I was happy to finally be home. We’d been unusually busy tonight, and we got out later than usual. I was bone-tired. All I wanted was to get off my feet, a good soak in a hot bath, and sleep. While the tub was filling, I added a few capfuls of scented bath oil, then went to the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. I retrieved my phone from my purse, taking it and the wine back to the bathroom.

After slipping into the tub, I turned on my phone. It pinged, and I grinned when I saw I had a text from Dylan. I laughed when I read it. So he was thinking of me and fireworks? After considering a response, I texted back.

Boom!

A minute later my phone pinged again.

Where are u

Home

Can I call u

Yes

My phone rang, and I swiped my thumb over it. “Hey.”

“Hi, Red. Hope I’m not interrupting your sleep.”

“Nope. I’m treating myself to a bubble bath.”

Silence, then, “You’re in the tub?”

Wow, his voice just dropped about two octaves. “Ah…yeah.”

“Naked?”

“No, Dylan. I’m wearing all my clothes.”

He laughed. “Sorry. I went dumb there thinking of you naked.”

I let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re such a man.”

“Last I checked, but maybe you should have a look, just to make sure.”

“Well, if you’re in doubt…”

Another laugh, one that sounded a little strangled. “Considering what thinking of you wet and naked does to me, definitely not in doubt.”

He sounded happy tonight, and I thought about asking him if he wanted to come over, but decided against it. It was late and I was tired. Plus, I liked him thinking of me wet and naked for the next couple of days before we saw each other again.

“You have a good day?” I asked. I knew he was making some kind of presentation at the monthly council meeting. In a small town, nothing’s secret.

“Very. Met with the councilmen tonight and got my new budget approved, but back to you naked in the tub.”

“Ha ha. Nice try, Mr. Policeman. I’m going to hang up now. See you Saturday.”

“Sweet dreams, Jenny Girl.”

The dream I had of Dylan that night wasn’t at all sweet. I woke up hot, sweaty, and aching. If Dylan was anything like my Dream Lover Dylan, I was definitely going to explode.

For the barbeque, I decided to go cowgirl. It was a risk because I knew that since we were still having a warm spell, Stephanie and her friends would be decked out in sundresses or adorable little shorts and cute, flowery blouses. My outfit—white jeans, red cowboy boots, red midriff tie top, and black cowboy hat—was going to stand out, but I’d always been one to go against the crowd. Especially Stephanie’s crowd.

From the day she laid eyes on Natalie and me in first grade, she’d hated us. I’d never been sure exactly why, but if I had to guess, it was because of the twins, Adam and Connor. At that time they lived next door, and Natalie and I were total tomboys. Natalie and I, along with Autumn and Savannah, were the only girls they let into their tree house.

Stephanie wanted them for her friends, mainly because they were cute boys and she was boy crazy, even then. She saw Natalie and me in her way, and because she was mean to us, Adam and Connor didn’t like her. But that was just my guess as to why she’d always had it out for us. For all I knew, maybe she hated red hair.

As far as I was concerned, that was old history, but Stephanie still held a grudge. Since I wasn’t stupid, I always watched my back around her. The doorbell rang, and I took a last look in the mirror, adjusted my cowboy hat, then went and opened the door.

Dylan pulled his sunglasses down his nose, his gaze roaming over me. “Smokin’.”

I grinned. “I could say the same about you.” He wore jeans, a blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up, a black belt with a silver buckle, a silver watch on one wrist, and a black leather band on the other. Just looking at the man sent tingles racing through me, especially after the dream I’d had.

“Before we go, there’s something I have to do,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“Just this.” He stepped inside, closed the door, and then backed me against it. “I got to kiss a mountain girl recently, but I’ve never kissed a cowgirl before. I need to correct that.”

He ducked his head under my hat, put his hands on my hips, and covered my mouth with his. As he deepened the kiss, he dug his fingers into my hips, holding me still when I tried to rub against him.

“Be still, or we’ll never make it to the barbeque,” he said, his voice gravelly.

“I don’t think I can. Be still. Not when you’re touching me.” It was true. With his hands on me, I just wanted to climb up him and wrap my legs around his waist.

He tapped my nose with his finger. “Then we better go before we decide there’s something else we’d rather do.”

I brushed my thumb across his bottom lip, damp from our kiss. “Actually there is something I’d rather do.”

“You’re killing me, Red,” he said, then sucked my thumb into his mouth.

And now he was killing me. “The sooner we go, the sooner we can leave.” I grabbed the overnight bag sitting by the door. “I plan to save a horse by riding a cowboy tonight.”

He grinned. “Then I’ll need to borrow your hat later. Make me officially a cowboy.” He took the tote, slinging an arm around my shoulder as we walked to his car.

The man was a toucher, and as far as I was concerned, he could put his hands on me whenever and wherever he wanted. And I really would have been good with staying home and as far away from Stephanie as I could get. Although I was pretty sure I could have seduced him into forgetting about going to the barbeque, he needed to be there. I’d deal with Stephanie like I always had—by ignoring her.

