Smiling, I scratched behind Nightshade’s ear. “I’ve had a good teacher. I feel more comfortable than before. Maybe it’s this big guy here who makes it fun.” Nightshade snorted and I laughed. For the past two weeks, Blake had been showing me the proper way to ride. I didn’t realize how fun it actually was.

“What do you want to do tonight?” he asked, sliding out of his saddle.

I climbed off of Nightshade and walked him into the barn. Before I could answer, a car came down the driveway. I pointed to the cloud of dirt. “Expecting someone?” When I got a good look at the vehicle, I burst out laughing. “Oh my God, I know what’s coming.”

Blake focused on the large truck and groaned. “Fuck, I was hoping they’d get lost in the mail.”

Rubbing my hands together, I raced toward the driveway and he reluctantly followed. “I know what we’re doing tonight,” I announced excitedly.

When the driver got out, he waved at Blake. His nametag said he was Grady. “How’s the horse training going, son?”

Blake waved back. “Pretty good. It’s hard to let ‘em go once you’ve got ‘em all nice and trained in.”

“I hear ya, I hear ya. Say, got a large package for you today.” He slipped into the back of the truck and brought out a large, rectangular box. I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.

“How big are those fucking things?” Blake growled in my ear.

I snickered. “I just hope you can walk in them.”

“Here you go,” Grady said, passing the box to him.

Plastering on a fake smile, Blake nodded at him and then grimaced at me. “One hour downtown, that’s it.” He tried to walk past me, but I stepped in his way.

“That’s not our deal. But if you want to cut it down, you have to do something else in return.”

“What?” He sighed in defeat.

He wasn’t about to get away with just an hour of wearing those boots. Not after he’d made my life hell. “You have to go into one of the bars and dance to a song, that’s it.”

“By myself?”

I nodded. “Yep. I want to see if you know how to have some fun.”

His lips tilted up in a smirk. “I think you know the answer to that. You’ve been with me for a month now.”

It was strange to think I’d been gone that long. The past two weeks of it had flown by. “We have lots of fun together and I love it, but I want to see you dance. You owe me, after being such a dick.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I’m going to look like a goddamn moron. I hope you enjoy this.”

Giggling, I skipped to the door and held it open for him. “Oh, I will, and I’ll have your camera nice and ready for it too.”

He carried the box inside and disappeared to his room, cursing the entire way.

It was going to be a memorable night.

“This is fucked up,” Blake grumbled as we got out of the car. There were a couple of girls who walked by pointing and laughing; it was epic. His boots were so long he couldn’t even drive. It was the first time I’d driven in a month.

Taking out the camera, I snapped a photo of him just as another woman walked behind him trying to hide her smile. “Get to steppin’,” I told him. “The sooner you start, the sooner the hour will be over.”

“You’re walking with me, aren’t you?”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Nope. This is all you. I’ll be a safe twenty feet away. I don’t want anyone knowing I’m with you.”

He brushed off his shoulders and started walking. “All right. Just don’t get pissed when I score a couple of dates.”

“Do that and I’ll cook you dog food for dinner.”

I had no doubt he could attract the ladies, even looking as ridiculous as he did in his red and black plaid shirt, tight jeans, and bright red Mexican pointy boots. All the ladies would have to do is look at those gray eyes of his underneath the rim of that cowboy hat and they’d melt.

Over the next hour, I took picture after picture of people hiding their laughs. There were even some who wanted their picture taken with him; most of them looked like tourists. His picture would probably end up in their vacation photo albums, a keepsake of their time in Wyoming. I had about a dozen photo albums already with all the pictures I took.

“I think your camera’s full,” I called out.

He glanced at me over his shoulder and turned around with a smug smile on his face. “Does that mean you’re done watching me with all the ladies? I saw you getting jealous back there.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Evans. I’m not the jealous type.” It was a complete lie, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. There were several women whose hands slid a little lower than his waist when they were getting their picture taken with him. I bit my tongue and let it slide, even if I did want to break their hands. “You still have one task left, then we can go home.”

Groaning, he took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine, let’s get this shit done.”

He took off toward the bar and I laughed the entire time. When we walked inside, there weren’t too many people in there, but the whole place fell silent as he stopped in the middle of the dance floor. There was an old juke box in the corner and I wasn’t surprised to see the song I wanted on the list . . . Cotton Eye Joe.

“Dude, what the fuck ya doing?” someone shouted with a laugh.

Giggling, I slipped in the money and pressed the button. The second the song came on, Blake sighed and then moved across the dance floor, kicking his feet up and holding onto the huge belt buckle at his waist—true Cotton Eye Joe style. The crowd cheered and clapped for him and so did I. I was able to get a few more pictures of him before the camera died. Those were definitely going home with me.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around. It was Blake’s friend, Liam. “Did he lose a bet or something?” he asked, chuckling as he watched Blake on the dance floor.

I laughed. “Yep. Just make sure to give him grief about it every time you see him.”

“Hell yeah. I can promise you that.”

I looked down at his green scrubs. “You’re a doctor?”

He finished his beer and nodded. “Going on ten years now. Is it hard to believe a guy like me could be one?”

I held up my hands. “No, not at all. I guess I just figured you’d be in the ranching business, like Blake.”

He burst out laughing. “Someone has to take care of these idiot cowboys when they get hurt. Evans was one of my most frequent patients when he first moved out here. Those horses loved to buck him off.”

Blake finished dancing and headed straight over. “Telling lies about me, doc?”

Liam shook his hand. “Nope, just enjoying the show. Thanks for the entertainment. Now I need to get home to the wife before she starts to wonder where I’m at.”

Blake put his arm around me. “I hear ya. I need to get this one home to dole out a little payback for making me look like a fucking idiot.”

Liam snorted. “You do that all on your own, so don’t pass blame onto her.” Blake slapped him on the back and they both laughed. “Have a good night you two,” Liam said before strolling away.

I moved out from under Blake’s arm. “Payback, huh? You lost the bet, fair and square. I don’t think I deserve retaliation of any kind.”

He leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “Not that kind of payback, princess. I’m pretty sure you’ll like what I have in mind.”

The second we got inside the house, he lifted me in his arms and carried me into his room. For the past couple of weeks, it had been my room as well. I felt safe with him, and worst of all, I was falling in love with him. It was dangerous to want a man like Blake, but I couldn’t resist him. Setting me down, he unzipped the back of my dress and let it fall to the floor. I slid my underwear off and crawled back on the bed while I watched him unbutton his shirt, one button at a time.