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“Trying to woo you.”
She looked up at him. Apart from the death grip, he was showing no fear. And if you liked that sort of thing he looked amazing in his jeans, black t-shirt, and boots.
And yes, she liked that sort of thing.
“Well, you're doing a terrible job of it. You look like you're about to fall off that poor horse.”
Michael grinned.
“I've been throwing myself to the ground all week. I've got the bruises to prove it.”
“You've been riding all week?”
“Logan's been teaching me. The knockout had to be something to remember. What better way to do it than to be a knight riding in on shining armor?”
She couldn't help but laugh. “I'm not sure you're ready for a jousting tournament yet.”
He shrugged. “I'm thinking more rodeo. But whatever.” He took a deep breath and held his hand out to her. “Can you climb on if I help?”
“Oh boy,” she muttered. Of course, she could climb on any horse, especially one as docile as Arabella. But Michael added a little bit of danger to the mix. “Give me a second.”
She didn't climb in front of him, though that would be the normal way to ride two on a horse. Instead she hoisted herself behind him, like he was on a motorcycle and she was riding shotgun, sliding her arms around his waist.
“Hello,” she whispered against his back.
“Hello.” There was so much warmth in his voice that it touched her heart. "You ready to head off into the sunset?"
She chuckled. “I've been ready since Monday. You had me at a coffee and pastry.”
“Noted. My girl’s a cheap date.”
She ignored the way her heart hammered at his words and cuddled against him tightly, feeling his muscles ripple as he moved the reins and encouraged Arabella to move.
Everybody was watching them. And she couldn't give a damn. Let them talk, let them gossip, let them stare. She was with Michael, and that was all that mattered. The breeze ruffled their hair, as they left the field behind them, heading toward the center of town. They passed the diner, the church, Arabella clip clopping into the square itself.
“Logan?” Michael called out as they rode onto the grass.
Her uncle was sitting on a bench. When he saw them, his mouth split into a grin. “You managed it without falling,” he said. “Never thought I'd see the day. Everybody's gonna be sad there are no more videos to share.”
“Videos?” Grace asked.
“It was one of the conditions of him teaching me to ride,” Michael told her. “He got to record me and share it with his brothers.”
So that's what her mom had been smirking at. She'd seen Michael learning to ride a horse.
It made her heart feel like it was bursting.
“You learned to ride for me?” she asked.
He nodded. “I wanted to be able to go riding with you. Share your hobbies. It’s important to me."
"And be my knight in shining armor."
His eyes were soft. “I don't think you need one.”
“I still like it.”
“You want me to take this horse or what?” Logan asked. “There's a beer at home with my name on it.”
