by Trisha Grace
“That’s sweet of you. Kind of condescending, but sweet.” Taking a glance out of the window, she continued. “Is he going to be all right? I mean you didn’t break his bones or anything, right?”
“I can take you back if you feel bad,” he answered coldly.
“I just don’t want to get you into trouble with him.”
He ignored her comment and asked, “So I guess you don’t have to work this weekend.”
She gazed out of the window and sighed softly. “Evelyn warned me. She was certain that it won’t work, not with Benjamin in it. But instead of listening to her, I chose to trust Benjamin. Now, I’ve wasted all of our time and effort.” Turning back to face Tyler, she smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry to make you come all the way out here only to go all the way back home.”
“Then we don’t have to go all the way back home, not immediately anyway.”
She frowned, confused by what he’d said.
“We can stay, take a look around, and enjoy ourselves. We can go see a real-life horse up close.”
A grin spread across her face. “We are already here anyway, and I would like to see a real-life horse up close.”
“Good.” He returned her grin. “Shall we get something to eat before we start scouting for one?”
“Yes, please. I’m starving.”
As they stood in front of the restaurant, Kate ran her fingers along the logs that made up the walls. “Lovely, the classic country style.”
Tyler opened the door to the small restaurant, and the few people looked up at them before returning their focus to what they were doing.
“Welcome. Table for two?” A young lady wearing jeans and a striped T-shirt smiled brightly at them. Tyler and Kate nodded and followed the waitress to their table.
“Is there something you want to ask?” she asked Tyler after the waitress had taken their order.
He was being quieter than usual.
“What happened between you and Benjamin?”
She pressed her lips into a thin line. “I caught him in bed with someone else.”
“Do you still have feelings for him? Is that why you’re still angry with him?”
“Who says I’m angry?”
“He’s the only person I’ve seen you being rude to.”
“No.” She shook her head and sighed. “I have no feelings for him and have absolutely no intention of getting back with him.” She laughed once without humor. “He basically told me it was my fault that he slept with someone else.”
She paused and took a sip of water. “Apparently, by refusing to sleep with him, I caused him to make that mistake,” she said. “I’m guess I’m frustrated that he thinks I’ll get back with him once I’ve cooled down. I mean, seriously? Do I seem so pathetic that I’ll go back to someone like him?”
“I guess he’s just hoping for the best.”
“Well, it isn’t going to happen,” she said. “I’m sorry for letting him think we’re in a relationship.”
Tyler shrugged. “Technically, you told the truth. We did sort of move in together.”
Her head bobbed up and down. “I know, but still, I’m sorry for pulling you into the pretense. I owe you one.”
“Were you … upset? He asked you to move in twice; I supposed the two of you were serious.”
She pulled out her locket, and her fingers twirled around it. “Truth?” She gave him a small smile. “I guess, somehow, I knew we weren’t meant to be. In the first place, I don’t believe in moving in. But when he asked, I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine living with him. Frankly, for me, our relationship ended before I found out he was sleeping with someone else.”
Before Tyler could ask another question, her phone rang.
She broke into a grin when she saw the name on the screen. “Evelyn,” she informed Tyler before picking it up.
“He called you?” Kate asked when she picked up the phone.
“He asked if you really did move in with a guy named Tyler.”
“Did you collaborate my story?”
“I told him that it was none of his business and hung up.”
She laughed.
She didn’t think Benjamin would be stupid enough to call Evelyn; he should know better.
“Are you coming back now?”
“No, we’re going to do some touring and find a real-life horse that I can view up close.”
“The two of you are getting close,” Evelyn commented.
“I’ll call you when I’m coming back.”
“All right.”
She hung up the call and turned to Tyler. “Sorry, she goes crazy when I don’t pick up her calls.”
Tyler laughed at her statement. “She seems to be crazy a lot.”
“That’s her normal reaction whenever she gets worried, but I’m sure you already know that side of her,” she joked.
“The two of you are close.”
“She’s like a sister to me, even more of a sister than Lydia is.”
Tyler didn’t reply, but his smile grew wider. “So did she collaborate your story?”
“She scolded him and hung up.”
“She isn’t just crazy to me, then,” Tyler stated with a wide grin.
She chuckled softly. “That’s my friend.” Then shaking off the laughter, she continued. “You may think she’s crazy, but I trust her with my life,” she said in a deeply affectionate tone. “And it isn’t her fault for not trusting people easily. She grew up in the foster system and went through a lot; more than enough to instill in her that she can’t trust anyone but herself.”
“You’re as protective of her as she is of you.”
“I told you, she’s like a sister. But don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe from her.”
Tyler laughed. A carefree laughter that she’d gotten used to.
It had merely been a week ago that he was the walking definition of gloom.
Being back home was good for him.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll do the protecting.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Shall we go look for a real-life horse now?” Tyler asked as they finished their lunch.
She nodded and reached into her bag for her wallet.
