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CHAPTERTHREE
Emily
I can't believethe rugged-looking cowboy I was so rude to is my riding instructor. To his credit, he doesn't seem to hold the incident against me. He apologized for nearly running over me, and now he's leading me over to the stable where tons of enormous beasts are housed. They're so big they tower over me—much like this man.
I swallow, questioning whether I should’ve signed up to do this.
“Rule number one,” Cole’s deep voice says. “Horses can sense fear, and if you're skittish, it will make them skittish.”
He cuts a knowing glance at me. Maybe he's a horse, too, since he can sense my fear.
I refrain from saying that out loud. We just made good, and I don't want to prove myself to be a humongous bitch again.
“You want to approach a horse confidently yet humbly,” he continues. “You want to gain her trust like a dog or any other animal.”
Cole walks up to one of the horses sticking its head out of its stall. He pats the horse on the neck before giving her a few strokes while crooning softly to her. He motions to me. “Here, you try. Come pet her.”
I take a step back, my eyes wide as I shake my head. “I don't know if I should …” I start to chicken out, but Cole takes my trembling hand in his and tugs me gently toward the horse.
“This is Rosie. She’s one of my gentlest mares. She won't bite. I promise.” He guides my hand to the horse's white neck as he wraps an arm around my back and pulls me closer. His voice is right next to my ear as he speaks softly. “The trick with any mare is to approach her softly and stroke her right. You want to make her feel safe.”
Cole's hot breath fans against my ear as he strokes our hands over the horse's neck. I marvel at the sensation of her hide under my palm and Cole’s hand pressed against mine.
He slowly removes his hand until I'm petting the horse on my own, but his heat still surrounds me. I can’t contain the huge smile on my face when the horse nickers softly and nuzzles her nose against me. “This is incredible!”
“Yeah,” Cole’s deep voice agrees.
I chance a glance at him, and he's looking at me, not the horse. A blush overtakes me, but I clear my throat and look away.“Okay, so now what? When do I ride her?”
Cole chuckles. It’s a rumbling sound that bubbles up from his chest. “Whoa, don't get ahead of yourself there, darlin’. Today, you're just going to get to know her, and I'll teach you the basics about horses. We won't mount her until tomorrow.”
There's a gruff note to his voice when he says that. I look at him curiously, but he clears his throat and starts teaching me about the equipment and giving me a run-down of the horses.
Cole’s voice is so soothing. It washes over the horses and me. He has such a deep timbre. I could listen to it all day. No wonder the horses are so relaxed around him.
He removes the saddle after showing me how to put it on. “You won't have to worry about this,” he tells me. “I'll saddle the mare for you tomorrow, but I always like to show people how to do it themselves.”
I watch him as he swaggers to the corner to hang up the saddle, noticing how perfectly those jeans hug his ass.
My cheeks color when he turns around, and I see the large bulge in the front of his jeans. My eyes quickly dart away from him. My cheeks flame and I look anywhere but at the huge man towering over me.
“Who are you on vacation with?” he asks me casually.
“How do you know I didn't come alone?”
Cole pauses before he answers. “Because pretty young women don't usually travel alone. They come in packs, so I'm guessing you're here with friends.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Maybe I’m vacationing with my husband.”
His eyes flash. “No man in his right mind would let you out of his sight for a second.”
My breath hitches in my throat. His hazel eyes bore into mine, holding me captive. I finally tear my gaze from him. “This was supposed to be a mother-daughter vacation,” I say with a bitter laugh.
Cole says nothing but raises an eyebrow.
“She ditched me for her boyfriend.” I leave it at that, not wanting to get into the sorry details. That’s a sure way to ruin my mood.
He nods. “Are you and your mother close?”
