Catherine glanced up as her eyes teared up. "You're okay with everything?"
"Yeah, of course. I just want you guys to be happy and to have no drama on your wedding day."
"You're pretty nice, you know?" Catherine smiled. "Dane is lucky to have you."
"Thanks. I'm lucky to have him too."
Catherine wiped her eyes and chuckled. "Okay, no getting sappy, or Robert will never let me live it down. Let me show you the horses. Angel is the sweetest of them all. She's nice and relaxed, so you shouldn't have any problem with her. You're a newbie, right?"
"Yeah. I've never properly ridden one. The last time I had been on a horse was when I was a small child on my grandad’s farm, but I never really got far with my lessons because they fell into bad times and had to sell the farm."
"Then you definitely want Angel. I had actually planned on letting you ride Shadow, but then I grew up a whole lot last night."
I raised a brow. "Are you aware that you're a little evil?"
She grinned. "Just a little."
I pretended to shudder. "I'm never getting on your bad side for real."
"I wouldn't recommend it," she sang gaily. "Us socialites are generally horrible bitches."
We laughed as she prepared the horse and helped lead Angel out.
When we emerged, both of the guys stopped talking and stared at us like we'd grown spare heads.
I shrugged at Dane and ran a hand down Angel's soft, white body. I really didn't see a point in continuing to fight with Catherine. I'd rather put it behind us.
Dane walked up. "You're going to ride this one?"
"Yeah. Catherine says she's the calmest one and I shouldn't have any trouble with her."
"Good. Do you want some help getting on her?"
“Not until we're ready to go."
"Still scared?" He grinned.
I laughed. "Leave me alone, you big, hairy beast. This is a huge animal."
Dane tilted my head up and kissed my lips.
I lingered, up on my toes until we parted and I sighed. Whenever I had to stop kissing him, I hated it. I always wanted more.
Savannah
They chose their horses and I let Dane help me onto mine. Once I was settled in, he gave me a quick reminder lesson on what to do and how to maneuver the horse. I listened carefully and nodded until I was sure that I had it all down. We were just going on a nice little ride and I felt sure I could handle it.
"I think I've got it."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I think I've got it. If I don't, you can help me." I laughed. "Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I'm going to die."
"So dramatic. You're not going to die." Dane rubbed my leg and walked over to his horse. He swung his leg over the beast as he easily climbed up and perched on its back perfectly.
My mouth dropped open.
When he turned in my direction, he chuckled. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"You look like one of those old western cowboys or something," I mumbled.
"Oh, my god. Are you having some kind of weird fantasy right now?"
I shifted. "Maybe a little."
"Do not ask me to buy a cowboy hat."
"...Just one?"
"Absolutely not."
"You really know how to take all of the fun out of things," I grumbled.
Dane grinned. "Maybe just one and then we'll never talk about it again."
I realized that the way he spoke it was like we were making plans for the future. For the city. For a life together.
Dane tilted his head at me in confusion and I smiled quickly.
"Let's head out," Robert called in a thick southern accent. "Move along little doggies."
"You want me to turn into that?" Dane hissed.
"You're kind of right." I laughed. "That's awful."
"I can hear both of you!"
"Ignore them, you're very hot, Robert," Catherine snickered.
We filed down the path and headed out. On Dane and Robert's horses, they'd also strapped on the bags that held our lunches. We were going to ride, find a spot, then have a picnic and relax. I actually thought it was a good idea and maybe we could all get along the way we should have from the start.
I squeezed my legs and the horse moved forward. I gripped the reins tightly and held on for dear life. The ride wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though. Angel really was a sweetheart. We followed the trail and headed around to the forest. The trees opened up and the trail continued through a cleared path. I'd expected tree trunks, obstacles and danger, but there was none of that. Instead, it was smooth and clear.
"You know what? This isn't so bad," I called to Dane. "I thought I would fall off and break my neck but it's actually fun."
"Why would you think you would break your neck?"
"My mom always said that. She told me if I rode a horse I'd break my neck, so I stopped asking for ponies after that."
"Brutal." Robert winced.
"It was her brand of love." I laughed.
We rode for a while longer and chatted along the way. By the time we reached the picnic spot, I felt ten times better about riding. Dane helped me down and planted me firmly on my feet before he took my hand.
I winced.
"Sore thighs?" he asked.
"Yeah. I didn't realize how much hard work riding was."
"Really? I thought you would have known by now." He winked at me.
I slapped his arm. "What is wrong with you? You're so disgusting."
Dane cracked up.
Robert tried to contain his laugh.
I shook my head at the two of them as Catherine rolled her eyes and grabbed a blanket. She spread it out on the ground and I brought down the rest of the supplies.
"Ignore them," she advised. "Sometimes I forget they're more like high schoolers than grown men. It's funny how much the outside world doesn't know that."
"Tell me about it."
"Are you two complaining?" Robert asked. "I thought you liked our adventurous natures."
Catherine waved. "We don’t like your BS that's for sure. We merely tolerate it, honey."
"Harsh," Robert purred as he kissed her cheek. "That's what I love about you."
