back toward him and say, “Oh, you know Riley is coming back to the farm with me. I invited her to stay the weekend. I’ll take her back to the city on Monday.”
“Sharing a guest bedroom?” Jake winks.
I don’t give him the satisfaction of a response.
Six
Riley
“Do you mind if we make one stop before I take you to my parents’ place?” Cooper asks.
“Where are we going?” I wonder aloud. “You’re not going to take me cow tipping, are you?”
Cooper laughs. “I’ve never been cow tipping. Where did you get that from?”
I shrug. “Some movie, I guess. I can’t remember. Can I have a hint?”
“It’s a surprise.”
When I glance over at him, I can see he’s smiling. I take that as a good sign. I’m in favor of anything that can bring out his smile.
The scenery is beautiful and I’m surprised by how many of the fields are covered with sunflowers. I would have thought there’d be more corn, or alfalfa, or whatever else they grow in country fields. Not here, though. All sunflowers.
I could do without so many curves in the road, however. When my stomach starts to get a little queasy, I’m glad we’re turning off the main road but the secondary road seems even worse. It’s narrower, bumpier and even windier than the previous road.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Stokes State Forest.”
“I’m not sure how much longer I can take these roads,” I admit. My stomach is starting to do flip-flops. It’s probably not just the roads. I’m sure drinking so much alcohol didn’t help either.
When Cooper glances over at me, his brow furrows with concern. “Don’t worry,” he tries to assure me. “We’ll be there soon.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when we finally stop in a small par king area.
“Sunrise Mountain is the second highest peak along the A ppalachian trail in New Jersey,” Cooper says as he turns off the engine. This is a great place to hike. But you’re not dressed for that today. Plus, it’ll be getting dark soon. I just wanted you to get a bird’s eye view of my hometown.”
Cooper hops out of the truck and quickly makes his way over to help me down.
There are a number of hikers milling around. Cooper grabs my hand and leads me toward a rocky pathway. I notice I’m the only one who’s not in sneakers and casual clothing. It’s not an easy walk in my business suit and wedge heels but when we get to the overlook, it’s worth it.
The landscape is breathtaking and Cooper was right when he called it a bird’s eye view. The bucolic scene is a panorama of lovely trees, rolling hills and picturesque meadows as far as the eye can
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