Ignoring Stephanie and her friends turned out not to be so easy when they swooped down on Dylan within minutes of our arrival, effectively pushing me out of the circle they’d made around him. We’d been handed mint juleps on arrival by a server holding a trayful of them, and I wanted to splash mine in Stephanie’s face. And who served mint juleps at a barbeque anyway? Where the hell was the beer?

As soon as I spied Adam and Connor, I headed for them, even though Dylan sent me a help-me look. I gave him a what-am-I-supposed-to-do shrug. I could have gone one-on-one with Stephanie, but her and her four minions? Not even going to try.

“Hey, you two,” I said, giving Adam a hug, then Connor.

“Here’s my favorite cowgirl,” Adam said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “You gonna let her steal your man?” he whispered in my ear.

I laughed. “I’m not claiming him as my man, but I do know he’s going home with me, so she can just go and eat her heart out.”

“What secrets are you two whispering about?” Connor said, hauling me away from his brother and tucking me next to him.

“I just told him that I was going to marry him instead of you.”

“The hell you say. I’ll knock his teeth out first.”

“I guess I’ll just have to marry you both.” For a brief second I had an erotic fantasy of the black-haired, blue-eyed twins making a sandwich out of me, which would have been totally hot if it hadn’t sent me into a fit of laughter.

“Want to share?” Adam said.

“Not really.” I put the still-full mint julep on a table. “Where’d you get the beer?” I asked, eyeing Connor’s.

“I’ll get you one.” He winked as he headed away. “Love the hat, by the way.”

A few minutes and he was back with an icy bottle. I took a few swallows. “Much better.”

Adam pointed at Dylan with his beer bottle. “Maybe we should go save him.”

Poor Dylan. Stephanie had her arm wrapped around his, talking a mile a minute. He glanced over at me, narrowing his eyes, and I took pity on him.

The mayor’s house—a sprawling brick ranch—sat on about an acre of land, with a rushing stream behind the large deck we stood on. The Blue Ridge Valley Country Club set were all here, most of whom I knew well enough to say hello to. Not my crowd, but they’d expect Dylan to join their ranks. Honestly, he really wouldn’t have a choice even if he weren’t interested.

“How’s Savannah?” Adam asked as the three of us headed off to save Dylan.

“Autumn and I are a little worried about her. She’s not keeping in touch like she’s supposed to, and when we do talk to her, she seems evasive. She’ll be home for Autumn’s wedding, so we’ll get to see firsthand what’s going on with her.”

Adam got silent after that. He and Savannah had been an item in high school, but she’d moved to New York to become a famous model, leaving him behind. If not for her mother interfering and pushing Savannah to go, I think she might have stayed. I know she loved him. I was the only one who knew Mrs. Graham had paid Adam a visit, convincing him that he was standing in the way of Savannah’s dream, and if he didn’t let her go, Savannah would end up resenting him. I knew that because I’d stopped by his house the night he’d broken up with her, and it had all come pouring out.

“Great to see you again, Dylan,” Adam said when we reached the group.

“Same here.” Dylan held out his hand, forcing Stephanie to let go of him. As he and Adam shook, he subtly sidestepped, putting some space between her and him. He took another step away to turn to Connor.

Dylan laughed. “I don’t know which one of you is which, so I’ll just say it’s good to see you both.”

“I’m Adam,” Connor said.

“Stop messing with him, goofball.” I squeezed into the space Dylan had created between him and Stephanie. “For today, just remember that Adam’s wearing the white shirt and Connor the green one. And anytime Connor tells you he’s Adam, it’ll be just the opposite, but you can always trust Adam.”

Amusement sparkled in Dylan’s eyes. “You do realize that doesn’t help. If he says he’s Adam, but Adam always says he’s Adam… You follow my reasoning there, Red?”

That made me laugh. “True.” I could always tell the twins apart, but a lot of people couldn’t except for those who knew what to look for. “Okay. I’ll let you in on a secret. Adam always wears a sapphire stone earring and Connor an emerald one.”

He eyed each of the twins’ earrings. “Ah, good to know.”

“You on the way to a rodeo, Red?” Stephanie said, her nose wrinkling as she gave me the once-over.

I hated how she turned Dylan’s pet name for me into a joke, but I’d learned long ago not to take her bait. “No, but I do plan to save a horse tonight.” Dylan covered up a laugh with a cough. On the other side of him, the twins gave dual snorts.

She furrowed her brows. “Whatever.”

Well, that went right over her head, but she’d never been the fastest bunny in the forest. The mayor and his wife came out the back door, and seeing an excuse to get away from Stephanie’s toxic presence, I grabbed Dylan’s hand.

“We should go say hi to Mayor Jenkins.” He came readily along, and after a few minutes of chatting, we headed for the food table.

