Page 56 of The Bad Boy Prince in Love

Luke’s respect forhis so-called girlfriend rose dramatically after that day at the rodeo.

Women had foughtoverhim, coming to physical blows because they thought the other one was trying to steal him away, but never had a woman fought to save him from danger, and very fiercely at that!

His resolve to help her grew even stronger, even if the fake relationship scheme was a little ridiculous.

Luke was happy when she invited him to come on a horseback ride purely for fun, no work involved.

Riding a couple of sturdy mustangs, they galloped through the windswept fields.They slowed down to explore a small river valley flanked by dainty trees.

“Okay, I’m going to ask you an important question,” Luke said after they dismounted to let the horses rest.“Who’s your favorite horse?”

“Carrot.”

“Mine too!Even though he pretends he’s going to bite me and thinks it’s hilarious.”

“I know!”

Carrot was a big red stallion and a real pain in the neck.Luke could have sworn that horse was constantly smiling because it seemed to have an inside joke on its mind.Maybe he felt like the mischievous horse was a kindred spirit.

He had just begun to get to know the horses a little, but Hallie knew all their personalities, their likes and dislikes.She had that sparkle in her eye again as she talked about the animals.

They walked along the creek, leading the horses slowly after them.

“Obviously, you love the ranch life,” Luke said at length, “but I wondered what you like more, your work at the ranch or the possibility of following up on your degree and working in business?”

“Have you been talking to Terry?”she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Why?”

“Terry thinks I’m too scared to move to the city,” Hallie replied, “and maybe she’s right.”

“So you want it both ways.You want to be in charge of the ranch, while having a career in the city?”

“I can’t decide, okay?And I think it would be a bad idea to let Terry run the ranch.She doesn’t seem to care about it at all.”

“Well, she could surprise you.And from what I’ve seen, you could make a great career in marketing.When I go back to Austin, you could work for me if you want.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I think you’d be good.Everyone is scared when it’s their first job, but believe me, it’s not all that hard.”

Hallie looked around at the trees and the peacefully rolling river.Luke followed her gaze, enjoying the natural landscape.The city and its world of offices and complex machinations seemed so far away, but he knew he would have to go back to it eventually.

“Just think about it,” Luke urged.“It could be great!”

“What about you, shouldn’t you be getting back to your work?”she deflected.

“I’m already at work, undergoing useful training,” he said with a sly smile.“I’ve been honing my diplomatic skills by trying to make friends with semi-feral barn cats.Grooming a jittery horse is just like winning over a reluctant client.And besides, staying here at the ranch has taught me so much about the local culture.But that’s not the only reason I’m here.”

He wanted to tell her that she was what kept him here all these days, but Hallie’s cell phone rang, and she grabbed it from her pocket.

“Hi, Eloise,” she said, “Yeah, I’d say we’re almost ready for the big event.”

She started talking to Eloise about the upcoming charity drive, and the perfect moment had passed.Maybe it was for the best.He didn’t want to come on too strong.

“That was Eloise,” Hallie said, smiling at him, “such a control freak.She’s worried about the event tomorrow.”

Luke tried not to say what he really thought, which was that Hallie was like the pot calling the kettle black when it came to being a control freak.Maybe that was why she struggled with the idea of moving to the city.