her cheek with his thumb. Had she been crying? Great, one more thing for him to tease her about.
“I’m fine. You put so much effort into this date idea of yours, I don’t want to ruin it.” She plastered a smile on her face.
His brows knit together. “You say that a lot.”
“Well, it’s true.”
Eyes narrowing, AJ pursed his lips and shook his head. “I don’t think it is.”
“Really,” she scoffed. “Then what do you think I’m feeling?”
He placed his hand on her cheek. “I think you’re hurting deep down from something that isn’t in your control. I think you don’t want to trust anyone because you think if you do, you’ll lose some part of yourself. I think you trusted my parents out of necessity but you’re not willing to give me the same courtesy because to some degree, you don’t trust me. I admit I’ve earned that and I’m trying to change your mind.”
Kate gaped at him.
A wan smile spread across his face. “Didn’t think I could read you so well, did ya?”
She folded her arms. “You’re full of it, you know that? You think you know people, but you really don’t. How could you? You’ve spent your life with everything at your fingertips, getting everything you want. Not one bad thing has happened to you. So, you pretend to know—”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, Katie girl.” Turning his bright green eyes on her, the amusement slowly dissipated. “You’re not so hard to read. You may have this hard shell around you, but I can see through it. You’re welcome to brush me off or believe that I don’t know what I’m talking about, but deep down you know I’m right.”
“Yeah? Well, then how do you suppose you got so good at reading people?”
He shrugged. “It’s not just people. I read animals too. You have to before hopping on the back of an angry steer. Or when you chase down a runaway calf.”
“So, I’m a cow now.” A smile tugged on her lips.
“Easy, Kate. Show the animal some respect. Cows are beautiful creatures.” He sobered. “Just not as beautiful as you.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “You can’t say stuff like that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know what your game is, AJ. But you’re right. I don’t trust you. I don’t know if I ever will. You can throw all your money around renting carriages, making me breakfast, taking me on outlandish dates… but it doesn’t change the fact that where you’re concerned I’m vulnerable.”
“Is it really a bad thing to let someone in?” He tilted his head waiting for an answer.
“On it’s face, no. But with you it’s different.” She let out a long breath.
He scowled then looked at her. “So you’re still mad at me because I didn’t reciprocate your crush when we were teenagers?”
“Not mad. And I did get over it. But I don’t know… some part of the sting just won’t go away. I guess I still feel like that girl you barely noticed.”
His expression broke.
She placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine, really. I’m okay. We can play this out until you get bored—”
AJ’s face hardened. “This is no game, Kate. I wanted to take you on this date to prove that to you. I’ve been fighting it all week and I just can’t anymore. What can I do to make you see that?” He stood, causing the carriage to rock. “You want me to drop out of the competition? Done. You want me to stand outside your house in the rain holding a stereo? I’ll do it. Just don’t sit there acting like I’m putting on some kind of show.” His chest moved up and down as he stared at her, one hand gripping the reins tightly and the other in a fist.
Chills swept through her body. “Okay,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Okay? That’s all you have to say?” AJ willed his breathing to slow. “Okay.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He bit out a laugh that sounded more hysterical than it ought to have. “I guess I deserve this—this uncertainty.” He dragged a hand down his face. “You’re right to a degree. I haven’t had to deal with this kind of stuff—not often anyway.” He collapsed onto the seat beside her and sighed. “Okay.” He lifted his eyes to hers. “So, we’re good, then?”
She lifted her chin slowly and nodded. “We’re good.”
Shifting, he squeezed the reins a little tighter. No one had called his reputation into question before. Sure, he’d teased her when they were younger. He’d known