Chapter 9: Do You Ride?

• She stared out the window, lost in thought. When she finally pulled herself away from her memories, Sean was staring at her. His expression was inexplicable and impossible to read. Uncomfortable, she turned away and looked out the window again.
• The car cruised past sloping green fields and paddocks. A few horses cantered alongside the car, tossing their heads as they ran. She stared at them in surprise—she’d forgotten that there were stables and riding rings on the property.
• “How many horses do you have?” she asked absently.
• Levi answered from the front seat, “There are 18 horses on the property, Mrs. Blair.”
• “Are you a rider, Sean?” she asked. “Or do you keep them as an investment or something?”
• He stared at her for a while and finally said, “Yes, I ride.”
• She turned and watched the horses with admiration. They looked so free when they ran, but they were prisoners too, trapped by the pretty white fences that separated the paddocks and fields.
• “Do you ride?” he asked her suddenly.
• “Oh, not really,” she said, tearing her eyes away from the beautiful animals.
• “I’ll teach you,” he said. “When there’s time.”
• She turned and looked at him. Was it her imagination, or was there a second meaning to his words? A shiver of electricity ran through her body—a part of her hoped there was.
• “I’d like that,” she said, copying his tone.
• He smiled at her, and she smiled back.
• “Can I come to visit them sometime?” she asked.
• “You can visit them now,” he said.
• Levi slammed on the brakes, and the car slowed almost immediately. Before it had come to a full stop, she opened the door and leaped onto the grass. She ran down the grassy path to the stables and stopped outside. Footsteps pounded the Earth behind her, and she saw Sean jogging after her.
• She waited for him to catch up and then stepped into the stables. The ceilings were high and paneled in wood like the walls. Motes of dust flickered and shone in the air, and she took a deep breath. The stables smelled like sun-warmed hay and horses.
• “When did you start riding?” she asked Sean.
• “When I was 15,” he said.
• “And aren’t you afraid of falling or getting thrown?” she asked.
• “Not really,” he said with a smile.
• “Well, you’re very brave,” she said.
• “Or I’m just a good rider,” he said.
• “Hmm,” she said.
• She walked down the main aisle in a daze. When he was 15, he was riding horses, and who knows what else. What was she doing? At 15, her father had just died, and her world had turned gray. Her uncle promised to help her manage the funeral and moved into her family’s home. While they grieved, he offered to help run the company. By the time they came to their senses, he had put himself in charge.
• When she and her stepmother and her brother complained, he had her stepmother and brother thrown out of the house. Her brother, Samuel, was just ten at the time. She’d begged for him to reconsider, but he made her see that they were scheming against her. Her aunt and Madison helped. Within a few months, she stopped answering their calls.
• “Are you in pain again?” Sean asked.
• “What?” she said. “Oh, no, sorry.”
• He shot her a curious look and took her hand in his. He squeezed it and led her further down the aisle.
• “So which one is your favorite?” she asked, peering into a stall.
• “Which one do you think?” he said.
• “Okay,” she said. “I’ll guess, but if I’m right, I want something.”
• Sean smiled slightly, “Sure.”
• She spun around the aisle and pointed at a large, dark red horse in the furthest stall. Its coat gleamed in the dim light and powerful muscles rippled beneath its skin.
• “That one’s your favorite,” she said.
• “How do you know?” Sean asked.
• “It’s a gut feeling,” she said. “It’s the biggest and the strongest, and it’s proud like you. It’s been watching you ever since we came in here, but it won’t be like the others. It’s pretending it doesn’t care.”
• Sean’s lip twitched, and he said, “Yes, that’s Chestnut.”
• “Is he fast?” she asked.
• “He’s sure as hell not slow,” Sean replied.
• She approached the stall, holding her hand out in front of her. The horse poked his head through the bars and flared his nostrils. She reached out to touch him, but he jerked his head back and tossed his mane.
• “I don’t think he likes me very much,” she said.
• “He’s picky,” Sean said. “He doesn’t trust everyone—you have to earn it.”
• “I see,” she said. She lowered her voice, “Hello, Chestnut. You’re very handsome. I’d like to bring your carrots sometime.”
• The horse’s ears flicked back and forth, but he didn’t approach her. She waited patiently, and he moved toward her and snuffled her hand. The tip of his muzzle was velvety and soft, and she laughed.
• “Would you like me to prepare him for a ride, Mr. Blair?” a stablehand asked.
• “Sure,” Sean said.
• The stablehand rushed forward, carrying a polished brown leather saddle and some other bits of leather and metal. Within a few minutes, Chestnut was saddled and led out of his stall.
• Sean slipped his booted foot into the stirrup and swung his long leg over the horse’s back. Chestnut stayed still, adjusting to the weight with ease. Sean took the reins in one hand and looked down at her.
• “Give me your hand,” he said.
• Catherine hesitated.
• “Come on,” he said. “I won’t let you get hurt.”
• She nodded and offered him her hand. He pulled her onto the horse and cradled her in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned back into the warmth of his chest. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she grabbed the front of the saddle.
• “Relax,” Sean said. “I’m going to take care of you.”
• His warm breath tickled her neck, and she shivered. He clicked his teeth, and the horse walked out of the stable. With the first step, she lurched forward, but she caught herself. Once they were outside, Sean repeated the clicking sound, and the horse broke into a run.
• For a moment, she couldn’t breathe: the green grass around her blurred, and she felt dizzy. But then the wind caught her hair and rushed past her face, and she found herself laughing. She’d never felt so free or so fast before in her life. The world raced past as Chestnut’s mighty hooves pounded into the soft ground.
• “This is so exciting,” she shouted.
• “I know,” Sean said, urging the horse even faster.
• Chestnut ran and ran, and Catherine wondered if the animal would ever tire. A part of her hoped he wouldn’t. He ran so smoothly, it almost felt like floating—each step was a gentle rocking motion beneath her. While he ran, it was impossible to think about the past or to worry about the future. Her problems seemed to melt away.
• Too soon, Sean pulled on the reins and turned the horseback toward the distant stables. Catherine sighed, and Sean wrapped his arm closer around her.
• “What is it?” he asked. “Are you hurting again?”
• “No,” she said. “I’m fine. But Sean, I guessed right. So now you owe me.”
• “What do you want?” he asked.
• She bit her lip. She wanted her freedom. She wanted a chance to live her own life without worrying about the strange moods and tempers of a man.
• “I’ll tell you later,” she said.
• “I’ll deliver,” he said, sounding amused.
• Catherine swallowed hard. Sean was so unpredictable. One minute he was in a rage, and the next, he was letting her give him joking orders while they rode on a horse together. Of course, if he knew what her orders were, his good mood would probably vanish. She fought the urge to sigh as Chestnut passed back into the stables.