didn’t hold a marker in his heart like Dixie did, but then—
Who was scared now?
Him. He was scared.
After the cops had released Dix from custody, Josh returned to work, as did she. He’d call every day and suggested they get together for dinner, and every time she had an excuse. The horseback ride was a planned counter-offensive maneuver. A sneak attack to get her face to face.
With Chandler dead, Dix had her freedom, yet she’d withdrawn. Not what Josh expected, nor what he wanted.
Minutes later, much longer than she’d need in the bathroom, Dix rode toward him, her ponytail bouncing with the horse’s lazy trot.
When Jigsaw came to a stop, she looked shell-shocked. And why wouldn’t she? He’d just unloaded on her like an RPG.
“Dix—”
“We can head back to the parking lot, if you want.”
Josh slid his hand along the horse’s soft coat as he locked onto Dixie’s gaze. “No. That’s not what I want.”
Her smooth cheeks flushed a pretty hue from the warm day. For the thousandth time, he acknowledged how deeply he loved her. How much he’d missed her. The woman triggered his emotions. He wanted to protect her, provide for her, and make a life with Dix. The thought that she’d been raped and alone for all those years, cracked his heart.
Dixie tilted her head. “Then let’s go for a ride.”
What the hell was happening between them? Instead of demanding she explain, he said, “We can head north. Ride the beach.”
“Sounds good.”
For the next hour, they walked and sometimes galloped the horses down the tideline. Watching her ride, in tune with the animal, brought back even more memories. All of them made him smile.
“Let’s stop,” he suggested and headed up the shore.
She followed, but didn’t dismount. He intended on tying the reins to a log, but she didn’t make a move.
“You going to join me?” he asked, dismounting.
Dix held her bangs out of her eyes against the brisk breeze. “We’ve been riding for a while, aren’t we running out of time?”
He wasn’t certain about the time, but couldn’t blame her for shying away. How could he ask Dixie to share her thoughts when she’d done that with Gesem and he’d lost his shit?
“Sure, we’ll head back.”
Oats stretched his neck to nibble on the short grass near the log, and Josh let him have a few bites.
Thirty minutes later, they entered the trail bordered with white fencing that led to the drop off location.
The cowboy from the stables leaned against his truck as they trotted into the parking area. The horses didn’t need much coaxing to step up the ramp, into the trailer.
By the time Josh thanked the guy and gave him a tip, Dix stood by the front of the Dodge. Joining her, he placed his hands on the hood, trapping her within his arms.
She hooked her index fingers through the loops of her jeans instead of slipping them around his waist.
“I enjoyed the ride, Josh. Thank you. We should do it again some time.”
He’d say the same thing to his buddies after a round of golf. But she wasn’t a buddy. “Anytime.”
The tense friction and polite banter bothered the hell out of him. This wasn’t who they were. Dix had been the one person he trusted above all others. How the hell could he expect her to trust him after the way he’d reacted?
This mission was a total failure. Not only had he lost the reason for bringing her out here, but he’d thrown down ground fire and she’d retreated even further.
“I’m sorry, Dixie. This isn’t what I planned.”
A friendly smile traced her lips, but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m kinda used to expecting the unexpected.”
That did not make him feel any better. “This moment reminds me of a time when I used to kiss you. Back then, I never paused to wonder if I should or shouldn’t.”
She shrugged, gazing at the surrounding scenery. “Hungry?”
“Sure you don’t have other plans?” The bite of frustration in his voice threatened to dislodge.
She cleared her throat. “You can drop me back at the shop, if you want.”
No, he didn’t want that!
Josh led her around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. His thoughts whipped into a squall of concern as she scrambled into the pickup. He needed to find the eye of the storm if she’d had a change of heart.
When he slid into the driver’s seat, he noticed her hands trembled. He gripped the steering wheel to anchor himself. “Dix, you’ve been through a