“Yes, but he’ll leave whenever I get back.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “And what about you? Don’t you have horses to breed or train?”
“Your safety is more important to me.”
“Yeah, right.”
He lifted a brow. “You don’t believe me? Even after I spent the entire night in my truck?”
“You were protecting your interest.”
“And that’s definitely you, sweetheart.”
Don’t even go there. Bella figured it was definitely time to end this conversation. If she engaged in chatter with him too much longer he would be convincing her that everything he was saying was true.
“You will have an answer for me in four days, right, Bella?”
“That’s my plan.”
“Good. I’ll be back by the time you’re dressed and we can do breakfast with Dillon and Pam, and then I want to show you what I do for a living.”
Before she could respond he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “See you in an hour. And wear your riding attire.”
She sucked in a deep breath and watched as he walked off the porch to his truck to drive away. The man was definitely something else. She cast a quick glance to where Riley sat in his own truck sipping a cup of coffee. There was no doubt in her mind Riley had seen his brother kiss her, and she could only imagine what he was thinking.
Deciding the least she could do was invite him in, she called out to him. “You’re welcome to come inside, Riley,” she said, smiling broadly at him.
The smile he returned was just as expansive as he leaned his head slightly out the truck’s window and said, “Thanks, but Jason warned me not to. I’m fine.”
Jason warned him not to? Of course he was just joking, although he looked dead serious.
Instead of questioning him about it, she nodded, closed the door and headed back upstairs. As she entered her bedroom she couldn’t ignore the excitement she felt about riding with Jason and checking out his horse training business.
JASON HAD GRABBED HIS Stetson off the rack and was about to head out the door when his cell phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and saw it was Dillon.
“Yes, Dil?”
“Pam wanted me to call and verify that you and Bella are coming for breakfast.”
Jason smiled. “Yes, we’ll be there. In fact, I’m about to saddle up one of the mares. I thought we’d ride over on horseback. We can enjoy the sights along the way.”
“That’s a good idea. Everything’s okay at her place?”
“Yes, so far so good. The sheriff has increased the patrols around Bella’s house and I appreciate it. Thank him the next time the two of you shoot pool together.”
Dillon chuckled. “I will. And just so you know, I like Bella. She has a lot of class.”
Jason smiled. That meant a lot coming from his older brother. While growing up he’d always thought Dillon was smart with a good head on his shoulders. Jason’s admiration increased when Dillon had worked hard to keep the family together.
“And thanks, Dillon.”
“For what?”
“For being you. For being there when all of us needed you to be. For doing what you knew Mom and Dad, as well as Uncle Thomas and Aunt Susan would have wanted you to do.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Jason.”
“Yes, I do.”
Dillon didn’t say anything for a moment. “Then you’re welcome. Now don’t keep us waiting with Bella. We won’t start breakfast until the two of you get here. At least all of us except Denver. He wakes up hungry. Pam has fed him already,” Dillon said.
Jason couldn’t help but smile, and not for the first time, as he thought of one day having a son of his own. Being around Denver had the tendency to put such thoughts into his head. He enjoyed his nephew immensely.
“We’ll get there in good time, I promise,” he said before clicking off the phone.