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“Right. She should know how to ride too.”
He looked over at her, a smile in his eyes. “Yes, for sure.”
She quirked a brow at him. “Where are you going to find a girl like that?”
“Hmm…I was actually wondering if you might like that job. We could run the camp together. Just like Trinity.”
“We?”
He took her hand, wove his fingers through hers. “Yeah. We.”
“I think that would be amazing.”
He squeezed her hand, a silly smile slapped across his face.
He slowed the truck and turned off the highway. They drove alongside a swampy area with driftwood and dead trees.
“Where are we?” she asked.
He winked at her and kept driving.
They rolled into a small town. Wind-worn signs greeted them with offerings of fresh fish, kites, and dory charters.
“What’s a dory?” All she could imagine was a blue-and-yellow fish with memory issues.
“So many questions.” He grinned. “It’s a flat-bottomed fishing boat.” He put down the windows, letting salty, briny air whip through the truck. They crossed a bridge, and a flock of seagulls cried along the river’s edge. “The dories launch straight off the beach.”
“Oh, we aren’t.”
“We are.”
“It’s really the ocean?”
He nodded.
Her first time seeing the ocean. And it would be on horseback.
She palmed her chest, hoping to calm her racing heart. A ride on the beach? And she’d thought her acceptance into Oregon State University’s outdoor recreation program and the cute little rental cabin in Sisters was her big news.
Wait until Vivie and Courtney heard about this.
“You’re okay with this? Riding on the beach?”
She nodded. Her feet bounced against the truck seat with excitement. “Yes. Oh yes.” Riding on the beach? Every nerve in her body electrified.
He laughed, the warm timbre filling her heart. “The girl I scooped off the sidewalk back in May would have called this crazy.” He turned his head toward her and whispered against her ear. “What’s changed?”
“I don’t know.” She giggled. Turned her face away. “That’s not true.” This time, she looked up at him, met his clear green eyes when they rolled up to a stop sign. “It’s your love.”
“Oh, Beth. I do love you.” He pressed her hand to his lips, and she settled back against him.
He took a left and then a second left, pulling into a large lot. Only two other trailers were parked in the long spaces. Thin veils of low clouds revealed a bright blue sky beyond.
Grayson parked the trailer and they unloaded the horses. “I’m going to let you ride Rio. He’s an old pro at this.”
She laughed. “Yeah, you can ride Jet.” The chocolate-brown gelding from Klamath Falls was known to have a bit of a hot streak. Riding him around Grayson’s ranch during her off time was one thing—but the ocean? Not today.
“You’re going to have a blast.”