I watched the two of them and melted a little. They were so cute.
Dane and I laid out the food and wine before he pulled me into his arms and wrapped them around me. A kiss was pressed to my temple and I leaned into it.
Why am I turning into such a sap? I knew it was too late to try and pretend we were just a professional, working relationship. Clearly, something more was happening and I was ready to finally admit it. And when we were alone? Maybe I'd admit more.
Lunch was devoured, but I turned down wine. There was no way I was getting back on a horse with wine in my body. The ride was already scary enough without me puking everywhere.
Dane secured me in the saddle before he climbed onto his horse. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Not as bad as I thought it would be. I could probably be talked into doing this again."
Dane grinned. "I knew it."
I laughed. "You're not always right."
"Yes, dear," he purred.
I shook my head at him, but I liked the fact that he could use pet names with me. I wanted more of that. I grabbed the reins and fell into formation with the rest of them as we headed out of the woods and back toward the estate. I squeezed my thighs and loved the feeling of the powerful muscles underneath me. Yeah, I could get used to it.
Everything was great until my horse suddenly backed up. She snorted and whined, shaking her head as she protested moving forward. I grabbed the reins tightly and tried to get her to move forward. "What's wrong, Angel? Come on."
"Are you okay?" Dane called back.
"Angel won't go forward."
Dane glanced back and gasped along with Robert. "There's a snake," he said quietly. "Just hold still and once it passes, she should be fine."
"A snake!"I freaked out and Angel lost it at the sa
me time. The snake moved toward her and she shot off. She galloped so hard, I screamed as I gripped the reins and tried to hold on for dear life.
"Savannah!"
I heard Dane yell, but I couldn't focus. And I couldn't get Angel to stop. I clung to her as I sobbed and tried to squeeze my legs tighter to keep myself on her. That didn't help at all. Instead, I flew off the back of the horse and landed on the ground. The air was knocked out of my body and I gasped. Hooves came over to me and feet rushed toward me. Pain flared and I panicked when it was hard to breathe.
I reached out to grab onto someone, anyone. The panic only grew and I needed someone to touch so I didn't lose my mind. A hand reached out for me and I grabbed on to it.
Dane
It all happened so fast. One minute she was up there doing great and looking amazing. The next, she was on the ground hurt. My heart stopped at that image. Every worse-case scenario that I could think of rushed through my brain. What if she'd hit her head? What if she'd broken something? Internal bleeding? Fractures? Broken neck.
Fuck!
My mind reeled and wouldn't stop as I flew off of my horse and raced off toward her.
Robert was over in a flash too, and grabbed her horse by the reins. He soothed it while Catherine took care of the horse that I'd been riding on.
I was grateful for the two of them and glad they moved so quickly. The only thing worse than her falling off would have been if Angel ended up trampling her.
I shook that thought out of my head. I literally couldn't stop conjuring up worst-case scenarios. As I ran to her, my breath caught in my chest. I didn't know what I'd do if I’d actually lost her. She was so damn still.
Savannah meant the world to me.
And you didn't fucking tell her that. Why not?
The question roared through my brain and I knew there was no explanation for it. No reason. I should have said something to her ages ago. Life was too short to bury things down and pretend they didn't exist.
What if she dies and you never get to tell her?
I wanted to kick my own ass for even thinking it, but horrible things happened all of the time. If I'd screwed up the chance to tell her how much she meant to me I would never forgive myself.
"Savannah, are you okay? Can you hear me?" My knees hit the ground hard, as I landed next to her. Even as the pain throbbed, it was taken away by the fact that she was alive. But she looked stunned and scared though.
Her eyes were locked onto mine but it seemed like she couldn't breathe.
"Savannah!" I shouted her name, trying to get her to say something. Anything. Just one little sign that she was okay.
I could see her throat working but no words would come out.
Robert held his phone up to the sky and frowned. I already knew before he even told me that he didn't have a signal. Neither did Catherine.
"I should have listened to you. You said you were scared. I shouldn't have forced you to do something you didn't want to do."
I wanted to kick myself. If we'd stayed planted firmly on the ground she wouldn't be hurting now, and struggling to catch her breath. My grip tightened on her as I stroked my fingers through her hair and down her cheek. I caressed it in my palm and shook my head. Why did things have to end up like this? "Shit, shit, shit. Come on, Savannah take a deep breath. I love you. I love you so much you have to be okay. Do you hear me? I was going to do all of this right and make it perfect. I love you so much. Please be okay?"
She blinked and gasped. Her hand wrapped around her ribs and she shook her head before she started to breathe normally.
I knew the wind had been knocked out of her, so I was glad when she sucked in that breath.
Savannah took deep gasping breaths for a minute before she grabbed my arm. "I'm okay," she whispered. "I love you too, Dane. You have no idea how much I love you."
My heart squeezed in my chest. "Thank God, you're okay. I thought I was going to lose you."
She shook her head. "Are you kidding me? No way. I’m gonna hang around you for a long time to come. Don't forget this is part of my revenge. You're stuck with me."
