Page 29 of Will to Run

She gives him a huge smile before leaning into his hand. “Yeah, I guess she will. Get to it, then.”

He walks away, and the three of us watch him. He knows it too, because he shakes his ass while the two catcall him. I’ve read about a throuple in some books… are they…

“That fucking man,” Hazel says.

“Jesus Christ,” Molly replies. “I’d do it again, too.”

“Without question,” Hazel replies.

My eyes dart between the two of them. “Okay, I’m just being nosy as hell right now. But what?!” I ask.

The two of them start laughing. “Oh my gosh,” Molly gets out. “I forgot that you aren’t in on this. Cody’s a contract cowboy. He has been coming here every April since we were eighteen, and he does final prep for high season: fence mending, turning out horses, any odd job.”

“Are you guys… together?” I ask.

“We wish,” Hazel replies. “Although Molly got the chance to hook up with him before he accepted he didn’t like women. I’m forever jealous of that. Hell, I’d still ride that knowing he didn’t want me. That man is the platonic ideal.”

My hand flies to my mouth as I try to stifle my laughter. “I thought he was coming onto me in the barn, and then I saw him kiss Molly. I was about to make a scene! Then I saw how he touched your shoulder, and I thought that… I don’t know.”

Tears are streaming down each of our cheeks as we cackle. “You thought we were all together?! Oh my God! We’re close, not that close!”

When we get it together, Molly checks her watch. “Hazie, we have to get that trail ride in.”

“Yeah we do.” Hazel stands. “Want to come, Della?”

“No thanks. Remember, I’m eight-year-old camp crew. I’ll slow you down.”

“Actually, it would be helpful to have an extra person. Horses are super intelligent, but even my best ones need conditioning with all types of riders. You’ll be on a horse that’s been out several times already, and we’re not going far. It’ll be perfect.”

“Are you sure?” I look beyond them to the barn. “I don’t want to complicate things.”

“Come on, it’ll be great,” Molly pushes.

“Okay, fine, but I’m starting at square one, guys.” It’s my last defense.

“It’ll be good practice for me too; getting in the groove for other novice riders,” Hazel dismisses my concern.

“Who do you want me to grab? Dusty, Sterling, and Storm?” Molly asks, standing.

“Yeah, I’ll grab Storm and Sterling if you get Dusty,” Hazel replies. “Let’s go, Della.”

I stand to follow, and we go into the second barn to grab the horses while Molly goes into the first. I love the horses' names: Sterling is gray, while Storm is a black beauty. Hazel gets them ready to ride as she explains to me what she’s doing, and it’s obvious she’s done this a million times before.

When we meet Molly, she’s already atop Dusty waiting.

“You’ll ride Storm,” she tells me. This is another enormous horse, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to mount this thing by myself. Thankfully, Hazel brings her over to the steps I vaguely remember from camp. After she talks me through it, I step onto the block, take a few breaths, and fling myself over. It isn’t the most graceful of mounts, but I stick it. Gripping the knob on the front of the saddle, I lean down and pat the neck of my horse, the mane tickling my chin. I’m on top of the whole wide world.

“Impressive, Tatroe,” the voice I’ve been waiting for all day cuts through the air. The smile erupts on my face before my head whips around, and Jaxon is indeed walking towards us.

Cowboy porn.

There’s no other way to describe him. There’s just not.

He has jeans on that cling to every muscle, and some kind of shirt that stretches tight over his broad chest. My eyes trace his body quickly, but I’m sure if I look long enough, I could see his abs through it. In fun news, he’s also wearing a cowboy hat. That little shag of his is just peeking out from the bottom, and I know people back home pay lots of money to get hair that looks like that. I’ve seen dozens of people in them today, but Jaxon in one is just… the man is made to wear a cowboy hat. He gets to us, pets the horse I’m sitting on, and turns to his sister. “Where are you going?”

“We’re just going to do a quick loop on trail four. Storm’s been out enough, but I want Dusty to get some more reps in.”

“Wait for me,” he says before turning and running to the barn.