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Emily chuckled, giving us an apologetic smile. “Sorry. As I said, she’s very excited.”
Lincoln turned, gesturing for everyone to follow. “Let’s not keep the little lady waiting any longer.”
As we approached Buttercup, Piper ran up next to Lincoln. I smiled as I watched them talk animatedly about Buttercup, and it was still a little surreal for me to be back home with both of them. Sometimes, I almost pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Dream or not, I planned to enjoy every minute of it.
LINCOLN
Piper stared at Buttercup in awe as she ran her hand over the horse’s light mane. “It’s so soft,” she marveled, glancing up at me.
I smiled. It was hard not to around her. “You ready to ride her?”
Her head snapped toward me, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”
Chuckling, I guided her closer to the saddle. “First, I need to teach you a few important things before you get on.”
“Pay attention, Piper,” Emily firmly stated. Her face was crinkled in concern as she watched us from a few feet away.
Piper’s attention was fixated on me as I explained, “This is the saddle.” I grabbed the horn and continued, “This right here is called the horn. Hold it the whole time so you keep your balance.”
“Is this safe? Is there a seat belt or something we can put on her?” Emily asked.
Her husband chuckled. “Emily, calm down. Lincoln’s a professional; he knows what he’s doing.”
I gave the couple my most reassuring smile. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.” I’d take a bullet for her if I had to.
Emily nodded, and her husband squeezed her shoulders from behind her. I turned my attention back to Piper and grinned. “If you get scared and want to get off, just let me know, and I’ll stop and get you down.”
“I won’t be scared.”
I glanced over at Liv, who smiled at me. I was so happy at that moment, and I knew she was too. I looked back at my daughter. “I’m going to help you get on Buttercup, then I’ll get on behind you, okay?”
Piper nodded, her head bobbing rapidly with excitement. I picked her up, lifting her until she was securely seated in the saddle. I kept both hands on her waist as I steadied her. “Now, grab that horn I was telling you about.”
Piper did as she was told with a huge grin on her face. Emily started taking pictures as I hoisted myself onto Buttercup behind Piper.
I grabbed the reins and secured my feet in the stirrups. “Ready?”
Piper nodded enthusiastically again.
“Okay. Here we go.” I tugged on the reins a little and squeezed Buttercup with my legs, urging her forward.
Piper giggled as Buttercup started to move, and I couldn’t help but smile. She and her momma’s laughter were my favorite sounds in the world.
Liv and the Andrews watched as we rode around the field. I almost pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming because riding on a horse with my daughter was definitely a dream come true.
“Having fun?” I asked after trotting along for a few minutes.
“Yes. Thank you so much for letting me do this, Mr. Lincoln.”
Even though I’d much rather hear her call me dad, Mr. Lincoln was adorable, too. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. You can ride Buttercup whenever you want as long as it’s okay with your parents.”
She looked over her shoulder at me, eyes wide. “Really?”
“Really.”
Her next question made me grin. “Can we go faster?”
“Of course, we can. Hold on tight.”
