Page 8 of Wild and Wanted

Sliding his gaze sideward, Clay glanced at Stephanie, who was now looking around the stables, unconcerned that her mother was talking about her as if she wasn’t here.

‘If Stephanie’ – Clay sensed her gaze shift to his profile as if saying her name had cut through her wandering attention – ‘rides every day for the time she’s here, she should be reasonably comfortable in the saddle.’ He glanced briefly in Stephanie’s direction, their gazes holding for a second that hummed like a livewire between them before he returned his attention to Cindy. ‘How well she rides will depend.’

‘She doesn’t need to be able to canter across the plains or anything. She just has to look like she knows what she’s doing.’

Clay nodded, keeping his gaze firmly trained on Cindy lest this very shrewd mama see how surprisingly eager he was to teach her daughter how to ride and whatever the fuck else she’d never learned in the city. Even though his wiser angels were still urging distance.

Like he’d ever listened to them…

‘I think we can manage that.’

Another brisk nod. ‘This the horse?’

Interrogation apparently over, Clay turned his attention to the animal standing patiently by. ‘This is Gertie.’ He absently petted the white stripe down her nose as he addressed Stephanie now in case she was apprehensive about her first ride. ‘She’s old and gentle. Very obedient and tolerant. Very used to having beginners on her back.’

Stephanie’s face softened as she reached out her hand to pet Gertie’s neck. ‘She’s gorgeous.’ Gertie’s head swung around a little as if to encourage Stephanie to pet some more and she obliged, moving closer. ‘You’re a beauty, aren’t you?’ she crooned.

Her voice was soft with an almost musical lilt to it, which earned her an appreciative snicker from Gertie. ‘She likes that,’ he murmured, and when her eyes met his and she smiled at him, Clay liked that – a helluva lot.

‘Okay, let’s get this show on the road, huh?’ Cindy’s businesslike tone was just what Clay needed right now. ‘You have a Zoom with that producer in just over an hour.’

Stephanie straightened, her fingers trailing away, and Clay wondered if Cindy was going to be hanging around like her daughter was two, not the twenty-two Google had reliably informed her to be.

‘We’ll move out to the yards,’ he said, taking Gertie’s reins and clicking his tongue.

The horse shuffled off obediently and they emerged into the sunshine as they made for the nearby yard where yesterday – God, was it only yesterday? – he’d first locked eyes with Stephanie Everhart.

‘I’ll stand outside the railing and take pictures. We can use them for your socials after the song’s out.’

Clay’s back molars clenched together at the thought he was going to be part of some performance but thankfully, Stephanie finally spoke up.

‘No way, Mom.’ It wasn’t said cantankerously or even with a challenge, just firmly then softened with a little self-deprecating laugh. ‘I’m probably going to end up on my butt before the session is through. No way are you taking pictures of that.’

‘You won’t end up on your butt.’

Clay felt the need to clarify. For a start, they weren’t idiots. They were hardly likely to put beginners on horses that had any history of being fractious. Not unless they wanted to get sued. And secondly, bucking somebody off was way too energetic for Gertie.

She was unimpressed when asked to trot.

But the lack of risk didn’t seem to matter to his one-on-one. ‘I don’t want anyone seeing me before I can actually ride a horse with some kind of competence, including you. I know you have a tonne of emails to catch up on, please just do that and I’ll come back to the cabin when I’m done.’

Clay blinked, reassessing Stephanie as she politely told her mom to get lost. From what he’d seen so far, Cindy was the driving force between the two of them but clearly, Rhinestone Cowgirl did have a backbone. He’d mistakenly taken Stephanie’s placid demeanour for meekness, but he could tell now she was no pushover.

She was obviously just naturally reserved. Which didn’t seem to marry up with performing on a stage in front of thousands of people, but he’d read something once about a lot of artists being introverts.

Cindy glanced at her watch, ‘The Zoom is in⁠—’

‘I know,’ Stephanie cut in, softening it with another smile. ‘I’ll be there, I promise.’

‘Okay.’ Cindy looked around uncertainly, as if she hadn’t expected to have this free time and she was unsure what to do next. ‘Take good care of my girl, Clay.’

Clay nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’ He’d take real good care.

For long silent moments, they watched her go before his one-on-one turned to him with an apologetic smile. ‘I’m sorry. She can be a bit…’

Over the top? Protective. Helicopter mom?

‘Intense.’