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“Like what? I’m fine. I want to dance with you.”

She looped her arm through his and moved across the dance floor and toward the back door. “I don’t know what you were thinking when you took those drinks—”

“I was jealous.”

“Jealous of what?”

“I didn’t like the way that guy was looking at you.” They exited the building and he took in a deep breath. “You were right, you know.”

She let out a sigh.

“Rain is kinda nice.”

“If I had known that you talk so much more when you have a few beers, then I would have given one to you sooner.” Her tone was light and teasing. Maybe he hadn’t ruined everything.

He leaned closer to her. “Alcohol makes it worse.”

“Makes what worse?” Her brows furrowed. The farther they got from the main building, the harder it was to read her expression.

Riley didn’t answer right away. Just thinking about her question was all it took for his emotions to take a dive into darker waters.

“How does drinking make it worse, Riley?”

He scowled and pulled away from her, shoving his hands into his pockets. He picked up his pace, not caring that she had to jog to keep up with him. The buzz was gone. The anger spread like a virus from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Flashes of memories from his time in the service tore at him, hooking their claws into his heart and dragging him back to the pit of misery he’d been in when he’d arrived here.

Grace touched his arm. “Riley, talk to me. What’s going through your head right now?”

He jerked away from her touch. “Don’t pretend you know me. You’re only here because youhaveto be.”

She stopped as he continued to storm down the path toward his living quarters. That’s what alcohol did to him. It loosened his tongue and it made him feel deeper. Those memories were the most important part of him—the thing he couldn’t shake. It was everything he hated about himself, and if he let it go, then what would be left?

A shell.

Riley made it to the cabin and stormed inside. Grace wasn’t brave enough to follow him. That, or she didn’t care enough to finish this conversation. Either way, he needed to stop fawning over her. She wasn’t his and she never would be.

12

Grace

Once again,Grace didn’t know if she should have even arrived for her session on Monday afternoon. Friday night’s strange conversation raced through her head over and over throughout the weekend. Riley didn’t reach out to her—but no calls from Shane either.

There was a strong possibility Riley didn’t want her to be there.

On the same front, she couldn’t wrap her head around what he’d said about her. He was jealous. He wanted her to be there withhim.

That didn’t mean he could act out like he had.

Then there was the fact that she’d been waiting in the barn for the last ten minutes and he still hadn’t arrived. The whole time they’d been having sessions, he had never been late. This was uncharacteristic.

She had half a mind to head out to his cabin and pound on his door to demand an explanation. But that wouldn’t be very therapist-like.

Instead, she busied herself with preparing the animals and straightening up. The longer it took, the more livid she became. She deserved respect. She wasn’t just some person he could push around and demand things from.

If his ranting had been honest, and he was interested in her, then they would deal with that the way they were supposed to.

They’d shut it down.

Before Friday night, she might have entertained the possibility of ignoring everything she knew was right and actually give into her attraction for him. But watching the way he overreacted had made her realize that would be averybad idea. He wasn’t ready for something that serious yet, no matter how much she was drawn to him.