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Mason stood outside beneath Harley’s window. There was a dim glow coming between the slats of the blinds. She hadn’t gone to bed yet, though she might be close. He glanced down at his feet and picked up a few pieces of pea gravel.

One by one, he tossed them up at her window. It took about ten right in a row for her to finally open the blinds and peer out into the darkness. When her eyes found his, her brows creased to form an amusing expression.

Harley flung open the window and put her head outside. “What on earth are you doing here?”

“You owe me a date,” Mason called back.

She laughed. “I do, but I wasn’t expecting you to come when I was getting ready for bed.”

“That’s sorta the point, isn’t it? I can’t sweep you off your feet if you’re prepared for it.”

Harley shook her head with another laugh. “What are you up to?”

“Come down and find out.”

This was one of the moments that would stand out in his mind for years to come. He knew it just by the way she smiled at him—like he was the prince of some unknown European island. No one had looked at him like that before.

His chest tightened. Their first date was supposed to be a way to get on her good side—and possibly to explore their compatibility. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew that one day, at the end of the summer, she’d go home.

Unfortunately for himself, his heart didn’t seem to realize that whatever started between them would inevitably come to an end.

Mason motioned for her to join him. “Well? Are you coming or not?”

She rolled her eyes but shut the window anyway. The second Harley disappeared from the window, Mason hurried around to the front of the house.

Here went nothing.

20

Harley

Harley tip-toed down the stairs, her heart racing. It wasn’t that she’d never snuck out before. She’d even had her share of sneaking out to meet a boy.

But this was different.

She was seeing Mason—bookish, quiet, strong, handsome cowboy, Mason.

And she didn’t want her uncle knowing that was where she was going.

Knowing him, he would probably approve of this form of rebellion and all because Mason was someone he trusted. That was ridiculous. But so was sneaking around just because she didn’t want him to like what she was doing.

Harley got to the front door, picked up her boots and slipped outside. As soon as the door latched, she was down the steps. Mason leaned against the passenger side of the truck, his arms folded and a boyish grin touching his lips.

“Hey there, beautiful.”

If she was the type of girl who could swoon, she might have done just that. Thankfully, there had been several men in her life who had tried to impress her, and she wasn’t going to let some cowboy manipulate her into feeling something just because he was showing her attention.

At least, that was what she told herself. Who cared if it was a lie?

He reached out to her, and she took his hand. Mason pulled her close and their bodies collided. The air was knocked from her lungs, but that was nothing compared to the way he stole her breath away with another one of those kisses.

His lips claimed hers as if she hadn’t been kissed a thousand times before. It was as if her head, her heart, and her mouth had forgotten what it was like to connect with someone else.

What was happening to her? One kiss? One date? And suddenly, she was willing to consider what a life could be like with this man.

Mason broke their kiss first, leaving her lightheaded and craving more. He sidestepped, avoiding another kiss but also preventing her from bestowing one on the window of his truck. He chuckled, pulling the door open as he did so. “You ready?”

“Ready for what?” she whispered as if they were still trying to hide from her uncle.