“And don’t you remember, Landon,” Georgiana asked, “that my three rabbits turned into over thirty rabbits at the speed of light?”
“Of course I remember. Abi should experience that fun too.” He barely hid his laughter in the words. Those rabbits would take over the farm, but it would be fun.
Georgiana grinned. “I can’t help but remember all of those white cotton balls all over the farm and how they kept my mother running ragged.”
“We’ll help take care of them,” Landon said.
“So I can get a bunch of rabbits?” Abi asked excitedly.
“I’ll get a couple,” Landon said, “and we’ll see what happens.”
“If your couple ends up being male and female, we know what’ll happen,” Georgiana said.
“What’ll happen?” Abi asked.
“You’ll have that bunch of bunnies you’re wanting,” Landon said. “Pretty soon.”
“Great!” Abi cheered, and Georgiana laughed.
“I better prepare Mom,” she said.
“You think she’d tell Abi no?” Landon asked.
“Definitely not, but I still want to warn her of what’s coming.”
“Grandma won’t care. She likes animals,” Abi said.
“Yes, she does,” Landon agreed.
“I think horses are her favorite, but I bet she likes rabbits too. Hey, Mommy, did you think some more about going on the horses today? Yesterday you said you’d think about it, remember? Grandma said since she doesn’t have the riding lessons on Saturdays that we can take Fallon. And Mr. Landon brought Sam. We could come back up here on the horses and do the trails and keep looking for more bunnies and stuff.”
Abi had made this request no less than ten times since Eden mentioned the idea yesterday. Landon had been oddly silent each time Abi begged, and Georgiana wasn’t certain that was because he thought she wasn’t ready to try riding again or because he didn’t want to interfere in Georgiana’s parenting. Either way, Georgiana had already decided that if Abi asked again, she wouldn’t let her daughter down.
“Tell you what, let’s see what Landon thinks about us doing the trails together today.” He still held her hand, so she turned to face him and said, “Well, what do you think?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes, tell me the truth,” she said, as though she’d want him to be anything less than honest. “Do you think I could try, with your help?”
“I don’t think there are too many things you can’t do, Georgie,” he said softly, “with or without my help. And I will be with you to lead you, but I’m betting Fallon could probably ride you through the trails with her eyes closed.”
Georgiana laughed. “You know, she probably could.” Then she said to Abi, “Okay, little girl. Looks like you’re going to get your wish.”
“You’re going to ride? With me and Mr. Landon? On the trails and everything?”
“I’m going to try.”
Evidently Georgiana was more nervous about riding than she’d realized, because she didn’t hear a single bit of the excited conversation that took place between Abi and Landon during the walk back to the barn. And she barely heard Landon’s instructions as he saddled Fallon and prepared her to ride. Instead, one thing kept repeating through her head, her own silent mantra.
I’m going to ride again. I’m going to ride again. I’m going to ride again!
“Georgiana? Honey, are you okay?” Her mother’s voice crept through the silent chant and Georgiana blinked.
“Okay?” she asked.
“Yes. Landon is trying to help you up.”
Landon’s low chuckle soothed her nerves. “It’s easier to ride when you’re in the saddle,” he said, then squeezed her hand. The simple action sent a warmth of awareness up her arm and a boost of confidence to her soul. Landon believed she could do this. Landon believed in her. “You ready?” he asked.
She was so ready. “Yes.”
“Okay, I’m going to help you up.” He placed his hand on her calf. He had one arm around her waist, the other guiding her foot to the stirrup, and the close proximity, the intimateness of the motions of him lifting her and helping her into the saddle, gave her a swift rush of exhilaration. Yes, she was excited to be riding again. But being this close to Landon—that excited her just as much, or more.
The next thing she knew, she was on Fallon, as comfortable in the saddle as if she’d never stopped riding at all. She leaned forward and ran her palm down Fallon’s neck. “Hey, girl, it’s me.”
“Oh, believe me,” Eden said, “she knows.”
Landon handed her the reins. “Everything feel good? Stirrups okay?”
“Everything feels great.” And she felt great, here with him.
“Wow, Mom, you look so pretty on Fallon!” Abi’s voice was near, and Georgiana realized her daughter was already ready to go.
“Are you on Sugar?” she asked.
“No, I’m riding on Sam with Mr. Landon.” She laughed. “Remember, he said I should ride with him this first time, and I said okay.”
Georgiana assumed that was a portion of the conversation she’d missed when she’d been so absorbed in the idea of riding again. “Right. Well, that’s a good idea, for you to ride with him today.”
“I’ll ride by myself soon, though, right? Like maybe next time we go?”
“Right,” Landon said. “Maybe even next time.”
“This is gonna be fun, huh, Mommy?”
“Yes,” Georgiana said, “it is.” It already was.
“Fallon knows the trails,” Eden said quietly to Georgiana. “She should follow along without any troubles at all. She rarely ever spooks, only for...”
“Extremely loud thunder, screams...and snakes,” Georgiana said. “Don’t worry, Mom. I remember everything about riding Fallon. And there’s no rain in the forecast for today, right?”
“No, no rain,” her mother said.
