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“See that footpath just across the street?”
I nod in response and shield my eyes with one hand so I can get a better glimpse of where I’m looking. The sun is so high in the sky it seems. Its heat is beautiful. I feel as though I’m in a foreign country.
“I’m going to take you along there to an opening in the fence. The route is all mud paths. Just follow my lead and keep off the fields and you’ll be fine.
Fields. Shudder.
I wonder if Nathan put a lot of thought into that too. Did he ensure that I wouldn’t have to be crossing through any kind of grass that is higher than my ankle?
“This is crazy,” I whisper when Nathan lags a little to fall into step beside me.
“It is,” he agrees, grinning widely.
Seeing him sitting on his horse, his posture relaxed, his hand holding the saddle between his legs as the other lazily holds the reigns, I feel as though I want to climb onto his lap, wrap my legs around his hips and ask him to gallop. The horses aren’t the only things that are going to be ridden today.
The sun hits his face, lighting up his beautiful features, shining on his easy smile and making him glow with a calming aura that I hope to absorb into myself. He’s stunning. Every part of him.
“You’re staring,” he tells me, but instead of being irritated like he would have been once upon a time, he only seems amused.
“Sorry,” I mumble and look ahead. George has kept his word as he keeps his distance. He only glances back every so often to ensure that we aren’t up to no good. “I wish I had the time, patience and money to adopt such beautiful creatures.”
“Agreed.” Nathan leans forward and pats the strong neck of his broad beauty. “Alas, I think I’ll stick to just hiring one out every now and then.”
“Amen,” I giggle.
“I’ve missed you.”
“Huh?”
His eyes hold that same sadness to them that they did earlier and it twists my heart. “Every day that I’ve been away has been torture.”
“For me as well.”
“It’s wrong that I’m relieved to hear you say that.” He shakes his head, smiling, and then stretches high, releasing both hands off the reins and saddle. He’s crazy. I daren’t even scratch my nose with my pinkie. “I really wish I’d insisted on wearing my own attire. This shirt is itchy.”
“You look so sexy though.”
To further prove my statement, he wags his brows at me and gives me just a glimpse of his teeth as he smiles a seductive smile.
We’ve come such a long way he and I. Sometimes I think back to those first few months together and how lost and hostile he was towards me. Underneath it all was such a wonderful person just aching to connect with somebody. I’m fortunate enough to be that somebody.
“What’s wrong?” His smile fades to concern. He can read me like a book.
“I’m just happy.”
When his smile returns, so does mine, but it soon vanishes when he reaches out a hand to me for comfort.
I shake my head, “Are you crazy? I’ll die.”
He laughs and off we trot into the horizon. Literally.
Chapter Seventeen
I was right earlier about aching after a few hours. My thighs are killing me but I don’t regret a second of it.
Nathan truly has made this day so special. Immediately after we finished riding, we used a guest room in the house to shower together. That was nice. I was sweating so badly, it really ruins the romantic image. It was especially hard keeping our hands to ourselves but it had to be done or we’d have been late for our dinner reservations at a highly exclusive little cottage restaurant in practically the middle of nowhere.
All it serves are home cooked grandma meals as Nathan refers to them. Stews, hotpots, dumplings, proper mashed potatoes and sausages, etc. Personally, I love mash and gravy so I chose that whereas Nathan chose a lamb hotpot. Then for dessert we received home cooked pie and custard. It was lovely. I’m almost crying at the thought that we have to go home, back to reality where a certain conversation awaits us.
I can tell that Nathan is dreading it too. The closer we get, the quieter he becomes until finally, he’s as tense as a rod with the personality to match.
His breathing quickens and I worry that this might be the beginning of a panic attack.
“I’ll put the kettle on,” I say softly, hoping to give him a minute to gather himself. I hate that whatever he’s bearing is weighing so heavily on him. He needs to let it all out. He also needs coffee because once he sees how ridiculous he’s being, he’ll hopefully be up for that ride I promised myself earlier.
