Page 27 of Riding the Line (Willow Ridge #2)

Cherry

Duke: Just letting you know – Levi won’t be working at the bar again.

Duke: He’s alive, FYI. I didn’t kill him, just fired him.

Cherry: Wow, more than one text AND a joke from Duke Bennett? What did I do to be so lucky?

Duke: Funny.

Cherry : Thank you, though. Makes me feel a lot better.

Duke: I’m glad.

Cherry: Hey, Duke?

Duke: Yeah?

Cherry: I can’t sleep again.

‘Sorry I’m late!’ I call out as I rush through the door of Sitting Pretty, the coffee shop on Main Street where I’m meeting Rory and Fliss the following day.

I’m immediately greeted by the rich aromas of coffee and caramel, the buzz and steam of the coffee machines filtering amongst the light chatter from customers.

With the wellness retreat at Sunset Ranch heavily booked this summer, any day Rory and Fliss have time off together, we jump at the opportunity for a coffee or smoothie date.

Luckily, Rory’s family are visiting from England this week, so the retreat doesn’t have any other guests, giving her more time to spare.

They’re the best kind of friends that pass no judgement – if I suddenly told them I wanted to quit college and run away with the circus to become a sword eater, I honestly think they’d hug me and start googling what the best circuses to join are.

Plus, they introduced me to smutty romance books and that is something I can never thank them enough for.

‘I was up late last night and overslept,’ I babble my apologies as I drop into a chair. The reality being that I had such a deep, long sleep after being on the phone with Duke while he told me all about his grandfather, opening up another tiny kernel of his life to me.

‘I think him getting me involved with the bar business was his way of showing love, like there was no doubt I’d be taking it over eventually,’ Duke tells me. ‘Even if it probably wasn’t legal to have me helping out in my teens.

‘You know, I remember one time at Thanksgiving I told him I was interested in studying interior design and he came up with a whole plan for me to start my own business.’

Duke chuckles on the other end. ‘Yep, that sounds just like him. An entrepreneur at heart.’ He hums for a moment.

‘Makes me proud though – growing up during such a difficult time, especially as one of only a few Black people in a small town – but he never gave up.

Never let the world stop him from achieving what he wanted.

‘He’d be proud of you too, y’know?’

Rory chuckles, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. ‘Girl, you’re like five minutes late, it’s fine. We already told them to start your drink when you arrive, so it’s all good.’

‘You’re the best, thank you.’ My shoulders drop and I take in the coffee shop – the sunlight scattered across the mint walls, cutting through the large windows that look out onto Main Street.

‘I’m personally more interested by the fact you were up late last night,’ Fliss chimes in, quirking a brow at me over the brim of her coffee cup as she sips slowly. ‘Anyone the cause of that?’

‘Spill!’ Rory demands, eyes wide with hope.

‘Calm down.’ I shake my head at them, chuckling. ‘I just couldn’t sleep, that’s all.’

Duke was no doubt conflicted about letting me stay and, even if I’m reading into our time together too much, it felt intimate.

It was our moment together, a chance to be closer than we ever have before and I kind of want that to stay just ours for now.

There’s something slightly exhilarating about keeping it a secret too.

It makes me wonder what else Duke would do if he knew no one would ever find out…

‘If you say so.’ Fliss winks just as the barista sets my coffee on the table. The nutty, caramel scent of the drink wafts up and I inhale it down like it’s a drug. Almost like how Duke breathed me in when his face was nuzzled into my neck yesterday morning.

‘Oh, behave.’ I narrow my eyes, sipping my coffee and welcoming its toasty heat. ‘I actually have a favour to ask you.’

Fliss perks up. ‘Oh yeah?’

‘Will you give me some riding lessons? I used to ride when I was a teenager, but … well, then I had my first fit and I fell. My parents didn’t want me to get back on, and honestly, I was a little too scared to as well, especially when at one point I was having seizures every month.

