Free Among Wildflowers by Stella Rose Page A

pulled the camera away from her face and smiled again.
    “I think we got some good ones.”
    “Good.”
    “Listen…” she began, as she shoved her camera back in its bag, “I appreciate you having us out here.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    She sank down on the first step a couple feet away from Ryland. “I’m sure you had reservations about them sending me out here.”
    “Why would I?”
    She looked up at him, furrowing her brows. “Because of what happened.”
    “What happened?”
    Macy shook her head. “You are either being very gentlemanly by pretending you didn’t hear about it, or you have sure been out of the loop.”
    “I can assure you it’s the latter.”
    She bit her bottom lip and looked away. “I see.”
    “Care to enlighten me, Macy?”
    She looked back into Ryland’s eyes and shook her head. “It’s nothing. Not a big deal, actually. I just really appreciate you having us.”
    “I...appreciate you coming out. As you’re aware, my career hasn’t been spectacular recently, either.”
    Macy shoved a chunk of blond hair clumsily behind her ear, and Ryland caught a glimpse of a faint but noticeable scar on her wrist. He studied it for a moment before she dropped her hand again. He was curious. The more he got to know Macy, the more complicated she appeared to be.
    She was smiling again. Ryland was beginning to look forward to her smiles. “A lot of people think you’re tired of the business and decided to get out altogether.”
    “Thought about it,” he said, rocking back in his chair.
    “But now that we’re doing this story...it’ll revive your career. It’ll be the start of your comeback.”
    “That’s what my manager keeps telling me.”
    Ryland watched Macy. She seemed to be thinking very carefully about something.
    “This is probably a big change from what you’re used to. I’d be lying if I said part of the reason why I agreed to you coming out was so I could watch a couple of city slickers from New York try to rough it out here.”
    Macy laughed. He loved how her face lit up. “It’s not really roughing it.” She stopped for a minute and pulled a serious face. “It might be for Lane though.” Her face cracked to reveal another beautiful smile.
    Ryland laughed with her. “I guess he didn’t appreciate our horseback ride.”
    “I guess you specifically chose that activity so that you could watch a couple of city slickers from New York try to figure out how to ride a horse.”
    He grinned and nodded, giving her a cocky wink. “I guess.”
    “You’re pretty full of yourself, Ryland Quinn.”
    Macy looked off into the distance and chuckled softly to herself, shaking her head. “Logan would hate it out here.”
    “Logan?”
    “Oh, my boyfriend.”
    Ryland swallowed and tried to ignore the sudden uncomfortable tightness in his chest. “Your boyfriend’s not much into the outdoors, huh?”
    “You could say that. He’s all city. I’ve actually tried to get him to take me camping a few times, but he’s always refused. “Well,” she said, standing and wrapping her jacket around herself more tightly, “I’d better get back to the cabin and check in with my boss.”
    “Alright,” Ryland said. “I’ll see you later.”
    “Yep.” She flashed him a shy smile over her shoulder and made her way back down the dirt path to the cabin.
    Ryland watched her go and then turned to head back inside, glancing at the pile of abandoned flowers on the rocking chair.
    “Lord, what’s wrong with me?”
    ***
    Macy had been listening to Lane snore for almost an hour, but she didn’t even feel a little sleepy yet. She was wide awake with her hands tucked beneath her head. Her mind was racing in a thousand different directions, but they all seemed to somehow find their way to Ryland Quinn. Why was she so drawn to him?
    She still doubted everything about herself. She knew she was vulnerable and, just like they’d told her in group therapy, she was going to be drawn to