Page 48 of Ethan

She turned. Ethan was coming down the aisle toward her, unhurried, his cowboy hat shading his face. He stopped beside her, his gaze lingering long enough to make her grateful she’d taken the time to pull herself together before coming down.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning.” She rose up on her toes, kissed him, and he grinned against her mouth.

“Going out?”

“Yes. Want to come?”

“I wish I could. I’ve got a client in an hour.”

“That’s okay. I’ll go alone.”

“Take a walkie-talkie from the tack room. They’re all on channel four. You need anything, just call. Someone will hear you.”

“Alright.” She turned toward the tack room, then looked back at him over her shoulder. “I really wish you could come. We could stop at the cabin.” She grinned.

He huffed out a laugh. “I think I’ve created a monster.”

“There is no doubt about that. It’s all your fault.”

“How is it my fault? You were there too.”

“I thought I had good sex before.” She shook her head. “Then you had to go and be a show-off.”

Ethan chuckled. “Should I say I’m sorry?”

“No because you’re not.” She turned toward the tack room. “And trust me, I’m not either. I’ll see you later.”

“Be careful out there.”

“I will.”

She pushed open the tack room door and spotted the walkie-talkies lined up on a shelf at the back wall, each one on its charger. She unclipped one, hooked it on her belt, then hefted the saddle and headed back to Jewel.

Jewel was already watching her over the stall door, ears forward, eager.

“I know,” Naomi said. “Me too.”

She had her saddled and bridled in short order, then led her out into the morning. The sun was barely up, the air was still cool and smelling of grass and dew, the kind of morning that made you glad you’d gotten out of bed early.

She mounted and turned Jewel east; toward the trail she was starting to know by heart.

They walked at first, Jewel settling into the familiar rhythm beneath her, and Naomi let her mind go quiet, as it only did on horseback. No thinking about last night, no thinking about whatcame next. Just the mare beneath her and the wide Montana sky above and the grass moving in the early breeze.

She let Jewel pick up a lope along the fence line and leaned into it, feeling the ground pass beneath them, and she laughed for no reason except that she was happy.

She couldn’t remember the last time it had been this simple.

When she reached the meadow she slowed to a walk. The creek caught the morning light ahead of them, and beyond it the tree line stood dark and still.

She turned toward the cabin.

She tied Jewel to the rail outside and pushed open the cabin door. It looked different than it had the first time, smaller somehow, and more charming for it. The stone fireplace, the worn leather sofa, the fishing rods lined up neat against the wall.

She smiled to herself and walked to the window that looked out over the creek. The water was low and clear, catching the light, and a pair of ducks were working their way along the far bank without a care in the world.

She stood there for a while, just looking.