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But she’d said she liked him, didn’t she? Hell, his inner monologue was apparently twelve years old.

He opened his mouth to apologize but stopped short when he realized she was smiling.

Eli pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus, Beth! Did I fuck up or not?”

She gasped, hand flying to her chest. “Oh god. No! Sorry! I only wanted…I mean, before we kiss—and I do want you to kiss me—I need to lay out one condition of our agreement.”

“Our kissing agreement?” Eli was so confused.

Beth nodded. “You may kiss me and only kiss me since I’m not taking advantage of a man while he’s drunk.” She hesitated but then added, “I kind of already feel like I took advantage of you being slightly vulnerable after Trudy and Frederick and—”

“Wait…” Eli interrupted her. “If you are trying to up the sexiness of the moment by bringing up dead animals I wish I could have saved, let me run into the clinic and grab you a few more charts.”

Beth groaned. “Ugh. No. I didn’t mean it like that. But if it happens between us, like really happens, I want us both to be in a good place here…” She pressed a palm over his heart. “And here…” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead.

Well, shit. That was sweet as hell.

“And…” she continued, straightening so her eyes met his, “in the morning when you don’t have a house call, unless you somehow booked one after we closed the clinic this afternoon, you’re teaching me how to ride. With Midnight.”

She pressed her lips together and raised her chin.

A challenge and an ultimatum all wrapped up in one.

Eli needed that mare rehabbed and off his property, which meant the mare needed a rider. Midnight clearly didn’t trust him. That much he knew. But for some reason, she and Beth had forged a connection on their first day in town.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” he asked, resignation already seeping in.

She shook her head. “Nope.”

Eli sighed, but he didn’t get a chance to respond.

“Wait!” Beth pulled the brakes again.

He held his hands up, assuring her he wasn’t making any moves.

“I won’t push you into anything you’re not ready for,” Beth began. “So if tonight’s too soon for this…” She motioned between them again. “Or I’m rushing you to put me on the horse tomorrow, I can wait. Not forever, but I’ll do it on your timetable. This is a big deal for you, and I should have been more sensitive to that from the beginning. But Midnight does need to be ridden again, and I want that rider to be me.”

Eli slowly lowered his hands.

“Beth?”

“Eli?”

“Are you done freaking me out every time I’m ready to kiss you?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Fine. Wait there a second.” And before she could respond, he opened his door and hopped out. On his way around the truck, he unlatched the tailgate and then strode up to her door, which was already hanging open.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He held out a hand, but instead of helping her to the ground, he lifted her off the running board and hiked her legs over his hips.

Beth yelped and burst into a fit of laughter until he made his way back to the truck bed and deposited her on the edge. He pushed her knees open just enough so he could stand between them.

“Oh!” she said.

“Now we’re eye to eye,” he told her.