“I’ll get it.”
“You keep paying for our meals. I’m already not paying anything for the food back at the house.”
She drew in a deep breath as Tyler shrugged.
He must have sensed her frustration. “It isn’t right to let a lady pay.”
“I thought you didn’t care about what people think.”
He shrugged again, but this time, she laughed. He slot a fifty dollar note into the folder and stood.
“You’re so bossy.”
“So are you,” he said.
“No, I’m not.” When was she ever bossy?
He opened the car door for her and continued when he got into the car. “You told me off for not hanging up the phone the right way, and you basically ordered me to speak to Joanne and not be rude to her.”
“Ordered you? Who dares?”
Tyler took the map from her, studied it for a moment, then handed it back to her. “You, apparently.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but that only made him grin.
She wanted to be angry with him, or at least pretend to be, but she loved his brilliant smile.
She’d always found him good-looking, even Evelyn admitted as much. But without the shroud of despondency, without the resentment, his smile was alluring.
“Let’s go,” Tyler said.
“Where are we heading?”
“You’ll see.”
She sighed. “Your short replies can be rather irritating.”
“You’ll love it. I promise,” he said simply.
Turning the map in her hand, she looked at him. “That’s it? One look at the map and you know the way?”
“Even without the map, I’m sure I’ll find the place before you do.”
“What do you mean?”
&nb
sp; “Do you know how to read a map?” he asked, casting a quick glance over to her.
“What makes you think that I don’t know how to read a map?”
“You keep turning it this way and that. It’s clear you have no idea which direction we’re heading.”
He was right.
She had to look out for landmarks and check them against the map before she could get the orientation right. “You can’t blame me; my car has a GPS that tells me to turn right or left,” she retorted.
He shook his head. “Well, I used to be in charge of map reading whenever my parents and I went on holiday. So don’t worry, we won’t get lost.”
Pursing her lips, she wondered when was the last time he’d spoken of his parents. She observed him for a moment. And since he didn’t appear upset, she continued. “Did your family travel often?”
“Every holiday. We have a beautiful cabin in North Carolina. I’ll take you there when you’re free.”
“Was that where you went fishing with your dad and grandfather?”
“Yes. Do you fish?”
“No, but I’ve seen a real-life fish up close.”
Tyler laughed.
“Tell me about the cabin.”
“It’s surrounded by trees.” He turned, seemingly to check her reaction.
She bit down on her lips, but the corners turned up anyway. “Your family loves trees.”
Ignoring her jibe, he continued. “There’s a lake right in front of it, and we have a small boat. When we’re there, I’ll row you out. And if you want, you can try rowing it, too. It’s fun.”
“I haven’t said yes. You know how I feel about trees surrounding houses.”
“It’s beautiful. I promise you’ll love it. If you don’t, we can leave immediately,” he said as they pulled into a ranch.
She opened the door and stepped out with her bag without commenting on what Tyler had said. He joined her outside the car, just as a tanned young man wearing faded jeans and T-shirt came jogging out from the ranch. “Hi, are you looking for something?”
“Do you have horse riding lessons here?” Tyler asked.
“Horse riding?” Her head snapped toward Tyler. “Aren’t we a little too old to learn horse riding?”
“No, ma’am.” The young man smiled warmly as he addressed her.
“Not we, just you. I already know how to ride.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I don’t think I can do this. I’ve never been good in sports. I don’t think horse riding will be any different.”
The young man stood uncertainly between them, waiting for them to come to a decision.
“Get the horses ready,” Tyler instructed.
The young man immediately nodded and scooted off before Kate could voice any objection.
“Ty …”
He sat on the hood of the car and smiled. “We’re already here, so why not give it a try?”
They were already there, but she didn’t want to embarrass herself. She wasn’t an animal fan and had never been athletic.
“How about riding with me?” Tyler asked when he saw her hesitating.
“We can do that?”
Tyler gave a dramatic sigh and stood. “I’ll go make the arrangement, wait here?”
She sat on the hood, waving him away. Taking her phone from her bag, she took a few pictures of the surroundings.
When she saw Tyler jogging back with a clipboard on his hand, she switched her camera to video mode and started recording. “This is the man who’s trying to get me to ride a horse at the age of 25. Eve, if I fall and hurt myself, he’s the one you need to hunt down.” She made sure she spoke loud enough for Tyler to hear.
Tyler broke into a huge grin. “You need to sign this.”
She took the clipboard from him and perused the document.
“It’s a declaration that if you fall and hurt yourself, it isn’t their fault.”
She signed and returned the form to him with a sly smile. “Doesn’t matter, Eve knows who to go after.”
He stretched his hand out and pulled her back onto her feet. “I won’t let you fall,” he said in all seriousness.
“I know,” she said and placed her bag in the car.
The same young man whom they had met earlier led them to a gray stallion. “As you requested, Warrior is strong but disciplined. He should be easy to handle.”
