Cowboy Kisses by Diane Michele Crawford

guess that's something we can talk about , Kenzie thought as she headed for the barn .
    When she reached the Arabian’s stall, she was surprised to find Ali already saddled.
    “ I thought it w ould save time if I saddled him, ” Steve said, leading Cheyenne out of his stall. “ Most of the other riders have already left. ”
    “ Thanks, ” Kenzie mumbled. She noticed that in contrast to her scruffy appearance, Steve looked great in spotless jeans, a snug-fitting western shirt, and cowboy hat.
    “ I keep an extra set of clothes in the tack room, ” he said, as though he had read her mind.
    They led their horses out of the barn and mounted, waving at Ha nk’s pickup as it passed. Greg, Sarah, Hank, and Nora waved back.
    “ See you up on the hill, ” Hank called, driving off in a cloud of dust.
    Steve gigged Cheyenne and reined him away from the road the pickup had taken. “ Shortcut, ” he said. He pointed to a trail across the field that stretched behind the farmhouse to the foothills. “ On the way back, we’ll follow the road. ”
    Kenzie nodded. Unsure of what to say, she decided to say nothing. As Ali pranced along beside Cheyenne, she glanced over at Steve. He sat tall in the saddle, his cowboy hat shading his face from the last rays of the setting sun. Kenzie thought he looked just like a picture she’d seen once of a Texas ranger.
    Steve suddenly turned and his eyes met hers. Embarrassed to be caught staring at him, Kenzie looked away.
    “ I think we need to talk, ” he said.
    “ I think you’re right, ” Kenzie agreed softly.
    But the trail narrowed as it wound through a grove of trees and up a steep incline, forcing them to ride single file and making conversation impossible. At the top of the hill where the trail joined the road, Kenzie saw Hank’s pickup. The boarders and Dennis, who had ridden ahead, had tied their horses to the trunks of several trees, and were sitting with Hank, Nora, Sarah, and Greg on a ridge overlooking the valley where the fireworks display would take place.
    As Kenzi e and Steve dismounted and teth ered their horse s, Sarah caught sight of them. “ Kenzie, Steve—over here, ” she called. “ The fireworks are going to begin any minute now—it’s almost dark enough. ”
    Kenzie was about to join her when Steve put his hand on her arm, holding her back. “ We have to talk, remember? ” he said.
    Nodding, Kenzie called to Sarah, “ We’ll be there in a little while. ”
    She waited while Steve took a handful of cookies from one of the tins in the back of the truck and grabbed a couple of sodas. Kenzie’s stomach seemed to have tied itself in a knot as she followed Steve to a granite outcropping some distance away from the others.
    As they sat down side by side, the only thing Kenzie could think of to discuss was their double date with Sarah and Greg. Was that what Steve wanted to talk about, too? Or was he going to tell her how much he objected to Paul’s showin g up at the ranch to paint? Ken zie didn’t think she could stand it if they got into another argument.
    Steve handed her a cookie and a soda but Kenzie had no appetite, and she wasn’t thirsty either. Nervously crumbling the cookie to bits, she waited for Steve to speak. When he didn’t, Kenzie forced herself to go first.
    “ About that bet we made ... ” she said haltingly. “ I was kind of hoping we could put aside our personal problems just long enough to go out for pizza with Greg and Sarah next week. ” She swallowed hard. “ I mean, it was our idea, and if we cancel, I’m afraid it’ll ruin their first date because Sarah’s awfully nervous about it and Greg’s kind of shy. You won’t have to pay for my half— we’ll split the cost fifty-fifty, ” she added quickly. “ I mean, we won’t really be on a date, know what I mean? ”
    She was absolutely astonished when instead of answering, Steve pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her s. When they parted, he said, “