Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“Which horse bit you?” Grayson narrowed his eyes before his gaze dropped to my bare forearms and hands. “And where? How bad?”
“Careful there, Gray. I might start to think you care.” I laughed lightly as I flipped over my palm to show a faint bruise. “It was a little bite from a horse in the pasture I tried to pet the other day.”
“Don’t go climbing the pasture fences.” Grayson was back to the same stern voice that made my knees want to hit the ground and my dick pulse. “A lot of the stock are damn near priceless quarter horses. Fences are to keep you out as much as keep the horses in.”
“I learned my lesson.” I made my voice all contrite, but Grayson’s frosty expression didn’t waver.
“Somehow I doubt that.” Grayson shook his head, and somewhere in his tone was the memory of earlier, when he’d been fond of both my naughtiness and my obedience. He handed me the horse’s reins. “Now, we’re gonna lead her into the ring, right to a mounting block there.”
I followed his instructions to move slowly and where the horse could see me, but I couldn’t help my chuckle. “It’s called a mounting block?”
“What else would you call it?” Grayson gestured at the little movable set of stairs near the entrance to the riding ring.
“Not that.” I giggle-snorted. “Next, you’ll show me the breeding bench.”
Grayson didn’t so much as crack a smile, let alone laugh.
“Fine. Don’t laugh.” I led the horse over to the steps. Magnolia had a placid demeanor of disinterest for both Grayson and me. We clearly bored her, but she seemed happy enough to stop next to the set of steps. “Now I get on?”
“Now you get on. One foot in the stirrup, then over with the other leg, nice and smooth.”
I followed directions, and remarkably, it worked. There I was, in the saddle.
I couldn’t help my happy noise. “Look at me! On a horse.”
“Look at you.” There it was. The fondness Grayson’s gaze had held right before I came. He was staring right at me, seeing me, really seeing, and lord, I wanted more of his attention.
“This is kind of a bucket-list moment,” I babbled. “When I was little, there was this old-fashioned carousel near our house. I loved riding the horses so much, and I had a cowboy-themed birthday…”
“Giddyap.” Grayson made a clucking noise as I trailed off, cheeks heating. “Did you now? A cowboy birthday in California?”
“New Jersey, actually. I grew up on the Jersey Shore,” I explained as Magnolia took a few steps forward. “Not a lot of wannabe cowboys running around, but I begged my parents to go to the carousel anytime we were close to that park.”
“Okay, cowboy, straighten your posture.” The ghost of a smile flitted across Grayson’s rugged face before vanishing again. “Sit tall in the saddle and take a loose hold of the reins. Magnolia doesn’t need much steering to take you in a circle, just like your painted ponies.”
“You’re laughing at me,” I protested even as I complied.
“Nah.” Grayson made a dismissive gesture as he stepped back from the horse. “My folks weren’t always much on holidays, but my fifth birthday, my mom made a cake shaped like a cowboy hat.”
“That’s adorable. You probably had all the real horses you wanted to ride though.”
“Eh.” Grayson was back to frowning. “Back then, I was a ranch hand’s kid living in a trailer on the edge of land we didn’t own. If I got on a horse, it wasn’t one we owned. The year I turned ten, Dad made foreman at a prior stop. Got my first horse.”
“Best birthday ever?” I guessed.
“You could say that.” He gave a tight nod. “Easy now, quit looking at me. Try looking where you want the horse to go.”
“Oh my gosh, this is working,” I crowed a few minutes later as Magnolia and I made a full circle of the riding arena.
“You’re doing decent.” Grayson shrugged like a true compliment might cost more than he was willing to pay. “Take her in a straight line now, right down the middle.”
“Decent,” I scoffed as I followed his directions. “I might be a natural.”
“At finding trouble,” he shot back. “Easy. Don’t turn in the saddle to sass me.”
“Not all trouble is bad trouble.” I tried yet again for a flirty tone that Grayson ignored.
“It is when it gets you eating dirt if you slump in that saddle again.” He gave me a stare so stern that my insides quivered. I’d do just about anything to please him, so I focused solely on my posture for several more minutes.
“That’s more like it.” The faintest of praise, but I’d take it. “You ready to help me put Miss Magnolia to bed?”
“Guess I shouldn’t take more of your time.” I reluctantly guided Magnolia back over to the mounting block. I managed a clumsy dismount that had me nearly colliding with the arena floor before I was saved by a solid wall of Grayson Campbell’s chest.