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“Mom said you told her the same thing.”
Dad wrapped his arm around my shoulders and took the reins as we headed into the barn. “The first time he saw you, his eyes lit up. And when he used to see you with Ben…well, let’s just say if looks could kill, Ben would have been dead a long time ago.”
I giggled and leaned my head against him. “I wish I’d seen it.”
“Well, it takes some of us longer to see things. Your mother was the same way with me, if you can believe it.”
I gasped as if in total surprise. “You mean she didn’t fall head over heels in love with you at first sight?”
“Oh, she did,” Dad stated. “It just took me some timeconvincingher that she did.”
Laughing, I stopped walking and looked at him. “Thank you for being such amazing parents to me and Nathan, Dad. And thank you for loving Maverick like you do.”
“He was already like a son to me, you know that. Having it made official just makes it even better.”
“I want him to have the family he never had growing up.”
“He’ll get it for sure with this family.”
I nodded as we started to walk again.
“Are you going to tell him Ben stopped by?”
“Yes. I think it’s important for us to be honest about everything. It wouldn’t do either of us any good to keep it from him. Besides, I have nothing to hide. I felt nothing but sorry for him.”
“You go join Maverick and I’ll take care of the mare.”
Reaching up, I kissed my father. “Thank you. I love you, Daddy.”
His eyes sparkled, and I was pretty sure I saw some tears forming. “I love you too.”
Turning, I practically skipped to the indoor arena to see Maverick.
Chapter Twenty-One
MAVERICK
I felt her before I even saw her. Every hair on my body felt like it stood up, and my heart began to race a little bit faster.
That was what Lily did to me. What she would always do to me.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw her approaching. She took her coat off and hung it over a chair. The indoor arena was huge, and if you yelled, it would echo. The last thing I wanted to do was spook the new gelding we’d brought in yesterday, so I lifted my hand and waved as Lily climbed over the railing. I held my breath until she was safely on the other side. It was going to be a long pregnancy of worrying on my side.
“You know,” I said as I walked toward her, the gelding following. “You’re not going to be able to do that when you’re farther along.”
“What?” she asked with a pretend confused look. “Climb over things?”
“Or ride.”
She held up her hand to stop me. When I did, the gelding bumped into my back.
“Excuse you,” I said, glancing back at him.
“My mother rode horses nearly up until I was born. Same with Nathan.”
She stopped right in front of me, and I grinned down at her. “How about we make a deal? After a certain point, you only ride horses we know and trust.”
Her hands smoothed over my chest and slid up and around my neck. “I can get on board with that.”