“I’ll take a ride on him first,” Tyler said and took over the reins.
She cringed when Tyler gripped a handful of Warrior’s mane and swung himself up.
The young man saw her reaction and grinned. “It doesn’t hurt the horse.”
She nodded, but that wasn’t the only reason she’d cringed. She was mainly wondering how she was going to get onto the horse.
She watched Tyler maneuver the horse with ease.
“Your boyfriend’s good with the horse. I’m Mike, by the way.” He stretched his hand toward her.
She took his hand. “Kate. And he isn’t my boyfriend, we’re just friends.”
“Oh.” Mike nodded. “He seemed awfully concerned about your safety.”
“I’ve got a crazy friend who’ll kill him if I get hurt.”
“Ah …”
Tyler rode around in circles before bringing the horse to a complete stop right in front of her.
Still holding the reins, he hopped off and gestured for her to go over.
Gingerly, she took a step forward.
With his hand on her back, Tyler brought her closer to the horse. He instructed her on how to get onto the horse and waited patiently as she hesitated.
“I’ll hold on to the reins; it won’t go anywhere.”
“Okay,” she said, but she remained right where she was.
She thought Tyler would urge her to give it a try, but he didn’t say a word. He waited behind her, allowing her to take all the time she needed to gather her courage.
Lord, please don’t let me fall flat on my face.
Taking in a deep breath, she slipped her leg into the foothold and pushed herself off the floor. Almost immediately, she dropped back down, laughing.
“What are you doing?” Tyler asked, his eyes creased in amusement.
“Sorry, I kind of freaked out.”
Tyler laughed softly. “Give it another shot. Remember to swing your leg over.”
He made it sound so easy.
“I can’t help it if my leg refuses to cooperate.”
“I’ll catch you if you fall.”
She would rather not fall at all.
Nodding, she took in another deep breath. This time, she pushed herself off and swung her leg over.
“It’s easy, right?” he said and got up behind her.
It was reassuring with Tyler behind her, but she still didn’t dare to move. Then she felt him pull her phone from her back pocket.
“It may drop. I’ll keep it for you,” he said before she had to turn over.
“Have fun,” Mike said with a wide grin.
Tyler adjusted himself on the horse; his arms safely flanked her sides, forming a cage. Though she wasn’t leaning against him, she could feel the heat radiating off his chest as he tilted forward.
“Ready?” he asked softly.
“I guess so.”
“Have more confidence in me. You can hold on to its mane, just don’t grab it too tightly or it’ll affect the maneuver.” Tyler made some sound with his tongue and the horse started trotting forward.
Even though he had already told her not to grab the mane too tightly, her reflexes defied his orders. Her eyes slammed shut, and she pursed her lips as the horse moved.
She didn’t think Tyler could see her, but he suddenly whispered into her ear, “I’ve got you, I won’t let you fall.”
His voice, so deep and low, reassured her. Her tensed body relaxed, and she opened her eyes as she leaned back against him.
“Better?”
She smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. “You’re good at this.”
“Okay.”
Moving back toward Mike, Tyler informed him that they were ready to head out.
“The trails are obvious; just follow the paths that don’t have any grass,” Mike said as he led them out of the ranch.
They nodded and started down on the trail. Once they began on the trail, she trusted Tyler enough to let go of the mane before asking for her phone. Shifting the reins into one hand, he took it out of his pocket and handed it to her.
She snapped random photos of the scenery. Having grown up in the city, she was fascinated with the spaciousness that countryside offered.
When she was done with the scenery, she turned to her side and tried to take a picture of Tyler. But she forgot about her balance and almost slipped off the horse.
She gasped, but Tyler’s arm was already around her waist, pulling her back in place.
“Careful,” he chided.
“Sorry.” She smiled sheepishly. Moving her phone at an angle, she leaned back and took a picture of them. She was admiring it when Tyler took the phone away from her.
“Stop taking pictures, give it a try,” he said and tried to push the reins into her hands.
She clenched her fists and pulled her hands away from the reins. “No. You’re doing a mighty fine job. I’m satisfied with simply being on the horse.”
“It’s pointless if you’re just going to sit and enjoy the view; you can do that in a car.” Taking her hand in one of his, he pressed the reins into it.
The sudden change in tension caused the horse to jerk forward, throwing her off balance again. She slipped to the side, pulling the reins along with her and causing the horse to turn steeply toward the right.
Tyler held her steady and immediately tugged on the reins to pull the horse back on course.
“That was a good start,” she stated sarcastically.
“You have very little faith in yourself.”
“I don’t trust myself with sports or animals of any kind.”
Again, Tyler placed the reins into her hands. Except this time, he covered her hands with his own and guided her. “Make sure you’re not holding on to it too tightly; otherwise, you won’t be able to control him.” Then pulling her left hand slightly back, the horse shifted along with her control. “See, just a little tug and the horse knows what you want.”