“And I’m sure Landon will warn me if he sees anything slithering nearby.”
“You can count on it,” Landon said.
“Ew, I don’t like snakes,” Abi said. “Let’s don’t talk about snakes. Let’s talk about bunnies.”
Landon laughed. “That’s a deal.”
“Be careful,” Eden said, still speaking softly to Georgiana. “I know you’re ready, but I guess—well, a mother never stops worrying about her child. But more than being worried for you, I’m happy for you. I know how much you want this, honey.”
“I do,” Georgiana agreed. “And don’t worry. I’m sure Fallon still knows all of the trails, but I remember the trails too, you know.”
“I know,” her mother said, “I just meant...”
“I know what you meant, but I feel good about this. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Let me get you a riding helmet,” her mother said.
“We all have to wear helmets in our class,” Abi pointed out. “Mine’s pink. I’m wearing it already. Mr. Landon, are you gonna wear one? We’ve got blue and black and green ones. Those are boy colors.”
“I think I’m just gonna wear my hat this time.”
Georgiana remembered the springy texture of his hair against her fingers, and the well-chiseled planes of his face, the strong jawline, the cheekbones, full mouth, long lashes. She thought of the entire combination of Landon Cutter’s face beneath the brim of a Stetson, and she wished that she could see him now, sitting on top of Sam with her daughter in front of him in the saddle. The vision touched her heart.
“Mommy, do you want a helmet?” Abi continued.
“Yes, I’d love a helmet.” Georgiana swallowed past the lump in her throat. Soon she felt the hard fiberglass shell against her hand.
“Here you go, honey,” her mother said, and Georgiana took the helmet an
d strapped it on.
“Yours is white, Mommy. I like pink for me, but white is pretty for you.”
“Thanks, sweetie.”
“Now Georgiana, you remember if you want Fallon to stop, you just...”
“Hold my breath,” Georgiana said, running a hand along Fallon’s mane. “I remember, Mom. Fallon’s the best horse around, aren’t you, girl?”
“That’s why she’s so amazing for my classes, but the reason she’s the best horse around is because she had a great little girl to train her and love her, make her care about whoever is riding her at all times.”
“Are you talking about Mommy?” Abi asked. “Mommy trained Fallon?”
“Yes, dear, she did.”
“Wow, cool!” Abi said, while Georgiana listened to Landon bringing Sam to her left.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
She hesitated, and Fallon stiffened, obviously sensing her nervousness. But she couldn’t help it; her fears were creeping back in, along with Pete’s warning that she’d fall off and leave Abi with “even less of a mother.”
Landon lowered his voice. “You can do this, Georgie. I have faith in you.”
Such a contrast to what she’d heard from her ex-husband. “You know what?” she said.
“What?”
“I have faith in me too.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. You ready, Abi?”
“Yep, I’m ready.”
“Okay, we’ll go side by side till we get to the trail. Then Abi and I will lead, and you can follow, Georgiana. I think that should work well for Fallon, don’t you think?”
“Fallon will know what to do,” Georgiana said assuredly.
“And we aren’t in any kind of race. We’ll just be walking the trails. Is that okay with you, Abi?”
“Yep, I can look at more stuff if we’re going slow. And we won’t scare the bunnies.”
“Right, we won’t scare the bunnies.” Landon touched a hand to Georgiana’s tight grip on the reins. “It’ll be fine. Fallon is ready and listening for your instructions. You’re in control, and you’re going to do great.”
“Thanks,” she said. “So we should go?”
“As soon as you’re ready.”
She nodded, gently tapped her leg against Fallon’s side and clicked the roof of her mouth. “Okay, Fallon, let’s walk.”
Fallon started walking, and Georgiana listened to her mother saying goodbye, to the sound of the horses’ hooves against the earth, to Abi’s laughter, to Landon’s encouraging words, to birds chirping, cows mooing, chickens clucking. She’d heard many of these everyday noises nonstop since returning to the farm, but something about listening to the medley as she sat on Fallon’s back made it seem more real. Made her feel more alive.
“Georgie, are you okay?” Landon asked.
“Mommy? Are you crying?”
Her tears fell so steadily that they passed down her cheek and continued down her neck, but Georgiana didn’t wipe them away. They were a sign, a sign that everything was different now. She was riding again. She was having fun with her daughter and enjoying time with a man—with Landon. And she was crying. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. “Yes, sweetie, I’m crying. But they’re happy tears. Very, very happy tears.”
Chapter Thirteen
Landon rode Sam ahead of Georgiana and Fallon as they made their way across the field toward the pond. Eden had taken Abi shopping for school supplies after church, and Landon wanted to take advantage of time alone with Georgiana. He’d suggested they ride the horses to the pond. Her smile as she sat astride Fallon and crossed the field let him know this was a good idea.
He’d hoped she’d come to church with Eden and Abi this morning, but he hadn’t really expected her to show. She was still apprehensive about being around those who knew her before her blindness, and Landon knew her anxiety wasn’t as much due to the way people acted around her as it was to the way Pete had told her they acted. She had to be encouraged to get back out again, and he knew it’d take time. But that didn’t stop him from wanting to let her know she was missed.