’ Rory suddenly brushes her foot against my leg.

‘But God, do I miss it. I know Wyatt will probably have a heart attack if he finds out, but I’m kind of done with letting my epilepsy hold me back, you know? ’

‘I think it’s a great idea.’ Fliss beams at me. ‘I’d be honoured to, Cherry. I’ll have a look at when I can fit you in around the ranch and let you know, yeah? It will be so fun!’

My heart could burst with joy – at my friends, for being so supportive and kind, and at myself, for taking this first step towards riding again.

‘This is exciting.’ Rory grins, bouncing in her seat. ‘What spurred this on?’

‘Oh …’ I drink down some of my coffee to avoid my nervous laughter from spilling. ‘I’ve kinda been doing this bucket list Montana made me.’

‘Um, I wanna see this list,’ Fliss requests.

I chuckle at her demand and reach down into my bag, pulling out the folded list. You never know when you might be met with an opportunity to tick something off or come up with a new idea to add to it.

The girls snatch it from my hands and lean into each other as they scour the crumpled paper, Rory letting out the odd ooh as certain items pique her interest. When they hit the more sexual activities at the bottom, their eyes widen, and they start pointing to each one with a giggle.

‘Well,’ Rory starts, ‘I for one will always support girls having more orgasms, so this looks great.’

Shortly after, Fliss drops the list to the table. ‘I’m not gonna lie though, shower sex is so overrated.’

‘Sex in a bathroom, however,’ Rory counters, raising a brow and flicking her gaze between us, a smirk tugging at her lips.

‘Please don’t say any more.’ I internally shudder. ‘That’s my brother you’re talking about.’

She chuckles, but then leans back in her chair as she takes a long sip of her smoothie. ‘I never said it was with Wyatt.’

‘Where was it? And who?’ Fliss asks.

‘At Duke’s bar with Wyatt.’

‘For God’s sake!’ I curse, making Rory and Fliss cackle. ‘That’s my place of work, you sex fiend! Now I won’t be able to pee without wondering if you’ve been bent over whatever toilet I’m using.’

And then I’m descending into their fit of giggles, ribs aching from the laughter tumbling out of me.

The kind that is so full of joy and elation that it becomes silent, and tears stream from my eyes.

To a point that we look a little concerning, all flopped over the table, shoulders bobbing up and down.

But it’s goddamn glorious, and I’ve missed having friends that make you feel all warm and golden from the inside out.

The kind of group I never found growing up.

When we finally manage to catch our breaths, Fliss straightens the list back out on the table. ‘You’ve been doing all this on your own?’

‘Well, the roller-skating obviously we all did, and the rest, um, I’ve been doing with Montana.’

‘Hmm,’ Rory muses as she points to face my fear of heights on the list. ‘Funny, I don’t remember Montana being on the Ferris wheel with you …’ She gradually drops her mouth to her straw and slurps slowly, lashes fluttering at me.

I narrow my eyes at her. ‘Why do you say that?’

Rory straightens her shoulders and then relays with a grin, in the exact same manner she said it the other week, ‘Why don’t Duke and Cherry go wait by it so we can be first on while we go get some pictures?’

Oh. My. God.

That was … planned?

‘I’m so confused right now,’ I confess, all too aware of the way my heart is suddenly racing. That same adrenaline that coursed through my veins when the Ferris wheel cranked into action and our pod started ascending upwards seeps into my bloodstream again.

Fliss adds, ‘Me too.’

Giving a little squeal, Rory wiggles in her seat, then bites down on her bottom lip to contain whatever excitement has her buzzing like a neon sign. ‘Someone might have called in a favour so they could take you on the Ferris wheel in time for the sunset.’

A breathy laugh escapes my lips. I can’t stop blinking as I take in what she’s just admitted. I feel like I’m reliving the moment, my head spinning as we get further from the ground, surging up towards the wheel’s summit, terrified about what this means.

