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Like she belonged there. Like it was still natural for her to be leading a horse.
He relaxed in the saddle, drawing in Maverick’s pace to a stop near the gate. He let the horse stretch his neck out, long and low. Mav blew out a contented breath. “Ready?”
Beth tilted her head. “It’s funny—I love it. I don’t know why, but it still gives me butterflies.”
She gave him butterflies. Or something. Whatever that unfamiliar rush of adrenaline was called that swirled in his chest.
He leaned down and swung the gate open before side-passing Mav and closing the gate. “And yet you can’t help yourself.”
She looked up at him and grinned. “It seems so.” She rubbed Rex’s neck. “This feels really good.” She led her horse to a mounting block that sat outside the arena panels and hopped on. All by herself. Like she’d never been away from it.
Okay, he was maybe a little proud at the confidence she’d been building.
“I brought you this.” She held out a canteen to him. “I made us sweet tea.”
He took the offered drink and snugged it into his saddlebag. “Thank you.”
She rode ahead of him on Rex, her hair down her back and her body relaxed. It had been a little selfish of him to invite her along to explore several trails they hadn’t yet used. But if students like Eli were going to come again and again, he needed more options to keep things interesting.
Sure, he could have checked the trails by himself, but he’d done enough solo riding in his lifetime.
And it didn’t cross the line into anything that might be called a date. Nope. This was work. Didn’t raise anyone’s radar.
He hoped.
Because he craved her company after she left camp each day—her laughter, the lightness her presence enveloped him in.
Like at his grandparents’ party. In the bakery. Had she felt that moment between them? The one that’d arced until Robin had interrupted.
Sunlight cast dapples of light and dark through the forest canopy, and he found himself a little mesmerized at the way golden strands wove through Beth’s hair, her locks variegated with sunny highlights.
The trail widened and Maverick and Rex fell into step next to each other, their hooves landing with heavy thuds on the thick duff of the trail.
“I took a picture of Mav’s brand,” Beth said. “I’m so curious where he came from.”
“Did you find anything?”
“No, not yet.” She grinned. “I had to put that project aside. Too many other things I’m trying to stay on top of.” She pointed to native wildflowers growing along the forest floor and listed names as they passed. Forget-me-nots, butterwort, trillium. Even something called Dutchman’s-breeches, which did look like pairs of miniature pants. He’d caught glimpses of her doing this all week with the kids.
“How did you get to know so much about them?” he asked when she pointed out a barely visible starflower.
He would have ridden right past it without a glance.
She shrugged. “Reading. Kayak camp—we take the kids across the lake, then hike around for a couple hours. Explore and identify the flora and fauna. I guess it all stuck.” She gave him a bashful smile. “There are a ton of trails around this lake—even a few cabins on the far side.”
She pulled her canteen from his saddlebag and took a drink, prompting him to do the same.
He hadn’t had sweet tea in a long time. “That’s good stuff.”
“Maybe I’ll share my secret recipe sometime.” She wiped her arm across her damp lips and stowed the canteen.
The trail narrowed and he let Rex take the lead to keep long-strided Mav’s pace in check. Possibly for Beth’s benefit. Probably to prolong the afternoon.
Rex shook his head. Tossed it up and down. Sidestepped into the brush along the trail. Beth flapped her arms at something, swatting with her right hand.
Then Grayson saw them. Wasps or hornets. Dark bodies swarming. “Ride out of them!”
Beth was too busy flailing at the insects to hear him. And by the looks of Rex’s prancing feet, swishing tail, and head tossing, he was taking the brunt of the attack.