“Brother Henry had a great lesson today,” he said.
She ran her teeth across her lower lip and gripped Fallon’s reins a little tighter.
Landon wasn’t giving up that easily. He knew how much church had meant to Georgiana, and he thought worshipping with fellow Christians again would help her more than anything. “I think you’d have enjoyed it, Brother Henry’s lesson. He talked about renewed faith.” When she didn’t say anything, he added, “I’d have liked for you to have been there...with me.”
“I thought about going this morning,” she said, so softly he nearly didn’t hear.
“You did?” Landon tried not to sound too surprised.
“Abi’s recital is less than two weeks away, so it won’t be long until I have to get out of the house again. I’m feeling more confident about the whole idea of going out in public. I mean, if I can saddle a horse on my own and ride, surely I can handle venturing around town and going to church. I mean, I know I can do it, it’s just that I can’t stand the awkwardness when people don’t know what to say around me.”
Landon knew how she felt, but for a different reason. “I hadn’t realized it before now, but I get the same kind of reaction sometimes, especially when I’m wearing my fatigues. People want to acknowledge my service, but they aren’t quite sure what to say. I can tell though, by the way they look at me.”
“I can tell by the way they move out of the way,” she said. “Or get really quiet.”
For the first time, he understood what she felt, and he thought he knew how to help her deal with it. “The thing is, they aren’t acting odd because they look down on me, or on you, they’re usually just trying not to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing. They don’t want to offend you in any way, Georgie.”
Her head tilted as though considering his words. “But I am different.”
“And in a way, so am I. Every soldier comes back different than he or she was before. The experience changes you, and your experience has changed you. But you’re still the same Georgie.”
“And you’re still the same Landon.” She smiled, a real smile that claimed her entire face and shone from within. “I have missed Brother Henry’s sermons. He’s an excellent speaker and applies the Bible so well to everyday living. I need that now. Maybe I’ll try to go next Sunday.”
Her words touched Landon’s heart, because he couldn’t help but think he’d been a part of this change. “That’d be great, Georgie.”
“I let myself get down because of the accident, because of the blindness.” She paused. “And because of Pete. But I now know that I shouldn’t hide from life. How will I ever be a real mom to Abi if I’m never with her for the important moments? She’ll be making memories, and I won’t be in them. I can’t let that happen, not anymore.”
“Exactly.” He looked ahead and spotted the pond. “We’re nearly there.”
“I thought so,” she said. “It’ll take me a while to judge distance around the fields again, especially when I’m riding, but lucky for me Fallon knows her way everywhere.”
He dismounted then moved to help her down. “Here, let me help.” Reaching for her hand, Landon guided her out of the saddle. He’d helped her before, but Abi and Eden had always been nearby, so he’d released his hold when her feet hit the ground. This time, however, it was just the two of them in the open field, standing by the pond, and Landon didn’t let her go. On the contrary, he ran his hands up her arms and enjoyed the feel of her smooth skin against his palms. “I’m glad you agreed to ride with me today.”
She moistened her lips, and those hazel eyes appeared to be searching, looking for something. Looking for him. “I’m glad you asked me.”
“Georgie, I wa
nt you to trust me, and I believe you’re starting to. But I need you to know that you can, that you can count on me never to intentionally hurt you and never to leave you.” He wanted her to know that she wouldn’t go through what Pete had put her through again, not with him. “And you can open up to me, tell me your fears, tell me your dreams. I want us to be that close again.”
Her brows dipped, mouth tugged down at the edges, and Landon wondered if he’d said something wrong. “What is it?”
A tear pushed free and she wiped it away. “It’s just that I haven’t been able to trust like that in a very long time, but I want to. And I’ll try to...with you.”
A breeze filtered through her curls, and she blinked as a wayward lock brushed against her face. Landon tenderly slid the curl away, and then just as tenderly brushed his fingertips along her face, finally cupping her chin in his hands and tilting her face toward his.
“Georgiana,” he whispered, unsure of whether he needed to ask permission or whether she would even welcome his kiss. But he didn’t have to ask.
She eased her lips closer, slid her eyes closed and whispered, “Please.”
Many times in Afghanistan he’d remembered the emotion behind that kiss in the church. He’d believed he’d never experience anything that powerful again. Until now.
Georgiana’s mouth was soft and welcoming, her hands trembling as they found his face and then slid around his neck to draw him closer. Landon didn’t want the kiss to end, didn’t want this closeness to end, and when they did finally part, he realized that he’d probably kissed her a little longer than a first kiss would have warranted, because she touched her lips and then laughed.
“Well,” she whispered.
“Well?”
“Well...wow.”
He grinned. “I’ve been gone a while, Georgie. I guess I’ve had a decent kiss coming.”
“That was only ‘decent’?” she questioned teasingly, and he loved the way she joked with him. She was growing more and more comfortable around him every day.
“Okay, a spectacular kiss coming.”
“That’s more like it,” she said, as a loud splash drew his attention to the pond. He’d thought he’d heard a couple of splashes while they were kissing too, but he’d been too absorbed in the moment to pay too much attention.
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