Page 24 of Slow Burn

“Come on, Willow. Let’s go,” I urge.

Willow nickers and drops her head, yanking my hands down as she pulls on the reins.

“If you’re nice to me today, I’ll bring you cookies later.” I’m not above bribery, and I don’t know much about horses, but I figure animals are mostly the same, and they all respond to cookies.

I don’t want Beck to think I have no clue what I’m doing. I haven’t ridden a horse since I was a kid and I definitely used a mounting block then, but he doesn’t need to know that. It doesn’t exactly invoke confidence in me as a consultant for the ranch if I can’t even ride a horse.

To my relief, Willow starts walking at the mention of cookies, and picks up a decent pace, enough to almost catch up to Beck and Bandit.

Cows graze happily in the fields as we move through the first pasture. Willow plods along, her head low and her tail flicking contentedly behind her. I let my shoulders drop, and close my eyes, feeling the warm sun on my face.

Being out here, with the vast expanse of land around us, the mountains on the horizon, something in me loosens, the tension from the last few weeks easing. It’s like the earth is reminding me that my problems are small. Not that they don’t matter, but that in the grand scheme of things, they’re but a blip in time.

I choose not to ruin the mood by looking over toward the neighbouring property where Austin and I grew up. Even ignoring it, the very presence of that yellow farm house on the hill causes an ache to radiate behind my sternum.

I was so lost coming back to Sage Valley, untethered, and I wish I could go back there, feel that familiar green grass between my toes, inhale the smell of the lilac bush my mother grew next to the back porch. Maybe then I’d feel less out of control, I’d have something here to ground me.

“What a beautiful day,” I say, swallowing down the lump in my throat.

“Mhm,” Beck agrees without saying a word.

This is supposed to be my tour of the property, my orientation. Of course, I’m not completely unfamiliar with the land, having grown up here and all. A working cattle ranch on the other hand? That’s a whole new ball game for me.

And Beck hasn’t given me anything to work with yet. Frustration and impatience rise in my throat, threatening me with snarky words they want to blurt out.

I roll my shoulders back and look off to the horizon, letting the sea of long green grass and clear blue sky calm me again. I’ve been trying to do that more and more these days. Not saying every single thought that springs to mind. Trying to hold back, bite my tongue. Behave.

“Where are we going, anyway?” I ask.

“We’re going to have a look at the fences on the south perimeter,” Beck says. “Some of the cattle broke through the other night, and I need to assess the damage. See if it’s something I can fix myself or if I’ll need to bring someone in.”

“How much will that cost?”

Beck shakes his head, his mouth forming a tight line. “Don’t know yet. But too much, is all I can say.”

I nod, and in my periphery, I see Beck looking over me, I can feel him watching me.

“Nothing snarky to say? Nothing to chastise me about the way I’ve run the business?” He asks, his eyes still searching me, like he’s trying to get me to bite. But I won’t. I’ve been making solid progress today with my snark.

Okay, okay. I had my moment in the kitchen earlier, but I said I’ve been making progress, I’m not perfect.

“Nope,” I answer. “I’m trying to be professional here, Bossman. I have a job to do, remember? I’m not exactly in a position to be running my mouth. It tends to get me in trouble these days.”

“Fair enough,” Beck says, turning back to look ahead of him. “But you know this doesn’t have to be strictly professional. We’ve known each other a long time, Lyla.”

“Okay,” I say. He does have a point, although I wouldn’t say he’s made things comfortable between us. He’s been nothing but cold and dismissive. But if he wants to get more personal, I can get personal. “I met your girlfriend yesterday.”

I catch the look of surprise that flashes across his features.

“My girlfriend?” His question makes him sound genuinely confused. I knew he was a bit of a playboy in high school, but I thought he’d have grown up enough to remember that he has a girlfriend.

“Tessa?” It comes out with more judgement than I anticipate. So much for progress.

“Oh, Tessa.”

I roll my eyes, and luckily Willow has fallen a few steps behind Bandit now, so he doesn’t see it.

“She’s nice. And a smokeshow,” I say, and I get a strange twinge in my gut. Almost like jealousy. But I’m not jealous of whoever dates Beck. He can’t even remember who he’s dating, clearly.