Unlucky in Love by Maggie McGinnis

proven what, exactly?”
    Lexi shrugged. “I don’t know,
exactly
. This is a new plan. I’m still working out the details. Maybe I send him a selfie of me on Goldie, y’know? Big smile, blue skies behind me, a little
Having a great time in Montana
message?”
    “And he’d come crawling back because you learned to ride a horse?” Gunnar couldn’t keep the skepticism out of his voice.
    “Of course not. It’s just my first volley. I figure if I spend the summer having a bunch of epic adventures, he’ll have to see me differently—see me as somebody he
could
spend a life with.”
    Gunnar nodded slowly. “And none of this sounds remotely
insane
to you? Molding yourself into someone you’re not, in hopes of getting back a guy who I’m dead sure never deserved you in the first place?”
    “Not really, no. And believe me, I know how pathetic this sounds. It’s not just about Tristan, okay? I’m just—just sick of being the safety-school girl, the one you keep around till something sparklier comes along. I want to be the sparkly one, for once.”
    He studied her as she sipped her coffee, shaking his head slowly as he inwardly cursed this Tristan character who’d obviously done such a number on her self-confidence.
    “So”—Lexi put down her mug, clasping her hands together—“would you be willing to help me?”
    He sighed.
    No.
    “Help you how?”
    “You know, with riding, and rock climbing, maybe whitewater rafting? Stuff like that?”
    “So you can take selfies and send them to your ex? Prove you’re a new woman and all that?”
    She nodded. “Exactly.”
    “No.”
    “No?” She pulled back, looking surprised at his firm tone. “Why not?”
    “If you want to learn to ride, or climb, or raft—or whatever else, then yeah. I’m happy to help you. But only if it’s something you really want to do for yourself. It won’t work if you’re doing it to impress somebody else.”
    “I’m not
quite
that pathetic, Gunnar. I really do want to learn this stuff.”
    “But this Tristan is still in the equation, right?”
    She sighed. “I can’t help it. I really thought we were going to have a future. And I
want
a future with him. So I have to do this. Maybe I’ll fail spectacularly—who knows? But I have to at least try, or I’ll spend my life regretting that I didn’t at least give it a shot.”
    Gunnar shook his head, closing his eyes. He’d done a lot of shit over the years, but he couldn’t remember ever being asked to groom a woman to be a better match for a fiancé who’d already dumped her.
    This was destined to end badly. He definitely shouldn’t get involved. No way, no how.
    No.
    “Okay.” The word came out of his mouth without warning, and he swore he tried to reach out and pull it back in before she heard it.
    “Really?” She took his hand. “You’ll help me?”
    He sighed. “Only so you don’t kill yourself trying. I don’t need you on my conscience.”
    She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Thanks, Gunnar. You won’t regret it.”
    Before he had a chance to return the hug, she’d stood back up, closing the bakery box and tossing her empty coffee cup in the trash bin.
    “Should we head back to Whisper Creek?” She smiled like a kid with a secret plan. “Maybe we could try a riding lesson? I mean, if you’re not busy this afternoon?”
    He blew out a breath as he stood up and followed her to his truck, trying—but not at all succeeding—to keep his eyes focused north of her pert little ass.
    Damn. He should
definitely
make sure he was busy.

Chapter 7
    “Well, looks like we’ve got cougars
and
jaguars this week.” Hayley sipped from a glass of chardonnay as she scanned the great room in the ranch’s main house on Sunday evening. She leaned toward Lexi. “Can you tell which is which?”
    Lexi smiled carefully, not sure what she should say. She’d only met Hayley an hour ago at Ma’s official kick-off meet-and-greet,