Chapter Seventeen - Julianna

Julianna stared at the bottom of Penny’s bunk, her arms behind her head. It was late. She glanced at her phone. 2:00 a.m.

She knew she had to work in the morning. Her mind didn’t care, though. It raced, going over every moment of the evening. Every movement.

After they’d left the barn, Scott had told her to change into her swimsuit and meet him at the pool. She hadn’t questioned him, because if she got to see him wet, and without a shirt, she was all for it.

By the time she’d arrived, he’d been there, shirt still on, unfortunately, setting up the movie projector they’d used for pool parties.

No one else had been around, and Scott had invited her to join him in the hot tub. That was when the shirt had come off. The wait had totally been worth it.

And on the white screen Scott had set up had appeared the opening scene from Rocketman.

When she’d turned to him in disbelief, he’d said it was also his favorite movie and he’d brought it with him, just in case. Because, like her, it made him happy. Helped him laugh when nothing else worked. And then they’d cuddled for the next couple of hours, laughing hysterically, enjoying each other’s company.

There had been no kissing—no repeats of the previous night.

It had been better.

* * * * *

Julianna should have been scared. She didn’t want to fall for someone who would never care for her in the same way she cared for him. She didn’t want a repeat of Blair. Having to see him and Sandra together every day—it was killing her. Or at least it had been. Until she’d realized that Sandra wasn’t the villain that Julianna had made her out to be.

And until she’d started falling for Scott Dallenforth.

There. She’d admitted it. Despite her best efforts, Julianna was falling for the rock star.

But that was the problem. It was happening all over again. That thing Julianna had said about falling for the one person you can’t have? She wasn’t immune. First it had been Blair, and now it was Scott.

Which was why she needed to keep her distance.

This was supposed to be a summer of self-discovery, of getting away from all the drama back home and discovering who she was without all that.

And yet, she couldn’t stop thinking of Scott and how he had looked at her that evening. How he had told her things no one else ever had. And she wanted to believe all of it. Julianna desperately wanted it to all be true.

But she was afraid to hope. Afraid of what it would mean if someone like Scott truly cared for someone like her.

Julianna sat up quickly, her head brushing the wood slat above her. Whew, that had been close. She’d already hit her head on it twice, and she didn’t want to make it three.

She slipped on a pair of sandals that sat next to the bed and grabbed a light sweater, just in case.

When she stepped outside, it turned out that she didn’t need it. It was the perfect summer evening, and the stars had really outdone themselves.

Julianna didn’t know where she was going, only that she’d needed to get out of that stuffy apartment. She was glad she had. It was amazing out there. Nights like this—it was exactly the reason she had left home. It wasn’t that they didn’t have stars or beautiful things back home. But it wasn’t so peaceful. Like the whole world was holding its breath, wondering what was going to happen next.

Julianna didn’t realize where her feet were taking her until she was already halfway across the field.

The paintball shed was barely visible, the crescent moon giving very little light. Somehow she could feel its location, and her instinct took her straight to it. It was when she was only a couple of feet away that someone spoke.

“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

Julianna jumped, her heart beating so fast, it felt like it would explode out of her chest. It was another moment before she managed, “Hi, Scott.”

“What brings you out here so late?”

She couldn’t see Scott well, but a dark outline stood out against the rest of the shed. She stepped forward, her hands out. When she made contact with the rough wood, she turned and pushed herself up onto the ledge that protruded over the dirt.

“I know I should be sleeping, but the rest of me hasn’t been cooperating. Figured a little walk might help.”

That’s right, evade the real question of what had been keeping her up. Because there was no way she could tell Scott it was him that had been on her mind. That would only complicate an already complicated friendship. It was still a friendship, right? Not to mention make her sound like all the other starstruck crazies at the ranch.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“You.”

That one word shot out before Julianna could stop it. She’d had only one thing to keep to herself, and her poor impulse control had let her down, once again. The same lack of impulse control that had made her kiss Scott. Twice.

Was she always this bad, or only around a hot rock star, who also happened to have a sensitive side and turned out was a really good friend?

Friend.

If she kept repeating it to herself, maybe she’d train her subconscious that that was what Scott was, and someone she shouldn’t go around kissing.

