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“What do you do for a living, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I’m a probate lawyer. I help settle estates.”
“I see. Well, I hope you can relax while you’re here.”
“I’m definitely going to try.”
“Finish your breakfast and meet me back here in an hour.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Callahan.”
“Oh, please, call me Willa. See you soon!”
Eden sat at a table and eagerly ate her food, moaning as the fluffy pancake practically melted in her mouth.
After finishing her meal, she returned to her cabin to grab her purse before returning to the lodge. She was looking forward to exploring Clifton with Willa.
****
Ian shook his head while observing the riders. They all sat so rigidly in their saddles that he knew they would suffer from it later. He nudged his horse, Breeze, to ride next to the brunette who had flirted with him earlier in the barn.
“You need to loosen up in the saddle,” he advised her.
“I’ve never been on a horse before, and now I understand why,” she replied with a nervous laugh. She looked down at the ground and then back at Ian. “That’s a long way down, and I have a feeling the ground is much harder than it looks.”
“Indeed, it is,” Ian agreed.
“Have you ever fallen off?” she asked.
He grinned. “I’ve been bucked off a few times. It’s rare for someone to fall off without help from the horse bucking.”
“Well, I don’t want to be bucked off either.”
“Don’t worry, you’re riding a very gentle horse. Not much ruffles her feathers. Just stay in line, and you’ll do just fine.” He touched the brim of his hat and rode ahead to check on the other riders.
As they approached an embankment leading down to a creek, Ian raised his hand to signal the riders to stop. He nodded at Chip, who then explained how they would go down to the creek and come back up. The horses were led to the creek for a drink before turning around.
“Please lean back in your saddle when going down the embankment, or you may tumble over the horse’s head. And when coming back up, lean over the horse’s neck. We don’t want anyone falling off.”
“Has anyone ever fallen off?” one of the guests asked nervously.
“Yes, ma’am. That’s why we suggest leaning back and forward as instructed. It’ll keep you safe,” Chip reassured them before nodding at Ian.
Ian rode to the back of the line to watch all theguests. After crossing through the pasture, the horses stopped at a nearby creek to drink water, and some guests refilled their bottles. Once everyone was ready, they mounted their horses and rode back to the barn.
As soon as they arrived, Ian dismounted and prepared to help any guests who needed assistance getting off their horses. He didn’t mind helping, but sometimes, female guests asked for more than a hand. One brunette, particularly, caught his attention with her request for extra help.
“Could you lend me a hand?” she asked him with a smile.
Ian sighed, knowing she had probably hoped he would offer his help. He tied his horse’s reins to a post and walked over to her. She sat on her saddle, still grinning at him. He could sense that she wanted to get closer to him, but he knew he had to remind her about the no fraternization policy between staff and guests. It seemed like every year, women wanted to get involved with the cowboys. But Ian never gave in; he enjoyed his job too much.
“Just take your foot out of the right stirrup, swing your leg over, and keep your foot in the left stirrup as you step down. I’ll be right here,” he instructed calmly.
She nodded and followed his instructions until it was time to dismount. She froze as she swung her leg over the saddle, unsure how to get down. Ian quickly stepped forward, placing his hands on her waist to help her down. She laughed and thanked him before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He politely removedhimself from her embrace and stepped away.
“Thank you, Ian.”
“It’s my job, ma’am.” He nodded before walking back to his horse.
