After spending mostof my morning at the diner meeting locals, eating breakfast, and generally enjoying my life and job, I get back to the ranch by lunchtime. Colt is leaving the barn just as I’m about to go find him.
“Hi, Colt! How’s the day going?”
He nods his head with a tiny smile. “Good.You?”
“I had breakfast at the Laughing Fork. I’ve kicked out a load of posts, met a man named Don, who told me the lawn at the town park gets mowed on Wednesday and Saturday.” He was a hoot. The locals here are entertaining so far, that’s for sure. “I’m ready for you to show me more of the ranch.”
Colt laughs softly. “Darn. Don beat me to it. I could have told you about the lawn mowing schedule.”
His eyes wrinkle at the sides when he smiles, and for one fleeting moment, I imagine Colt in the future with deeper lines and maybe a bit of gray in his hair. That smile says more than a fondness for the guy who mows the park lawn.
“I’m sure you have better things you can tell me.” I point to my booted feet. “You’re still winning. You showed me where to buy these, and I hope I can get them dirty today.”
The pink flush creeps up his neck as he averts his gaze from my boots. I guess that’s my answer to whether he thinks boots are sexy.
“I could take you to the creek today if you’d like? I should check the water level anyway before guests arrive.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I assume it’s Snow Creek? Since that’s the ranch’s name?”
Colt nods with a lopsided smile. “I know it’s not that original, but it’s super pretty. I can get two horses saddled up and take you there once I grab lunch, if that works?”
“Really!? We’d take horses?”
Colt nods again with a little laugh. “That’s what we do around here, so yes. Horses.”
I’m slightly terrified, but also…how cool is it to ride a horse on a ranch with a cowboy? While wearing boots!
“Okay then! What do I need to wear other than my boots?”
His eyes trail down my body and back up. When his gaze meets mine, he clears his throat. “What you have on is great.” Colt drops his gaze to the ground.
Did he just…? No, he couldn’t have.
“Okay. Should I help with the horses?”
He bites his lip and shakes his head quickly. “Next time. I have an errand to do, but meet me here at,”—he checks his watch and purses his lips—“say at 12:45?”
“I’ll be here.”
Colt nods and walks toward his truck while I head to the guesthouse. After pulling off my boots, I plug in my laptop at the kitchen table and grab a battery pack for my phone.
I should take my DSLR camera, but I’m too excited to ride a horse for the first time, and I don’t want to do anything stupid. Like fall off when I try to do a lens change. No, I’ll just take my phone and backup power this time.
After writing copy for a few potential posts, depending on what we see on the ride, I pull my boots back on and go meet Colt at the barn.
Colt is an excellent trail guide…and,surprisingly, a smartass.
“Just remember, whatever happens, don’t panic. Stay on your horse and call out for me if needed. If you drop your reins, grab the saddle horn until I can help you.”
“Do I have a reason to panic?”
Colt pretends to consider this.
“Would a bear make you panic?”
“Jesus! There’re bears!” Colt flashes a shit-eating grin, and I narrow my eyes. “You’re just saying that to scare me. That’s not cool, Colt.”
His grin fades, and he reaches out to touch my arm. “Sorry. I didn’t think you’d be so scared.” His hand squeezes my arm gently. “Our chances of encountering a bear aren’t zero. But if we see a bear, don’t panic. I have to tellyou because it’s safety, Ethan. I rarely encounter them, but they live here too.”
