Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
He hesitated and then said, “I forgot how much I loved this life. The open spaces, the animals, the hard work. Coming back here is changing my perspective on a few things.”
“Maybe, um, we can visit again?”
He nodded as he let go of her hand and picked up his fork. “Maybe.”
The conversation left her feeling unsettled, though she wasn’t sure why. It was natural for him to realize he’d missed this life, right? She told herself it didn’t mean anything.
Saddling up her horse helped to distract her. The fiddly bits needed her concentration. And while they didn’t really have designated mounts, Miss Priss was her favorite so far. They’d started everybody on the calmest animals, like Sammie, horses that were more interested in a slow walk and graze, than a trot.
But she’d quickly worked her way up to a more spirited mount, and realized how much fun riding could be. Miss Priss had just enough fire to make things interesting, without scaring her. Ally slipped her some apple slices she’d saved from lunch, while Carter checked the straps.
“You’re such a pretty girl. Yes, you are,” she crooned, as the horse lipped at her palm.
Carter patted Priss’s flank, nodding as he turned to Allegra. “All set. Good job, sweetheart. I think you’ve got the hang of it.”
It had taken her a while to figure out all the complicated straps, but she’d finally sorted it out now, and hadn’t needed any help with the tack this time. Carter still made sure everything was in place. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was a cowboy, or because he was her Daddy. Either way, it was nice to know he was checking.
They led their mounts outside to join the rest of the guests who were milling around. It seemed like everyone had finally gained enough experience to leave the safe training ring, and the whole crowd would be out for this ride. Some were already on horseback, some just held the reins as they listened to the real cowboys who would lead them on the trail.
The instructions weren’t complicated, nothing they hadn’t been told every time they went out. Carter had been spending so much time with the ranch folks that she half expected him to ride up front and join them, but he didn’t. He stuck back with her, and they chatted as they rode.
“All those books I read growing up, the ones with girls who were absolutely crazy about horses, and I never got it,” she said at one point. “Now I do.” She patted Miss Priss’s neck and grinned.
He chuckled. “I remember trying to get you to go horseback riding on an excursion once. You flat out refused because horses were terrifying.”
She frowned, forehead furrowing as she tried to remember what he was talking about. Finally, it dawned on her. “First, that was our honeymoon, and I didn’t even want to leave the room, if you recall.”
“True.”
“Second, I mean … they are pretty scary at first. They’re just so big, but once you get on them it’s like … I dunno, magic.”
“I can’t argue with that, sweetheart.” His saddle creaked as he shifted so he could lean over and tug her ponytail playfully. “I’ve always loved everything about horses. Since the first day I got here, you couldn’t pry me away from them.”
She shot him a sideways glance. “Speaking of… how come you never told me about this place? About when you lived here before.”
He drew in a deep breath and his whole body seemed to tense up. “I-it was a lot to talk about, I guess. And it didn’t really seem relevant. I mean, when I moved to the city my whole life changed.”
There was more to it, she knew it. “Okay, but these people treat you like family. Not like someone who worked for them, but like you’re actually family. All you ever told me was that your parents were gone, and I didn’t want to bring up a painful subject but…”
His eyes focused on the spot between his mount’s ears, and they stayed there through a long silence. Then, just when she was about to try again, the cowboy at the head of the pack gestured to turn them down a side trail. They crossed a shallow stream, and went up a hill, before Carter was ready to talk.
“After my parents died I got dumped into the foster care system. I didn’t have any close relatives, a few cousins out in California, but no one who wanted me. And being a foster kid sucks most of the time. I guess there were a few good families, but I kept getting moved around. Every time I started to settle in, my social worker would show up, and I’d have to shove all my stuff in a trash bag so I could move on to the next place.”