Wasted

Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Cole

S topping the four-wheeler in front of Taylor's stable, I killed the engine.

The stable doors stood ajar, Taylor's favorite saddle missing from its usual peg.

I glanced at my watch - 5:30 AM. No need to check the stables for Taylor; she'd be out riding by now, watching the sunrise like she always did. Some people needed coffee to start their day. Taylor just needed her horse.

I chuckled, shaking my head. All these years had passed, and I could still set my watch by her morning routine.

I had to fly back to Nashville in a few hours, and I wanted to kiss her before I left. The only way that was going to happen was if I saddled up because she would be where the four-wheeler couldn't go.

I kicked my leg over the four-wheeler and strolled toward the entrance of the stables but froze when I heard the galloping of horse hoofs pounding the ground behind me. A slow smile spread across my face. I loved that sound.

"That was a quick ride," I said, turning around, but my smile faded when I realized the saddled horse didn't have a rider.

"Taylor," I choked out. My hands trembled as I grabbed the reins, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps, and my stomach dropped. Taylor had been on horseback since before she could walk - she wouldn't just fall off. "Okay, boy, I need you to take me to her."

Flipping my ball-cap backward, I shoved my foot into the stirrup and kicked my leg over, urging the horse forward before I was even situated properly on the horse.

Taylor must have gotten this one after I left because I wasn't familiar with him. However, I knew how to handle a horse, and since Taylor was one of the best horse trainers in Bridgewater, I knew he would be easy to handle.

Taylor was a creature of habit, so if she'd taken the same path we used to, I'd be able to find her, but if she got off the path, I wouldn't even know where to start looking. I scanned the horizon, endless green stretching in every direction. Our families' combined lands had always felt like their own small country, vast and wild.

When the horse broke through the tree line, I eased him to a stop and searched the soft ground for recent tracks, proving Taylor had gone this way.

Each thundering heartbeat seemed to echo in my ears, drowning out the sounds of the forest around me. I knew firsthand what could happen when you fell off a horse, even to an experienced rider.

Over the years, Taylor and I had both been battered and bruised, and in high school, I'd broken my arm, taking a fall, but none of that compared to Taylor's friend in middle school, Ashlyn, falling off her horse and hitting her head. She spent three days in a coma before passing.

I couldn't lose Taylor. Not now, after I just got her back.

"Taylor," I shouted as my gaze swept over the land. I glanced at my watch; by now, she would have been making her slow trot back home.

I urged him forward at a slower pace this time so I could search for her, calling out to her every few feet. We rode like that for another ten minutes. "Taylor?"

"Cole," she shouted, and I blew out a sigh of relief when I spotted her sitting on the bank of the creek.

I kicked my leg over the horse and dropped to the ground, rushing to her. "Are you okay?" My gaze swept over her. "What happened?"

"I'm okay," she sighed. "He got spooked by something and dropped me. I think I twisted my ankle."

"Is he new?"

"Yeah, I took him from Bradshaw after his dad passed, and they decided to sell him."

"You really shouldn't be riding when there's no one that will come looking for you."

She shrugged. "You came."

"You know what I mean, Taylor. What would you have done if I had already left for Nashville?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "I would have called Bailey." She smiled.

"And if you were unconscious?"

"Bailey would have come eventually." I shook my head as I pulled her jeans up to look at her ankle. "Cole, I've been doing this every day since I was old enough to ride alone. I'm not going to give it up because I'm alone."

Sucking in a deep breath, I exhaled slowly. "Just do me a favor and text me and tell me you're out riding and when you get back, so I know you're safe. Otherwise, I'm going to worry every morning I'm away from you."

She nodded.

"Come on," I said. "Let's get you back to the house so I can take care of your ankle before I have to leave." And what I meant was so I could hold her and feel her skin against mine before I left.

I scooped her up, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Can you ride, or do I need to carry you all the way back?"

"I can ride. I can get up on the opposite side."

She put her uninjured foot in the stirrup, pulled herself up, and slid back, allowing me to slide in front of her. I couldn't even fight the smile pulling at my mouth. I threw my leg over, and Taylor shifted behind me, her grip on my waist tentative. Teenage Taylor would have never ridden behind me. She was a do-it-myself girl, but I couldn't lie; I liked to feel her arms around me.

"You ready?"

"Mmhmm," she said, and I groaned when her hands slipped under my shirt. Her fingers traced patterns on my skin, each touch making thoughts of schedules and flights grow hazier. The idea of staying, of missing that plane, became more tempting with every passing second.

There would be another flight.

Her cool palms flattened against my warm skin as she pressed her front to my back and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Why do you have to go back to Nashville, anyway?"

I nudged the horse forward at a slower pace, careful not to injure her more. "I have a court date." I inwardly groaned, remembering I couldn't reschedule or miss this flight because if I did, it would only look bad on me, and I was trying to prove that I'd changed.

"Right," she sighed. "For the DUI and public intoxication charges."

"Yeah."

"Hopefully, the judge considers how hard you've worked to be a better person, and you haven't gotten in any trouble since."

Taylor's words hung in the air as we rode back towards the stable. The weight of my upcoming court date pressed down on me, but having Taylor's arms around me provided a measure of comfort.

"I hope so, too," I finally replied. "My lawyers seem optimistic, but you never know for sure."

Taylor squeezed me gently. "Well, no matter what happens, I'm here for you. We'll get through it together."

Her simple declaration warmed me more than the morning sun. After years apart, hearing Taylor say "we" felt like coming home.

As we approached the stable, I slowed the horse to a walk. "How's your ankle feeling?"

"Sore, but I'll live," Taylor said with a soft chuckle. "Nothing some ice and rest won't fix it."

I dismounted first, then carefully helped Taylor down. She winced as her injured foot touched the ground, so I scooped her up in my arms again.

"Cole!" she protested, though I could hear the smile in her voice. "I can walk."

"Humor me," I said, carrying her towards the house. "Let me take care of you for once."

Taylor relaxed against my chest. "Alright, just this once."

Inside, I set her gently on the couch and went to grab an ice pack. As I wrapped it around her ankle, Taylor caught my hand.

I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles.

She smiled, eyes shining.

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, both acutely aware of how precious our time together was. Eventually, I glanced at my watch and sighed.

"I should start getting ready to head to the airport," I said reluctantly.

Taylor nodded, though I could see the disappointment in her eyes. "Promise you'll call as soon as you land?"

"Promise," I agreed. "And I'll let you know how everything goes with the court appearance."

As I stood to leave, Taylor caught my wrist. "Hey," she said softly. "It's going to be okay."

I leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.