Page 28 of Coming Up Roses
“You know I’m not going to let anything happen to you right? I’ll look after you.”
“I know you will, Flynn. That’s why I’m coming with you.”
14
ABI
I return a well-groomedPaddy to his paddock. He looks at me with the same confusion Aurora and Scout did when I’d put them away without a ride. I give him several pats and feed him the last of the carrots Sadie brought.
“Good boy, Paddy. Another time.”
I hang the lead ropes back in the tack room and force myself to forget all the things I told Flynn in here earlier. I can’t believe I let my mouth run away with itself like that.
I also can’t believe I let Flynn hold me for that long.
His initial hug was a surprise, but when his strong arms banded around my back, pulling me into his solid chest, any resolve, any fight, I’d usually have put up crumbled. I let myself have that moment of weakness, but when I finally managed to stop crying I should have stepped away.
I shouldn’t have leaned closer.
I shouldn’t have let him trail his fingersthrough my hair.
And most of all, I shouldn’t have enjoyed that entire experience so much.
Not even when he eventually released me and immediately turned to Paddy. It took me a moment to realise why, but when I did, it stupidly increased my enjoyment of the moment ten-fold. Knowing I got him hard, even crying on his shirt, sent a pang of longing through me so intense I nearly threw myself on him then and there.
Instead I watched his thick fingers work their way through Paddy’s mane and pat the gentle old horse on the neck.
I shake thoughts of Flynn, his body and the things I do to his body, out of my brain as I prepare myself to cross over to where he’s loading his motorbike onto the back of the blue ute I parked beside.
“Where are we going?” I ask, pausing beside him and resting my hands on my hips.
“I’m taking you to my favourite place,” he says, sending me a cheeky smile. “It’ll give us more space.”
“More space?”
“Yup. We’ll need it.”
He doesn’t elaborate, just strides around the ute to finish strapping down the bike. When that’s done, he disappears inside the shed and returns a moment later, blowing dust off a motorbike helmet. He shoots me another grin and my stomach turns over. I can’t figure out if it’s because I’m terrified of what I’ve got myself in for, or because that is just what Flynn’s smile does to me now.
We climb into the ute and head out the driveway. Flynn pauses at the driveway entrance and sends a text.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yep, just letting Vi know where we’re going.”
“I’m starting to have regrets,” I say. I add in a smile but it’s wavering.
“You’ll be fine.” He reaches over and pats my knee. The gesture is supposed to be funny, but the spike of electricity that shoots up my thigh is anything but.
Flynn’s eyes land on his hand and he must realise he’s left it lingering because he yanks it back like I’ve burned him.
He accelerates out of the driveway, tyres skidding in the gravel.
We don’t travel far. It’s further away from town than Wildflower Ridge, and we pull off the road, stopping at a roadside gate. Flynn unbuckles his seatbelt and moves to get out of the ute.
“I can get it,” I say, rushing to get out before he does. I close the gate again once he’s driven the ute through, then climb back in beside him. “I’m not completely useless you know.”
“I know.” He sighs. “Sorry. I’m so used to doing it myself.”
