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“Care to place a wager on that?”

“Hmm. You know the old cottonwood tree that bends over the water?”

“The one with the rope swing?”

“Yep. How about the first person there gets dinner of their choosing from the loser. Dessert and drinks included.”

He considered the bottle of wine he still had set aside for her. Was this a date or just dropping off food? Either way, he was in. Anything for a chance to pick up where that kiss left off and see where it could go.

He laughed. “I’ll take that bet.”

They saddled up the horses in record time and led them to the end of the stables.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.

For what, he wasn’t sure, but his answer was the same either way. “Hell yes, I am.”

“Okay, try and keep up.” She giggled, her eyes lawless and beautiful. Just like he remembered.

He’d try, but since she’d come stampeding back into his life, it seemed that was all he was trying to do with her—keep up and not lose ground he’d spent years gaining.

She took off out of the barn and he chased after her, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Her hair had lost the sleekness and wild curls bounced behind her as she tore across the field toward the canyon.

Bennett dug his heels into his horse’s side and loosened the reins. As they cornered the first narrow turn, Maggie whooped with delight. She was still ahead and pulling away from him. He surprised himself with how little he wanted to win this race, not when taking care of her would be his consolation prize.

Oh, Maggie, his heart called back. No matter how today’s ride went, she would come out ahead. If she decided this life wasn’t for her—again—it would do him in. Like last time, she’d be taking his heart along with her no matter how hard he tried to keep her from stealing it.

Because how could she rob him of what had always been hers?

*

The wind ripped through Maggie’s hair, and she didn’t once think to stop and tame her mass of curls. Her awareness was focused on the man right behind her. It was imperative she win this race. Not because of the dinner, though having him serve her had a certain allure to it.

More than that, though, she wanted to leave the memories he kept kicking up like dust behind for good. Being here was hard enough—between her dad’s passing, Bennett’s reappearance, and her discovery of his business’s tie to hers, she had enough to wade through without drowning in his eyes that looked like emeralds bathed in sea foam.

Then there was the way his mouth felt against hers…

She shook the memory away. “You’ve got this, babe,” she said to Golden, her father’s horse.

She was just like her mom, except Golden could corner like a Ferrari. At the first field, Maggie tightened her reins and leaned forward. She had two horse lengths on Bennett and squealed, throwing her hands in the air when she crossed the shadow cast by the mature tree.

“We did it,” she said, patting Golden’s neck as the horse slowed to a trot.

“I want a mulligan. You gave me a bum horse.”

“Shhh,” Maggie said, sliding off her saddle and scratching Bennett’s horse behind the ear. “You’ll hurt Lightning’s feelings. And I won fair and square.”

“You did. I concede. You’re a helluva rider, Maggie.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I learned from the best.”

A blush of color spread up Bennett’s neck and cheeks. Bashful looked good on the confident cowboy.

“You give any thoughts to what you want for dinner?”

Another kiss. “Um, no. But I’ll get back to you on that. Anything you’re particularly good at?”

“As good as I am at raising cows, it’s nothing compared to what I can do with one on a grill.”