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“Well I’m just surprised he agreed to take us. He didn’t seem too happy about it.”
“No, he didn’t,” Zaya agreed. “But Marge sure has a hold on him.”
Sky barked out a laugh. “I wouldn’t mess with her. Did you see the way he “yes, Ma’am-ed her after she gave him that look?”
“She’s my new idol.”
“I love her.”
“Agreed.” I rose up from my chair, just a little wobbly from the buzz of the wine. “But we better get to bed or none of us will be riding anything tomorrow.”
Enzo rose and lifted his glass. “Again, I say, speak for yourself.”
6
Eryn
The crunch of gravel underfoot heralded our arrival at Red Downs Ranch, the anticipation in my chest blooming like the wildflowers scattering the grass. My gaze swept over Gray Anderson's world—a tangle of fences and paddocks stretched towards the horizon, where the Whittier mountains stood proud.
“Look at this place!” I whispered to my friends, who were equally wide-eyed with excitement, if not a little trepidation.
“We're going to be going up there?” Skylar asked, pointing at the mountains in the distance.
“That's where the trails are. And the falls. You knew this.”
“Yeah, but I guess I didn't expect it all to be so . . . big.”
“That's what he said,” Enzo joked and we all rolled our eyes.
But Skylar wasn't wrong. Everything here seemed bigger. The fields, the trees, the forests, the mountains. Especially the sky. I guess that's where the saying came from. Big sky country, and all that.
My boots kicked up dust as I walked over to what appeared to be a training ring next to the stables. A man who looked an awful lot like Gray worked with a black horse, taking it in circles around the interior of the fence. I followed their movements, intrigued by the grace of the horse. It was almost hypnotic.
I took a deep breath and focused on my senses, a practice my therapist encouraged when I mentioned wanting to be more present and mindful. I heard the distant neighing of horses, I tasted the espresso from my coffee I sipped before getting out of the car. My hands touched the smooth wooden fence in front of me, weathered and worn. The mountain air was rich, mixed with the scents of hay and leather.
I was present now.
But somehow still so lost.
“Mornin',” came a voice, as deep and rough as the mountain terrain itself. It startled me and I jumped, but recovered by spinning around to face the man who had spoken.
Gray emerged from the stables, his cowboy hat casting a shadow over piercing blue eyes that seemed to miss nothing. The scruffy beard on his jaw was a testament to long days working the land, yet it did little to detract from his rugged appeal.
Oh no, if anything, it added to it.
And so did the white t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. I had a vision of the fabric bursting at the seams around his bulging muscles. Which then led me to a vision of a bulging something else. I needed to get it together before I embarrassed myself.
“Good morning, Gray!” I smiled widely, ignoring the heat that pooled in my stomach at the sight of him. “Thanks for doing this. We're all looking forward to the trail ride.”
“Uh-huh.” His reply was noncommittal, but I caught the briefest flicker of something softer in his gaze before he turned to instruct his ranch hands. They moved with purpose, fetching the horses whose hooves drummed a steady rhythm against the ground.
“Beautiful animals,” Enzo commented, reaching out a tentative hand to stroke the glossy coat of a chestnut mare.
“Best in the state,” Gray said, looking at the horses with pride. I watched his face as his lip curled up in the smallest glimmer of a smile. But it was gone just as soon as it appeared. He began assigning us our mounts, starting with Zaya, who got a shiny brown mare named Penelope.
“She’s retired from breeding, but still as energetic as ever.”
“Oh, good,” Zaya said, looking at home in the saddle, despite not having ridden since she was a kid.