Even though she couldn’t see him, Julianna could feel Scott’s gaze on her.

“What?” She asked it like she hadn’t just admitted that it had been him who had been keeping her up all night.

“Nothing. Just curious. What about me keeps you up at night, and why did it lead you here? You still wishing I had meant to shoot you? We can go down to the barn, and I can shoot you again on purpose, right here and now, if that would help you feel better.”

Knowing that Scott couldn’t see her, Julianna didn’t bother to hide her smile. He was so cute sometimes. Or all the time, if she were being completely honest.

“No, I was being dumb about that whole thing. I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have a friend like you. I never thought that Scott Dallenforth would be as funny and—”

Her words were cut off by his lips on hers. They lingered, and the mint scent from his toothpaste washed over her.

“Please don’t place me in the friend zone,” he whispered, his breath tickling. “I’ve tried to respect your space, tried to give you what you need. I know that you want me to treat you like every other person at the ranch—like you don’t mean more than a listening ear and someone to hang out with. But if giving you your space means I’m getting benched, I’d rather take the risk. Because I was serious about what I said earlier. I don’t want to treat you like other people—like other girls. I’m falling for you, Jules.”

There was something about the way he used her nickname in that moment—the nickname that only he used with her—that stripped Julianna of any hesitation. Yes, she might end up hurt by the end of the summer. But right here—right now—she couldn’t say no to it. It would hurt worse than anything else she could possibly feel.

Like Scott had said, it was worth the risk.

So Julianna cupped a hand around the back of Scott’s neck. It was dark enough that she missed, her lips landing on his jawline, and she swept them across as she felt for his mouth. A shudder from Scott told her that it may not have been a bad thing that she had missed. By the time her lips met his, Scott’s arms were around her, holding her tight as if all the pent-up attraction and frustration exploded in a fiery moment of longing. Their lips danced as Julianna shifted her body, so she’d be more comfortable, but in doing so, she managed to lose her balance and fall off the edge of the shed. She would have hit the dirt hard if Scott hadn’t already been holding her so tightly.

Instead of letting go, he jumped off and fell to the dirt with her. It was a much softer landing than it would have been otherwise, and they lay together, tangled up in the dirt, half-laughing and trying to catch their breath.

“That was…interesting…” Scott said, his lips close to her ear. It tickled and sent a new wave of longing crashing through Julianna.

She passed her lips against his, and Scott’s breath hitched when her flingers played with the hair at the back of his neck.

“I never knew someone could make me feel like this,” he said when they finally came up for air.

Julianna smiled. “Feel like what?”

“Like I would lie in sagebrush every day if it meant that every time would be with you. Like I want to try my hardest to give you everything you’ve ever wanted. I want to make you laugh, see you smile. And kiss you. Definitely that one.”

How was Julianna not going to kiss him again after something so sweet?

“I don’t think I can stop,” she whispered against his lips as her hands raked through his hair. “Seriously. I’m addicted.”

“I’m more than happy to oblige,” Scott said, his voice shaky.

Julianna laughed and pushed herself into him.

Except, this time it didn’t lead to more kisses, but instead a shriek of pain from Scott. He leapt to his feet, inadvertently throwing Julianna in the process.

“Something just stung me. Or bit me. I can’t tell.” He sounded panicked, like it was more than just a little prick. Like it was something big.

Julianna leapt to her feet, not wanting the same treatment from whatever animals were out here. Not exactly the ending she had been hoping for this evening. “Let’s get back to the barn.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

Julianna heard the pain in his voice. Like this was much more than an ant bite. “We need to wake up Kat, have her check it out.”

“Then they’ll know we were out in the middle of the night.” Another groan of pain. “On second thought, I’ll stay here while you go get her.”

“And leave you alone with the wild animals? I don’t think so. Where does it hurt?”

A pause. It left Julianna even more worried.

“My leg.” It seemed Scott was having trouble talking, and when he tried to take a step, he stumbled.

“Hold up there, cowboy. Sling your arm around my shoulders.”

And then Julianna half-dragged Scott Dallenforth to the RV where Kat lived. Thank goodness no one was around with their phones and cameras. She shuddered to think what the headlines on this one would read.