The rest of the afternoon went easily enough. Adam and Connor mostly hung with us. I loved how my two friends got along so well with Dylan. We mingled, introducing Dylan to various people, and I was impressed with how at ease he was with the country-club crowd. Actually he seemed to win the approval of everyone he met, from Hamburger Harry to the mayor and his friends. He sure had mine.

After we finished eating, Dylan leaned over, putting his mouth close to my ear. “Let’s get out of here. Go save that horse.”

“What’s your hurry? Is there a cowboy needing riding?” I whispered back.

Under the table he put his hand on the inside of my thigh and squeezed. “Needing it like the air he breathes.”

Okay then. “We’ll catch you guys later,” I said to the twins as I pushed my chair back. We’d done a good job of avoiding Stephanie until the band that had set up while we were eating began to play.

“Dance with me, Dylan,” Stephanie said, coming up on the other side of him. She grabbed his arm and tugged.

He flashed me an apologetic smile as he was dragged to the dance floor set up on one end of the deck, and yes, the mayor’s deck was that big. “Bitch,” I muttered.

“I heard that,” Adam said.

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t have to look like he’s having fun.” One thing I had to give Stephanie was that she was a good dancer, and as it turned out, Dylan was, too. There were several couples dancing, but everyone sitting around was watching Dylan and Stephanie. They were so good together that it looked like they’d been dance partners for years. I didn’t want to be jealous, but there it was.

“You don’t have to worry about her, Jenn.”

I shot Adam a grateful smile. He disliked Stephanie probably more than me. After his junior year in college, he’d dated her when he’d come home for the summer. Why, I don’t know, because by then he knew what she was like, and I don’t think he was particularly crazy about her. More like he was bored and she was just someone to pass the time with until he returned to school. Or maybe he was trying to get Savannah out of his system. Who knows?

Stephanie had other ideas, though. She’d decided he was husband material, and when her hints that they should get engaged fell on deaf ears, she claimed she was pregnant.

“I’m going to have to marry her,” Adam had said to Connor and me as he paced across his living room floor. “No baby of mine is going to be raised without a father.”

“Did you use protection?” Connor asked. “And if you say no, I’m going to disown you.”

Adam had glared at his twin. “Always. You shouldn’t even have to ask me that.”

“I haven’t trusted Stephanie since first grade when she put salt in my milk,” I said. “Here’s what you need to do before you agree to anything. Make an appointment with Dr. Saltzman for a pregnancy test. Then wait and tell her where you’re going when you’re on the way there, but not before.”

Adam did exactly that, and as he pulled into the doctor’s parking lot, Stephanie confessed she wasn’t pregnant. To this day, he credits me with saving him from a life of misery.

The band started right in on a second song, and when it appeared that Dylan was headed back to me, Stephanie danced in front of him, blocking his way. He laughed and kept on dancing. She turned, bumping her butt against his groin while her gaze landed on me, a smirk on her face. I was going to kill her.

“Easy,” Connor said, putting his hand on my arm when I stood.

He was right. If I killed Stephanie in front of all these witnesses, Dylan—being the police chief and all—would have to arrest me. There would go any chance of saving a horse tonight.

“Let’s go dance, peanut.” Connor pushed me toward the dance floor, but I planted my feet, refusing to move.

“You know I can’t dance,” I muttered. Yeah, I danced when I was with friends and had had a little to drink. But no way was I going to put myself next to Dylan and Stephanie, who could go on a dance show and win without even trying.

Connor took my hand and tugged. “Trust me.”

Of course I trusted him, so I let him drag me to the dance floor. He leaned over and said something to one of the band members, then led me to a spot near Dylan and Stephanie. Dylan smiled and winked when he saw me, but I was miffed with him. Turning my back, I gave Connor a what-now look.

The fast song faded out, changing to a slow one. I grinned at my friend. Slow dancing I could do without embarrassing myself. That was great except that meant Dylan would now be slow dancing with Stephanie. I scowled at Connor.

“Trust me,” he said again, reading my mind.

He pulled me into his arms. We’d danced for maybe a minute when he twirled me right up to Dylan. “Change partners with you,” he said.

Stephanie shook her head. “I don’t—”

“You bet,” Dylan said, pulling away from Stephanie’s clutches. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Thanks for rescuing me.”

Well, it was technically Connor, but who was I to argue? “I wasn’t sure you wanted to be rescued. The two of you were great together.” Although I about choked on the words, it was true.

“She’s an excellent dancer, and I love to dance.”

My heart sank to my stomach. “I can’t dance,” I blurted.

He leaned his head back and peered down at me. “If that’s true, what do you call what you’re doing right now?”

“I can’t fast dance. I mean I can, but I look spastic.” Shut up, Jenn. My cheeks heated. Why did I care what he thought of my two left feet? It wasn’t like I was going to marry him. “And stop laughing.”

“I can’t help it. You’re so adorable.” He slid the hand he had at my back up to my neck, pulling my face closer to his. “About that horse needing saving.”

“Let’s blow this joint, cowboy.” He danced me right off the deck, and as soon as we turned the corner of the house, we ran hand in hand for his car.