Read Online Satin & Saddles by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online Page A

interested but he did answer her questions, vague though it might have been. She asked him what career he was in and he said he’d just returned to the university to get his masters degree. When she pressed him, though, he didn’t seem to know what he really wanted to do with his life.
    Considering what a strong, intelligent woman Danica appeared to be, Carly wondered how she could have ended up with an indecisive guy who didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up.
    Around noon everyone was back to the shore. They gathered their things and returned to their campsite where they munched on roast beef, turkey, and egg salad sandwiches, along with potato chips and Carly’s cookies, and they drank cans of Coke and Sprite.
    After eating, Carly and Dillon dressed and took off on the half-mile hiking trail that led to Sonoita Creek, a popular birding area. She’d learned that over two hundred and fifty different species of birds populated the creek area.
    The air smelled fresh and clean and birds twittered in the trees and she heard small animals rustling the bushes along the path. Her skin felt warm from being out in the sun all morning and she wondered if she still managed to get a bit of sunburn despite the sunblock.
    They walked through dappled shadows along the trail and were laughing about something she’d said as they neared a bend in the trail. Just as they rounded it, they came face to face with Geoff.
    Surprise had Carly stopping mid-sentence in what she’d been saying to Dillon. “Geoff,” she said.
    “Hi, Carly.” Geoff turned to Dillon. “Cameron, right?”
    Dillon gave a nod but said nothing. She had the feeling that Dillon didn’t like Geoff and she wondered if it was because she had dated him in the past. Dillon didn’t strike her as the jealous type, but how well did she really know him?
    “This is a surprise,” Carly said to Geoff. “Are you here with someone?”
    “Nah.” Geoff shook his head. “I haven’t really met anyone around here yet. Thought I’d take a walk out on the trail.”
    Carly had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from automatically inviting Geoff to join them so that he wouldn’t be alone. She hated seeing anyone lonely and Geoff sure seemed to be.
    She glanced at Dillon who was studying Geoff. Dillon’s jaw looked tense. When she turned her attention back to Geoff, she said, “We’re on our way to Sonoita Creek. I’ll probably see you around town.”
    Geoff nodded. “I’ll see you.”
    Carly gave him a little wave and she and Dillon continued walking. Funny how she kept bumping into Geoff wherever she went. Was it coincidence? Or was Geoff somehow figuring out where she’d be and following her?
    She mentally shook her head. There was no way he could have known because she hadn’t mentioned it to anyone and Dillon likely wouldn’t have shared anything personal with Geoff if he had run into him.
    “So you dated Burnside for a while?” Dillon asked.
    Carly shrugged. “Not for long. He didn’t take the break-up really well. Not that he reacted badly—he just had a hard time letting go. He wants to be friends now.”
    “What does he do?” Dillon asked. “There’s not a whole lot of employment opportunities for a guy like him around here.”
    “He does computer work.” Carly pushed hair over her shoulder. “He works remotely from his home on clients’ computers.”
    Dillon looked down at her. “He picked a remote enough location to work from.”
    Carly nodded. “He certainly did.”
    The rest of the hike to the creek was pleasant and Carly enjoyed being with Dillon. Hell, she’d enjoyed the entire day with him. The thought of not going out with him again made her feel somehow…empty.
    She frowned to herself. She was sure having problems sticking to her guns about not getting involved with anyone.
    “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Dillon asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.
    Her body warmed and she shrugged.
    “Come on,