Free Sunset Ranch by A. Destiny

fine.”
    I stood up and rummaged around in the top drawer of her dresser, then extracted a hairbrush. “Here, I’ll French-braid your hair,” I offered. “That’ll be relaxing.”
    â€œOh, yay, thanks!” She sat up and turned around on the bed, unwinding the towel from her head.
    I knelt behind her and began pulling the brush through her wet blond locks. “Zach and Stephen and I came up with this plan to keep that one horse Jack brought from the auction mart.”
    â€œThe one who’d been beaten?” Dana had her eyes closed. “I thought he was some kind of charity case.”
    â€œHe was. I mean, he is.” I updated her on the session with Jack and Rick. “We’re allowed to try him out—the pack trip is going to be his big test.” I tugged at a snarl.
    â€œOw! I’ll help you. Just tell me when you want to try him on a trail.”
    â€œAnd . . .” I drew out the word. “I’m going to Garden of the Gods with Stephen in an hour.” My stomach gave a little flip of excitement just saying it. I’d almost forgotten about the date with all that had happened this morning.
    â€œAww, that’s so cute,” she said. “Is it a date?”
    I frowned, and picked at a tangle. “I don’t know. I think so. What do you think?”
    â€œHmm. Is anyone else going?”
    â€œNo. . . .” I set the brush aside and picked up a few locks of hair at the top of her head. “Well, he didn’t say if there are. And he said he’d show me this secret trail.”
    â€œAnd he asked you specifically—like, ‘will you go with me’?”
    I twisted more hair into the braid, admiring the way the lighter strands looked against the darker ones. Blond hair always looked best in a French braid, so much better than brown. “Yeah, yesterday, when we were out by the stable.” I braided the last section and wrapped a hair tie around it. “There, that looks really good.”
    Dana sat up and trailed her fingers along the intricate weaving on the back of her head. “You got it so tight—thank you! That’s my favorite way.” She went over to the mirror and looked at the back with a mirror compact. “Well, I’d say if he asked just you and he wants to show you his favorite secret trail, then that’s a date. He totally likes you! Aren’t you excited?” She turned around and grasped both my hands, pulling me up from the bed. “He likes you, he likes you, he likes you!” she sang, dancing me around the room.
    I collapsed on my bed, giddy now from the dancing and from the heady thought that Stephen might actually like me. Then I jumped up. “I have to decide what to wear!” I flung open my closet and pulled out several options. Dana sat back down on the bed, as serious as an editor at a fashion show.
    â€œOkay, option one.” I pulled on a gray T-shirt that read WINTER JAM . “This is like the cool girlfriend who wears her boyfriend’s clothes.”
    Dana nodded. “Check. Guys like that.”
    â€œBut maybe a little boring?”
    She considered. “Maybe.”
    I held up my hand. “No fear.” I tugged the T-shirt over my head and shimmied into a black tank top. “Also sporty, but a little cuter. Also a little more girly.”
    â€œHmm, I like that one. And it shows off your tan.” She tapped her fingers on her front teeth. “Any others?”
    I riffled through my clothes hangers as if shuffling cards. “Just a last one—I don’t know about the long sleeves, though.” I pulled out a thin western-style shirt with pearl snaps in a soft pink-and-blue plaid. “My mom bought it for me when I decided to come out here.”
    â€œCute! Put it on,” Dana said, then considered me as I snapped it up. “That fits great. And you have the whole cowgirl look going, which is adorable.”
    I