My gaze darts everywhere while I try to pull the pieces of the puzzle that is Duke Bennett together.

My heart begs me to dig as deep as I possibly can into all of this and uncover Duke’s secret obsession with me, but my head, and the paper on the table, suggests that he’s only done it to help with the list.

Except … maybe it does mean something. Now that we’ve paused at the top of the wheel, there’s nothing but glorious, golden sunlight splattered across the cornflower sky, drenching me in the sweet warmth of Rory’s revelation.

Maybe all these polarities in the way Duke acts towards me, the disorientating switches between hot and cold, aren’t just part of his nature.

Sure, I don’t miss the way he’s always looking to keep a barrier between us, or the way he never touches me first if he can help it, or how he always finds subtle ways to remind me that I’m Wyatt’s little sister – I’m always Baby Hensley, for God’s sake.

But I also didn’t make up the fury in his eyes when I’d been hurt the other night, or how he kissed my head when he thought I was still asleep, or the way he watched me like I’d hung the moon as we swayed in his grandmother’s living room.

Or the way he groaned with a primal kind of pleasure as he sleepily ground his hard length against my ass yesterday morning. No, I can still hear that loud and clear in my mind, and I’ll probably be replaying the sound as I let my hand drift between my thighs tonight.

My smile threatens to explode.

‘Just to confirm, we’re talking about Duke, right?’ Fliss checks.

Rory just rolls her lips and glances at me.

‘He … might have been helping me too.’

Fliss’s jaw drops as Rory jiggles again in her seat, clapping her hands together with too much glee in her eyes.

‘As friends , obviously. I’m sure Sawyer or Wolfman would have offered to do the same,’ I say, even though I’m not convincing anyone, including myself.

Fliss tuts. ‘Cherry, haven’t you read any of the romance books I’ve been recommending? We all know that anyone who has to persuade others that they’re just friends, are never just friends.’

‘She’s right.’ Rory folds her arms on the table. ‘Just like when I snogged Wyatt that time to make his stupid ex jealous – told him I was helping him out as a friend. What a load of bullshit.’

‘Seriously?’ Fliss snorts. As do I, because I can remember that night vividly, the rest of our group watching them act as if they weren’t besotted with each other as they shared one of the most passionate kisses I’ve ever seen.

‘I was drunk, scorned, and jealous – not a good combination.’ Rory tosses her copper waves behind her shoulders. ‘Anyway, can we please return to Cherry and Duke?’

‘Yeah, so what’s next for you two?’ Fliss squints at the list. ‘Wild swimming or shower sex?’

‘He’s not helping me with the sexual stuff!’ I shout, announcing to the whole café who don’t even pretend not to hear me as people on the other tables turn to glare at us.

Rory holds up a hand and mouths sorry , then leans further into the table, Fliss following. She keeps her voice hushed and adds with a wink, ‘Yet.’

My only response is to groan, hide my face under my hands and slide down in my chair. They’re incorrigible. But I love it.

‘Hey, look.’ Rory reaches over to give me a nudge.

‘We’re only teasing you. However , I am serious about Duke asking me to distract the others.

I’m not trying to betray his confidence, but I think if you guys enjoy spending time together, then you should do more of it.

Regardless of what anyone – aka Wyatt – might think. ’

I separate my fingers, allowing me to peek through. My gaze flicks between my two friends as I mull over Rory’s words.

Sometimes it’s like Duke and I are constantly in this game of push and pull.

We can’t help but gravitate towards the other, always in each other’s orbit – like binary stars.

Yet, when one gets too close, the other withdraws, as if the pull between us is too much.

But maybe it’s more like tug of war. There’s a clear line between us that neither are ready to cross first, so we’re always gently tugging the other closer, then retreating as they do, hoping they’ll be first to fall.

All I know is that I’ve been slacking in this game. And I think it’s time I finally become this strong woman I’m so obsessed with being and pull a little harder.

Because I’m going to make Duke cross that line.