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“Oh, I totally understand. That’s okay.” Lilah shaded her eyes from the sun with her hand. “And I’ll call him to see if he needs any help with Charlie. I can certainly babysit her if that would help.”
“That’s sweet,” Frankie said. “But his parents have that handled. He’s lucky to have them so close.” A pang of wariness crossed Frankie’s face, and Trace knew she was thinking of her mother, who was currently battling cancer. He wanted to ask how she was doing, but Frankie quickly changed the subject, as usual. “By the way, how’s Blaze? Settling down a bit?”
Lilah knew as well as Trace did that Frankie didn’t like talking about her mother’s health. Still, she reached out and squeezed Frankie’s arm. Then she followed Frankie’s cue and turned the discussion to horses. “He’s doing much better,” Lilah replied before glancing at Trace. “Trace has been working with him and even started lunging him.”
Trace nodded. “He’s anxious but starting to trust me. In fact, I could start working with him under saddle if Jesse is going to be out of commission for a bit.” He hooked a thumb in his jean pocket as he threw out the suggestion. It had been a while since Trace had started a colt, but he was perfectly capable of some basic training. He wasn’t ready to give up his time with Lilah, and this was the perfect excuse. “That way he’d be further along once Jesse is ready to start him.”
Lilah’s lips parted, but Frankie spoke for her.
“That’d be great.” Frankie gave Trace a pat on the arm. “The faster he gets trained, the quicker we can find him a good home. Right, Lilah?”
Lilah closed her mouth, looking pensive. “Right.”
“I could start tomorrow,” Trace offered. “I think he’s ready to—”
“What if I helped you?” Lilah interrupted, surprising Trace with her question.
“Helped me? With his training?”
“Well, kind of.” She set a hand on the stroller, fiddling with the sunshade again. “I mean, I’d like to watch and learn. If I’m going to house more rescue horses in the future, I should learn how to do more than just care for them. I can’t always count on someone else to do the training for me.”
Trace stilled. He wanted to assure Lilah that she could always count on him, that he’d always be there to help her. But now wasn’t the time for that. “Sure, we can do that.”
Lilah offered him a soft smile, like she was putting a Band-Aid on the awkwardness of their earlier conversation. “Tomorrow after dinner work for you?”
He agreed and they proceeded to watch Andy’s football game like all was right with the world. But inside, Trace was waging a war with himself, one he wasn’t sure he could win.
Chapter Seven
Lilahsatonthetop fence rail, watching Trace lunge Blaze in the arena. The boys were near the house, riding the two mares in the grassy backyard. Trace had ridden them last week, discovering they were both extremely well trained, and the boys had been obsessed with the mares since. The palomino—who the kids had dubbed Sweetie—was hauling Ben around, led on foot by Randall. Andy rode the bay mare, now named Sugar. She jogged along like a western pleasure champion. From the deck, Gayle beamed at the boys and kept Sofie entertained.
Lilah smiled, the scene before her filling her heart to bursting. There was nothing better than a quiet evening spent with her kids, family, and the animals.
Today Trace was showing her a few training techniques. She was observing from afar, listening to Trace as he explained each step he took with Blaze. Currently, the horse cantered a circle around him. The two were connected by a lunge line, and Blaze’s flame-red coat and lanky body breezed across the arena sand. He had a big stride and plenty of speed. Lilah thought he had the potential to excel at roping, barrel racing, or even jumping.
After a few more circles, Trace eased Blaze to a stop, calling to him with a drawn-out “Whooooaaa.” The horse halted, and Trace walked over, rewarding Blaze with a few rubs on his forehead. Blaze stood still, appreciating the affection. He was wearing a western saddle and looked much different than when Trace had started lunging him twenty minutes before. The workout had begun with an impressive combination of running, bucking, and squealing, but Trace stayed calm, and Blaze eventually gave up his outbursts.
Trace was handy with horses—a natural cowboy—and Lilah was glad he’d offered to help further Blaze’s training. After the way their kiss had ended, she had worried that Trace would pull away from her. She was glad he hadn’t. Still, she was determined to learn how to train the animals she was responsible for.
Trace rubbed his hand down the length of Blaze’s neck. Then he looked at Lilah. “Do you want to come out here and I’ll explain what just happened?”
Lilah climbed off the fence and walked toward him, feeling both excited and nervous. The idea of being close to TraceandBlaze had her head reeling.
“He sure has a lot of energy.” She stopped and stood next to Trace. Blaze analyzed her curiously, flicking one ear back and forth in concentration.
Trace smirked. “He does. But that was pretty good for his first time being saddled.” Trace held the coiled lunge rope with a gloved hand. His other hand grasped the rope close to Blaze’s halter. “I’m really happy with his progress.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Lilah said, her gaze flicking over the attentive horse.
The summer heat and humidity were in full force, and Blaze’s neck and chest were dark with sweat. Trace looked about the same, though Lilah was trying her best not to notice the way his black T-shirt clung to his chest. Or how his solid arms glistened in the evening sun.
“The saddle’s not so bad, huh?” Lilah asked Blaze, focusing on the horse instead of Trace’s arms. She was on a mission to force everything back to “normal” after that kiss. She didn’t want complicated—for herself, her kids, or Trace. And anything outside a friendship would have been complicated, at least for the two of them.
“He gave a few good bucks,” Trace replied, adjusting the brim of his baseball cap. “But he accepted the saddle pretty quickly. Plus, he needed to get that energy out. He’s a big, strong colt and needs an outlet for his energy. Otherwise, he can be a little neurotic. Exercise helps him focus.”
Blaze perked his ears forward, listening to their conversation.
Lilah threaded her hands together behind her back, wondering if she understood Blaze better than she had originally thought. “Just like my boys,” she said.
