would fit? Awesome. Inspiring. Perfect. He rubbedLeo’s nose and it was hard not to admire the man’s quiet command.
She had grit, he had to give her that. Caleb pulled Leo to a stop and slid to the ground to offer her a hand up. There was that shot of emotion again, straight to his heart. Her hand was small tucked in his own and her fingers were slim and long, like an artist’s. He tried to act as if he hadn’t been affected as he pulled her to her feet.
“You okay?” he asked. So he cared. It wasn’t a crime, right?
She nodded but not even her first fall had seemed to dim her enthusiasm. “That was kind of fun. Except I don’t think I like trotting.”
“No one does. But you’ve got to master it if you want to gallop.”
“I’m definitely up for the sacrifice. I’m having the best time, Caleb.”
“I can see that. You’re beaming.” Instead of moving away, he leaned closer. “Wait. You have a streak of dirt on your cheek.”
Breathless, she waited while he leaned closer still. The brush of his thumb across her sun-warmed face came as softly as apromise kept. He towered over her, so near she could smell the rain-fresh scent of the fabric softener he’d used on his T-shirt, see the thrum of his heartbeat in the base of his throat and hear the rasp of his step as he backed away.
“Let’s get you on that horse—” he gathered Tasha’s reins “—the morning is slipping away.”
Already the sun was completely above the mountains. He was right. He’d have to leave for work soon and she had a full day planned with family. Family. Her heart punched with the word. Wasn’t that a change for the better?
Careful, Lauren. Be careful. Your hopes are getting way too high.
Her experience with high hopes was that eventually they’d pop like a too-full balloon and then where would she be? She’d be home, in her tiny apartment near campus, that’s where. Caleb knew it, too. She could visit here, but this was not her life.
And it could have been, she thought with regret. The ghost of a memory whispered, but she couldn’t see it. She couldn’t make out the voice or the words.
“Lauren? Are you hurt? You fell pretty hard.”
She shook her head, not sure if she was disoriented by the hint of an almost-memory or by Caleb’s caring. His hand settled on her shoulder, bridging more than the distance between them.
“I’m fine. Just thinking about the past, is all.” She shrugged away the last vestiges of the memory and let him give her a boost onto Tasha’s back.
He kept a protective hold on her ankle. “Just want to make sure you keep your seat. You hit that ground hard.”
She meant to tell him that she wasn’t rattled, but realization hit her harder than the ground had. She was rattled, but not by the fall.
By him.
It was easy to see the care that he took with her. If only she’d grown up here. If only she could be the kind of girl who could believe in happy endings and real love. If she could trust people the way he could, then so much of her life would be different. Would it be like this?
Maybe. But the truth was, the pastcouldn’t be changed. She could not be the girl who had that much belief in people. So she took over the reins, straightened her spine and accepted the gray hat he’d rescued from the ground.
“I’m going to keep at this until I master it,” she told him. “Any more suggestions?”
“Saddling up is too much trouble during the week, but come this weekend, how about I saddle the horses up. You’ll be here come Saturday?”
“Yes.” How could she have forgotten? The days were ticking by already. She had to savor her time here, this friendship. And if she wanted to get reasonably better at riding, she had to do it now.
Was it her imagination or did the ground seem even farther away? And she knew exactly how hard it was. She still ached from it. Caleb mounted up and brought Leo alongside Tasha and she didn’t notice her hurting muscles quite so
She had grit, he had to give her that. Caleb pulled Leo to a stop and slid to the ground to offer her a hand up. There was that shot of emotion again, straight to his heart. Her hand was small tucked in his own and her fingers were slim and long, like an artist’s. He tried to act as if he hadn’t been affected as he pulled her to her feet.
“You okay?” he asked. So he cared. It wasn’t a crime, right?
She nodded but not even her first fall had seemed to dim her enthusiasm. “That was kind of fun. Except I don’t think I like trotting.”
“No one does. But you’ve got to master it if you want to gallop.”
“I’m definitely up for the sacrifice. I’m having the best time, Caleb.”
“I can see that. You’re beaming.” Instead of moving away, he leaned closer. “Wait. You have a streak of dirt on your cheek.”
Breathless, she waited while he leaned closer still. The brush of his thumb across her sun-warmed face came as softly as apromise kept. He towered over her, so near she could smell the rain-fresh scent of the fabric softener he’d used on his T-shirt, see the thrum of his heartbeat in the base of his throat and hear the rasp of his step as he backed away.
“Let’s get you on that horse—” he gathered Tasha’s reins “—the morning is slipping away.”
Already the sun was completely above the mountains. He was right. He’d have to leave for work soon and she had a full day planned with family. Family. Her heart punched with the word. Wasn’t that a change for the better?
Careful, Lauren. Be careful. Your hopes are getting way too high.
Her experience with high hopes was that eventually they’d pop like a too-full balloon and then where would she be? She’d be home, in her tiny apartment near campus, that’s where. Caleb knew it, too. She could visit here, but this was not her life.
And it could have been, she thought with regret. The ghost of a memory whispered, but she couldn’t see it. She couldn’t make out the voice or the words.
“Lauren? Are you hurt? You fell pretty hard.”
She shook her head, not sure if she was disoriented by the hint of an almost-memory or by Caleb’s caring. His hand settled on her shoulder, bridging more than the distance between them.
“I’m fine. Just thinking about the past, is all.” She shrugged away the last vestiges of the memory and let him give her a boost onto Tasha’s back.
He kept a protective hold on her ankle. “Just want to make sure you keep your seat. You hit that ground hard.”
She meant to tell him that she wasn’t rattled, but realization hit her harder than the ground had. She was rattled, but not by the fall.
By him.
It was easy to see the care that he took with her. If only she’d grown up here. If only she could be the kind of girl who could believe in happy endings and real love. If she could trust people the way he could, then so much of her life would be different. Would it be like this?
Maybe. But the truth was, the pastcouldn’t be changed. She could not be the girl who had that much belief in people. So she took over the reins, straightened her spine and accepted the gray hat he’d rescued from the ground.
“I’m going to keep at this until I master it,” she told him. “Any more suggestions?”
“Saddling up is too much trouble during the week, but come this weekend, how about I saddle the horses up. You’ll be here come Saturday?”
“Yes.” How could she have forgotten? The days were ticking by already. She had to savor her time here, this friendship. And if she wanted to get reasonably better at riding, she had to do it now.
Was it her imagination or did the ground seem even farther away? And she knew exactly how hard it was. She still ached from it. Caleb mounted up and brought Leo alongside Tasha and she didn’t notice her hurting muscles quite so
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