I burst out laughing. Only she would goof around and try to calm me down when she was the one that was hurt. It made me love Savannah even more. No one compared to her and I knew for a fact I never wanted anyone but her. "Do you think you'll be okay to be moved?"
Savannah nodded. "Yeah, I should be fine. My ankle throbs a little, but I feel okay other than that. Hey."
"Yeah?"
"You didn't force me to do anything, so don't even try to put any blame on yourself. I wanted to come along and try it out even though I was afraid and I'm glad that you encourage me to do things I wouldn't normally do. I mean I don't exactly love falling into the dirt, but hey, at least I gave it a try."
I smiled down at her. "Yeah well, the next thing we do, I'm wrapping you up in bubble wrap first and then you can go do some exploring, but not before that!"
"So strict." She rolled her eyes. "Help me up, will ya?"
I helped her sit up and gently removed twigs, leaves, and dirt from her hair and clothes. My fingers dusted off her clothes and then I helped her onto her feet. Savannah winced and I quickly panicked and scooped her up into my arms. "Let's just keep you off of your feet."
"I'm fine, really. I think I just tweaked my ankle a little bit but I'll be okay."
"I'm not listening to a single word you say. I'm carrying you back to the cottage and that's that."
Savannah wrapped her arms around my neck and smiled. "Yes, my knight in shining armor."
"Are you sure you didn't bump your head?" I grunted.
"You love me," she whispered. "That's all I can hear you saying over and over again. So, I'm going to stay this upbeat and happy forever."
"Sap."
"I don't even care."
"Are you two okay?" Robert asked.
I woke up and realized I'd completely forgotten about both of them for a minute. My worry and then joy at hearing Savannah say she loved me had completely taken over. I grinned sheepishly, glad that nothing about our little arrangement had been spilled and nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to take Savannah back to the cottage and get some ice on her ankle. Then I’ll call a doctor. Will the two of you be okay?"
Catherine nodded. "Go ahead. We can get the horses back. Sorry, you got hurt, Savannah. It was going so well."
"I had fun." Savannah smiled. "Don't worry about it. A little rest and some Tylenol and I'll feel better in no time at all."
"I hope so. Get some rest."
Dane
Savannah waved and I gave both of them a nod before I started off toward the cottage. She laid her head against my chest and I glanced down at her. When she relaxed against me like this, she looked so soft and innocent. I just wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and keep her somewhere safe where the world couldn’t hurt her. My lips brushed the top of her head.
"Did you really mean that?" she asked, her voice high and squeaky. "When you said you loved me? It wasn't just because you were scared I was going to die, or something?"
"Well, I was scared that you were going to die, but no that wasn't the reason I said it. Ever since we arrived here, I knew something was going on between us. I wanted so much more, but you wanted to keep it professional, so I backed off. I didn't want to mess up your career, or the job that you had to do here." I paused for a minute. "Did you mean it? Or are you just delirious?"
Savannah grinned. "Definitely delirious. I'm joking… don't give me that look. Of course, I meant it. I was going to tell you last night actually, but when I found you..."
"Right. That whole fiasco."
"Yeah. And then I decided to wait and I didn't know when I was going to tell you. Until you were hovering over me looking like the world had ended, and I just blurted it out. I really do love you, Dane. I'm pretty sure I always have."
I held her tighter in my arms. "I don't deserve you."
"That's for sure, but like I said you're stuck with me."
"Damn. I hate the idea of that so much."
"I know. Perfect punishment, right?"
We chuckled as we made our way back up the trail and I carried her to the cottage. Once we were inside, I sat her at the kitchen table and grabbed a pack of ice, a towel, and some pillows. My first priority was making sure she had everything she needed. Once she settled in with the ice on her propped-up ankle, I sighed with relief. “Now, let me call a doctor.”
“Don’t you dare. I know my ankle is not broken. It doesn’t even feel as if I’ve sprained it.”
I frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” she said with complete certainty in her voice.
"Okay, let me at least take a look at you. I want to make sure you don't have any other mysterious cuts or bruises."
"You don't have to worry so much. I promise you, I'm fine."
"And you'll be even finer once I clean you up and make sure you don't get an infection from some kind of open wound."
Savannah propped her chin into her palm. "You're such a worrier."
"Only with you, really. I would have told anyone else to walk it off. I just get insanely protective over you."
"Is it crazy that I love that about you?"
"I sure hope not because I don't plan on stopping that side of me anytime soon. Or ever." I retrieved the first aid kit and came back.
Together, Savannah and I stripped off the necessary clothing and I made sure she was okay. Besides a few bruises and a few minor scrapes, she was actually fine. It was truly a lucky escape, as I knew how dangerous falling off of a horse could be. I was eternally thankful that it wasn't anything more serious than what she had suffered.
"If you start feeling sick or anything you let me know, okay?"
"I will. Promise," she agreed. “I didn't really hit my head though, so I doubt we have to worry about a concussion or anything like that."
"I just want to be sure."
"I know. And I appreciate you taking such good care of me."
"Of course."
"Hey, do you think you'll ever tell Robert and Catherine?"
Pretend You’re Mine: A curvy girl romance Page 16
