Page 12 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” he asked. “Evan mentioned he and Maddie were riding to Oklahoma City for some supplies and told me to see what you wanted me to work on today.” It was a four-hour round trip to the big city for the couple, and they made it every six weeks or so. Maddie had family there, so they tended to make a full day out of it.

“Well, Jenna is going with them to visit Maddie’s great-niece, who is her age. And Matthew’s friend invited him over for the day to go swimming, so it’s just you and me. I was thinking of taking a ride up the ridge after we finish with the animals. Want to come with me?”

“A ‘ride’ like in the truck or on a horse?”

She chuckled. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride a horse.”

“Well, I could,” he replied sheepishly, “but then I’d be lying. Actually, I went riding once when I was fourteen. It was my first year with the foster parents I ended up staying with for the rest of my teens. There were four of us foster kids living with them at the time, I think. Harry was a cop, and a guy he worked with had family who owned a dude ranch in upstate New York. We went there for a long weekend. I had fun, but mostly I remember how much my thighs and rear hurt afterward.”

“Ha! Yeah, there is that. But if I promise not to let the horses take off at a gallop and supply the Tylenol when it’s over, would you like to go for a ride? I could teach you.” A light blush appeared on her cheeks, and her gaze dropped to the floor. “I mean, if you want. You don’t have to.”

Her sudden shyness was endearing, but he liked her smile even better. “I’d love to. Besides, what good is a ranch hand if he doesn’t know how to ride, right?”

He got the response he wanted. A smile. “Um, right.”

The kitchen door swung open, and the kids came running in, chattering about the new filly. Evan was right behind them. Soon, everyone was digging into breakfast, and it was another few hours before Adam and Sage found themselves alone in the barn. She bridled two horses and led them out to the hitching post as Adam followed.

“What’s this big guy’s name?” He stroked the animal’s strong, elegant neck. A white chest and a similar patch on its right hindquarter offset its brown coat. “He’s a beauty.”

“And he knows it. That’s Othello, and this is Topaz.” She scratched the other horse’s nose before starting back into the barn. “I have to grab one of Mark’s old saddles up in the loft.”

“I can get it for you.”

She stepped over to the built-in ladder. “Actually, it’s probably easier if I hand it down to you.”

“You’re the boss.”

Laughing, she climbed and disappeared into the loft. “And don’t you forget it.” It took a moment before she reappeared at the edge and carefully lowered the brown leather saddle into his waiting hands. He placed it to the side on the ground and turned to make sure Sage descended safely. She was halfway down the ladder when her foot slipped, and his stomach dropped as he lunged for her.

Chapter Five

Sage didn't know why she’d invited Adam along for the ride that she usually took alone. When Mark was alive, she’d sometimes accompanied him on his treks through the woods, while other times, one of them had gone alone. They’d loved spending time together, but they also understood when the other needed a little solitude. Riding had been a form of ranch therapy for them, a way to clear their heads when life got hectic.

This would be the first time she’d brought anyone with her since Mark died, and the significance wasn’t lost on her. Her thoughts drifted briefly to that horrible day. Everything and everyone had seemed to aggravate her, and when Mark offered to saddle her horse so she could ride with him, she’d turned him down because she wanted to catch up on the laundry.

The stupid laundry, of all things, had kept her from being there when her husband had needed her the most.

For a long time afterward, she’d tortured herself with the same questions. What if she’d gone with him? Would Mark still be alive? Would she have seen something in time to prevent the accident? Eventually, she’d accepted that she would never have those answers. About a year and a half ago, she’d written the questions on a piece of paper, dug a small hole in Mark’s grave, and buried them there. Something about leaving those what-ifs with him had finally allowed her to plan a future without him. But moving forward in one part of her life hadn’t meant she was ready to do it in all of them. The wedding band remained on her finger, and she still couldn’t bring herself to take it off.

Then Adam had come along.

Over the last few days, she’d grown increasingly curious about her new ranch hand, and there was no denying the attraction anymore. He was handsome and polite, had a sense of humor she enjoyed, and was wonderful with her children. For the past few nights, they’d sat on the back porch over coffee after Jenna and Matthew went to bed, sometimes talking and other times simply enjoying the company and comfortable silence. Even his past bothered her less now. Knowing why he’d gone to prison made it difficult to judge him for having been there. What kind of man pleaded guilty to manslaughter when he might have walked away a free man, simply to spare a child from having to testify? In Sage’s mind, one with a big heart.

Up in the loft, she pulled the small tarp from Mark’s old saddle and ran her fingertips over the well-worn leather. Five years ago, she'd had it custom-made for Mark’s thirtieth birthday. He’d loved it and used it every day.

Pushing aside the memory, she lifted the saddle and carried it to the edge of the loft. As she handed it down to Adam, Sage reminded herself that this wasn’t a date. They were just two new friends spending a few hours together.

No. Scratch that.

They were employer and employee.

That sounded much safer.

All she was doing was showing him the parts of the ranch he hadn’t seen yet. Nothing more.

So why did she keep staring at his lips whenever he spoke and wonder what it would feel like if he kissed her?

Turning, she started down the ladder. She was halfway to the floor when her foot slipped out from under her. A startled screech escaped her as two powerful arms caught her around the torso, but Adam had been taken by surprise too. They both tumbled to the ground. He hit the floor first, and Sage landed on top of him.