Chapter Twenty-Four

Harper

I was lying in bed, wondering if I should do a bit of work. Jillian had left all her magazines for me to read but I wasn’t in the mood for them. It was strange to look at pictures of makeup and the latest fashion when I was out here wearing cowboy boots and a big floppy hat. I felt so far removed from that lifestyle. I knew I would get back into it as soon as I got back to work, but for now, I was perfectly content with taking a break. Maybe I should go for a walk, I thought. We’d had a lot of time off that day, and the evening had already settled in over us nicely. I felt very relaxed, but a walk outside also seemed like a good idea. I was just about to go when my phone rang and I saw that it was Jillian. I smiled. I’d been looking forward to hearing from her again.

“Jillian!” I exclaimed as I answered.

She laughed. “Harper, I’m so glad you answered. I wasn’t sure if you’d be busy or not.”

“Not at all. You called at the perfect time. We’ve had a lot of free time today, so I was just lying here wondering what to do with my evening.”

“Oh no. You aren’t bored are you?”

I chuckled. “I’m not. I’m getting kind of used to not doing anything for a change. So, tell me everything. What’s happening with you and Thomas? Was it good to see him again?”

“Yeah, it was so good. He was at the airport waiting for me. He laughed when he saw me. I was still covered in a layer of dust. I hadn’t wanted him to be there. I had these big plans of going home and showering and putting a nice outfit on first. But there he was. And at that moment, I really didn’t care. He told me that I looked beautiful and took me home with him. For a while, we didn’t even discuss what had happened. I mean, we had more important things to worry about. Let’s just say that I got the shower that I so desperately needed, but I didn’t do it alone.”

I giggled. “Ooh, this sounds like a very good start.”

“It was. After that, we lay in bed talking, and he admitted that he made a mistake. He said he hated being without me. I think we still have a long way to go, but it really feels like we’re going to make this work. I think that going to the dude ranch was one of the best things that I could’ve done. It gave me a good chance to really think about things, and I now have no doubt in my mind that Thomas is the one that I want. I love him.”

I smiled. “I’m so glad to hear that. You deserve to be with someone that you love. I’m glad to hear he missed you.”

“He did. We’re like teenagers who have just discovered love for the first time. It’s so exciting. I get all giddy just thinking about him. We’re going on another date tonight. He wants to take me out to wine and dine me.”

“That sounds amazing. It also sounds so different to what we would be doing here together,” I said and laughed. “What are you going to wear?”

“I was thinking that green dress. The one you picked out for me. He hasn’t seen that one yet.”

“Oh yes! You have to wear that. Perfect. Although I have a feeling it’s not going to stay on you for very long.”

She laughed. “That is most certainly the plan. So, how are things going over there? Are you enjoying yourself still? I hate that I left you.”

“Please don’t worry about me. I’m having a wonderful time here. Like I said, I know I would never live in a place like this, but I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’m also seriously considering getting myself a horse. No jokes.”

“A horse! Where are you going to keep it?”

“Obviously not in my apartment. Can you imagine?” We both dissolved into laughter. “I looked online and I found plenty of equestrian places that also support horse boarding. How amazing would that be? I’ve already organized to go and visit one of them when I get back. I don’t know what it is about the horses, but I just took such a shining to them. I wish I could take Thunder with me but I’m just going to have to visit him as often as possible.”

“Oh wow. I’m happy to hear that, Harper. It makes me glad that I forced you into going in the first place. I would’ve felt awful if you had hated it.”

“Oh, I definitely don’t hate it. It’s by far one of the best things that has happened to me in a while. I didn’t realize how much I needed this. I needed to get away from the fast pace of things. Just like you said I did. You were right all along. This is just the sort of thing I needed.”

“I’m glad to hear it. And how are things going with the gorgeous Travis?”

“Well… uh… not too bad actually.”

“Ooh, this sounds interesting. There better be some juicy gossip coming up.”

I laughed. “Oh, there sure is. You’ll be very proud to know that Travis and I went on a romantic moonlit ride the night you left.”

“What? You went on a date? Seriously?”

“Not a date. I mean, we didn’t plan for it to happen. But it did. And it was so nice. We flirted a lot. And then, once we’d put the horses back, well… I kissed him.”

“Harper! You continue to surprise me. I knew you had it in you. And, how was it? Tell me it was amazing. Did you really kiss in the barn?”

“We really kissed in the barn. And yeah, it was more than amazing.”

“So what happens next? Are you going to kiss him again? Do you want to do anything more?” Jillian asked. I could just picture her sitting on her bed, jumping up and down with excitement.

“Well… we already did more.”

“What? Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

I giggled. “Probably.”

“I can’t believe this. You… you slept together? Tell me everything.”

I detailed the rest of the night to her. For a brief second, I worried that someone might hear us, but the door was closed, and the room was fully soundproofed. I went into quite a bit of detail so if anyone heard, I would be mortified. Jillian was over the moon when she heard the news and couldn’t stop screeching with excitement.

“Hell, no wonder the guy turned me down. He was interested in you all along! Oh no, I hope he didn’t think he had no chance with you because I had asked him out. Poor guy. So…  what is going to happen now?”

That was the biggest question I had too. “I have no idea, Jill. I’m not sure how I feel about this whole thing. I mean, Travis has not promised anything for the future, and I haven’t asked for anything. He’s a cowboy living out in Texas, and I’m a city girl living a fast-paced life in New York. The two things clearly do not go. So I have a feeling that this is all just going to fizzle out.”

“Do you want it to fizzle out?”

I laughed. “If you’re asking if I want to sleep with him again, the answer is definitely yes. If you’re asking if I think that is a good idea, then I’m honestly not sure. I don’t want to get hurt. What do you think I should do?”

“I honestly think that you shouldn’t worry too much about it. I think you just have fun and enjoy yourself with him. Just see what happens. Who knows? Maybe it’s something that can grow into something else. You just never know sometimes. And maybe it will be nothing but a holiday romance. But surely it’s worth at least finding out if there is more to it don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I’m just scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of falling for him.”

“You’ll be fine, Harper. Just don’t overthink it. And give me a call when you want to talk.”

I smiled. “I will. I’ll see you soon enough though.”

“Yeah, look I have to go. But thanks for telling me all of that. And thanks again for being such an amazing friend to me. I appreciate you coming to the ranch with me more than you know. I’m sorry about leaving you there, but I really do appreciate what you did for me.”

“Anytime, Jillian. Anytime. You would’ve done the same for me. And anyway, I’m having a lot more fun than I thought I would.”

I cut the call after saying goodbye and lay back down. It was fun telling Jillian about Travis and very nice reliving the whole thing. But I now felt more confused than ever. I wasn’t the sort of girl who just slept around with guys. I also never slept with anyone unless I was sure it was going to go somewhere. But how could anything happen with Travis? Our worlds were too different. I knew that I was already falling for him, but I also knew that I wasn’t ready for any deeper level of emotional commitment. I wondered if I should end things before they got too serious. The last thing I wanted was for either one of us to get hurt. Or could I just have fun with him and then leave without so much of a glance back? That was what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure if I could. I lay there for a while, a million confusing thoughts running through my head, until I eventually got up and went out for a walk. I needed to clear my head again.