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She snickered. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“Not at this rate,” he murmured, his own charming smile starting to tug at his lips. Caleb nodded to the horses. “Get yourreins. We’re going to have to get started if we want to make it back before nightfall.” They walked only a few yards before he turned toward her. “So, Emily, is it?”
Emma froze. Right. She’d given Sophia that name, and she’d used it in front of him. It wasn’t that she was tempted to give him the name she preferred to go by, but it was like there was an itch in her chest warning her that she needed to be cautious. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Emily.”
“Emily…” he drawled. “Is there a last name to go with it?”
“Doyouhave a last name?” she said far too quickly.
“Keagan.”
“Keagan,” she mulled the name over, liking the way it felt saying it out loud. “I like it.”
“And you? Emily, what?”
She contemplated teasing him, withholding it so she’d have more control over their conversation. But ultimately, she chose not to. Caleb struck her as the kind of guy who wouldn’t take kindly to her trying to control the situation. “It’s Hart—Hartford.” Dang it! She’d nearly given herself away. “Hartford,” she murmured again.
“Well, Emily Hartford. I wish we could have learned each other’s names under better circumstances.”
“I don’t know.” She smiled. “I kind of like the way we met.” The only thing she didn’t really like was how strange it was hearing him use her given name when everyone around her used her stage name.
They continued in silence for a while longer. She took the opportunity to glance in his direction and study him a bit more. He was handsome; she had to give him that. His jawline was the kind that would put theDavidsculpture to shame. The way his blue eyes drilled into her and set her on edge was another issue entirely to explore. Normally, she felt confident in every situation she put herself in.
Granted, this whole runaway-horse thing had really messed with her head. Maybe when her heart stopped racing, she’d be able to rationalize how she was feeling.
Caleb’s eyes cut to hers at one point, catching her staring, and his expression hardened. “What?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” she said as sweetly as she could. “It’s just… are all cowboys as handsome as you?”
She couldn’t help but love the way Caleb froze. He must not flirt with women often—or maybe he was already taken and now he’d have to explain to his girlfriend that a strange woman had hit on him. She bit back a laugh and turned her face away from him. “Sorry.” Emma didn’t know if he heard her apology or not. It didn’t really matter at this point. Things had grown awkward and there was no salvaging it.
By the time they made it to the barn, Emma had nearly forgotten about the glasses. But then Caleb ordered her to stay put near the entrance to the structure while he ran off toward a truck that was parked a good thirty yards away. He opened the passenger side door, dug around in his truck for a moment, then withdrew and shut the door behind him. Caleb jogged back toward her and held out a pair of aviator sunglasses—ones that would nearly cover her whole face.
They were perfect.
Emma glanced up at him with a small smile. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Don’t mention it.” He reached for her horse’s reins. “I’ll take care of her. You can head out. And I’ll tell Sophia about the hat.”
She blinked several times. Not only had he been listening to her, but he’d also remembered what she’d been worried about. “Thank you,” she repeated.
He pushed past her, and she spun to watch him disappear inside the barn.
6
Caleb
Something was off about that woman. Caleb didn’t know what it was, but the fact that she insisted on hiding her appearance sent all kinds of warning bells in his head. Emily. The name didn’t quite suit her. He hadn’t known what to expect her name to be, but Emily simply wasn’t it.
Didn’t matter, though. Emily wasn’t his type. He didn’t need to care what her name was. And it certainly didn’t matter that when she flirted with him, he’d been thrown off balance so much that he nearly forgot he needed to keep her at arm’s length.
Emily was still a stranger—a tourist who wouldn’t be sticking around for long. Heck, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she was on the run from something with the way she insisted on those sunglasses.
He sighed, shaking his head as he brushed down their horses. Emily Hartford was dangerous, no doubt about it. And he would be more than happy if he never had to see her again. Besides,he wouldn’t say that he had a type, but if he did, she wasn’t it. She was too quiet, willing to keep too many secrets. People who had to hide their appearance when they were out in public were either in trouble or running from it.
Caleb continued to brush down his horse, his thoughts continuing to linger on Emily despite his best intentions. He found himself wondering why she needed to hide who she was. He wanted to know if she needed help, but she was buried too deep in her denial to ask for it.
Shoving aside those concerns, he reminded himself that a beautiful woman like that didn’t need his help, and she wasn’t asking for it. Mateo’s opinion that Emily might be his soulmate was ridiculous. Just because they crossed paths in front of Sal’s meant nothing.
