Wild Trail (Clean Slate Ranch #1)(57)

“I think we’ve both got our answer,” Colt said as he stood. “See you around, pal.”

He glared at the back of Colt’s head until his friend disappeared, pissed that Colt had read him so easily. Then again, they’d been friends for nearly a decade, and even though Colt had never seriously dated anyone, or acted like he wanted to settle down, he had a good heart. Too bad he couldn’t tell Mack what to do with his, because Mack wasn’t sure.

The idea of dating Wes was fun in theory, but they lived almost an hour from each other, Mack had the restoration project looming, and Wes had his own job and life in San Francisco. How on earth were they supposed to make things work?

No. No, it was better not to pursue anything in the first place. Let Wes go back to his regular life and forget about Mack. In a place as big as San Francisco, Wes wouldn’t have time to miss a dusty old cowboy from the middle of nowhere.

Right?

*

The only time Wes actually laid his eyeballs on Mack that last day was when the hitched wagon pulled up in front of the guesthouse to load passengers. Quentin had already driven the pickup laden with their luggage down to the parking area.

Mack climbed off the wagon with the same ease as on arrival day. A full week ago. Wes stared at Mack’s broad chest, his heart in his throat. He’d come here out of duty to his sister, and now he didn’t want to leave. Something about Clean Slate Ranch had buried itself into Wes’s heart.

He genuinely liked it here, and he didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave the land or Mack.

But Mack hadn’t asked him to stay.

He also avoided making eye contact with Wes through the entire production of him and Reyes loading everyone into the back of the wagon. Wes kept his hurt off his face as much as possible, but he got a few side-eyes from Miles, who also seemed a little sad at them leaving. Sophie turned in her seat and watched the entire time as the ranch faded from eyesight.

In less than an hour, Wes would be back in the car, heading home, and this entire vacation, fling and all, would be a lovely dream.

Except, as the wagon stopped in the parking area, and as Wes climbed out, another small piece of his heart broke off and stayed behind. A bruised piece that was hurt by Mack’s snub, and angry that he’d allowed himself to develop feelings for Mack at all. He should have known better. What could Mack actually see in a failed, media-humiliated actor who did dinner theater for a living?

Not a damned thing, apparently.

“Man, I need a vacation to recover from my vacation,” Conrad said as they were loading suitcases and bags into the SUV. “My ass hurts.”

Miles snickered. Wes forced himself not to glance down the dusty road at the departing wagon.

“That’s because you didn’t relax enough when you rode,” Derrick replied. “You stay tense, you hurt yourself more.”

“So says the professional rider,” Sophie teased. She tossed curious looks at both Miles and Wes. “What’s up with you two? For being the most resistant to the trip, you both look like you got kicked in the balls. Gonna miss the place?”

“I will,” Miles replied. “It’s so beautiful up here. I must have taken a million photographs this week.”

Sophie smiled, then turned to Wes. “What about you, bro? You actually gonna miss the dust and horse smell?”

“A little.” Wes shrugged. He’d somehow managed to keep his vacation sexy times a secret from his little sister, and he didn’t need to bring it up now. Not while the hurt was still so fresh.

He did, however, discreetly remove Mack’s phone number from his pocket, rip it up, and let the tiny pieces of paper flutter to the gravel. No pining, no whining, and no more cowboy bears for him. Time to get back to his real life.

*

“You didn’t have to be so cold with him,” Reyes said. He’d waited until the wagon was halfway to the ranch before criticizing Mack for his behavior. Behavior Mack was already mentally flogging himself for, because he’d been a jerk to Wes this afternoon.

“I know.” Mack let out a long groan. “I guess I was afraid if I looked at him, I’d do something embarrassing.”

“Like admit you like him and want him to stay?”

“Yeah. The little shit’s under my skin, but what kind of relationship could we have had? Really? Long distance over Skype?”

“So you broke it off before you got any more invested. I get it. I don’t agree with you, but I get it. Why don’t you call him?”

Mack grunted. “We never exchanged numbers.”

“Seriously?” Reyes smacked him on the back of the head. “You’re an idiot.”

“Thank you, that’s very helpful.”

“Email him, then.”

“If we didn’t exchange phone numbers, why the hell do you think we exchanged emails?”

Reyes stared at him like he was a complete idiot. “Wes set up this vacation, dummy. Use the email address he sent in the application form.”

Mack mentally face-palmed.

“And you might want to start thinking up your grovel to Wes for being a tool today,” Reyes added.

“Groveling isn’t in my repertoire.”

“Up to you, my friend, but Wes doesn’t strike me as the type to easily forgive a grudge.”

“Hmm.”