Chapter 8
Devon
“Y ou’re doing great,” I encouraged Reese thirty minutes into our ride.
I was riding behind her on my quarter horse, Thunder, watching her technique and correcting her when necessary.
We’d gone over the basic safety rules as I’d finished the rest of my cake and coffee, and we’d spent some time going over horse behavior and how to tack up Luna before I’d put Reese in the saddle.
I had to give her credit, she’d hefted her own saddle onto Luna easily, and she’d soaked in information like a sponge.
It had been love at first sight for Reese and Luna. Probably the piece of banana I’d given Reese to give her horse had helped Luna warm up to her almost immediately. Luna was picky about her treats, and bananas were her favorite.
The two just seemed to fit each other perfectly, and Reese truly did seem to adore the beautiful Gypsy Vanner. She’d seemed almost enraptured by the horse’s flowing mane and tail, and her powerful hindquarters. Reese was the perfect size to ride Luna, and she’d probably been less intimidated by Luna because she wasn’t a huge horse.
Reese had just practiced putting Luna into a trot with leg pressure like I’d taught her in the corral before we’d left the stables.
We wouldn’t be running any races today, but she was slowly getting the hang of controlling her horse with leg pressure and her reins.
She’d probably get into more advanced stuff faster than I’d thought.
Reese was eager to learn and to ride, and she caught on quickly for a woman who had never ridden.
She wasn’t bouncing around in the saddle like most beginners. She had a natural instinct to move with the horse’s motion that most beginners didn’t pick up right away, and her relaxed posture was balanced after just a few corrections from me.
Still, I’d slapped a helmet on her head in case she took a tumble, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
Reese’s enthusiasm amused me, and I wasn’t a guy who was amused by much of anything.
She looked…happy.
She’d been so grateful to get onto a horse that she’d made me a cake…from scratch.
And that made me feel like even more of an asshole.
Hell, I’d appreciated her gesture more than she’d ever know, but I wasn’t a nice guy.
I wasn’t teaching her to ride because I was a good man.
I’d brought her here to pry information out of her.
Having her do something like that for me had caught me off-guard.
I was starting to realize that doing thoughtful things was just part of Reese’s nature, and that she was just inherently…kind.
I’d felt so damn guilty that I hadn’t asked her a single question that I knew she didn’t want to answer.
I couldn’t.
For some damn reason I just didn’t really want to see fear in her eyes.
I’d rather watch her smile and her joy because she was on a horse.
We could get to the difficult stuff…later.
I was starting to get addicted to her smile and maybe her happiness was contagious because I was feeling pretty damn happy myself at the moment.
That was pretty unusual for me because I wasn’t a guy who experienced a lot of emotional extremes of any kind.
Generally, I was just a cynical bastard who didn’t smile very often.
The trail widened so I pulled up beside her. “Having fun?” I asked her.
Her smile was almost blinding, and her cheeks were flushed as she replied, “The most fun I’ve had in a long time. Thank you so much for this. Luna is a dream horse, and it’s almost surreal that I’m actually riding her.”
Christ! She was beautiful.
And I was so fucked.
I’d been extremely unsuccessful at convincing my dick that she was the enemy.
Probably because I really didn’t believe that myself anymore.
However, she was hiding something, and I was determined to figure out exactly what she didn’t want to reveal.
I had to be honest with myself and admit that I hadn’t negotiated my gym for dinner with nefarious intentions.
Truth was, I just wanted to see more of Reese. During that time together maybe she’d learn to trust me and tell me what I wanted to know.
I also happened to love everything she cooked.
Win. Win.
At least it was for me.
She seemed to think she was getting a good deal, so neither one of us was unhappy with that agreement.
“You two look good together,” I commented. “I think you’re a good match.”
“I think we’re a perfect match,” Reese agreed. “You said she came from a top breeder and that she’s from a champion lineage. Was she terribly expensive?”
Luna was a special horse, and she hadn’t come cheap, but I wasn’t about to tell Reese how much my brothers and I had paid for her when we’d gifted her to my mother several years ago.
I suspected that Reese was pondering the idea of asking to buy her from me in the future when she was settled enough to own a horse.
“A good Gypsy Vanner is a little pricey,” I said vaguely. “They aren’t a common breed in the United States and it’s not easy to find a good purebred like her. But I’ve paid more for a horse.”
That actually was the truth. I liked champion bred horses, and I had a lot of them in my barn.
“You’re evading the question,” she shot back. “I guess that means you aren’t going to tell me what she’s worth.”
“Nope,” I agreed as I shot her a grin. “I never reveal the results of a private negotiation.”
“Well, she’s a beautiful horse. It’s sad that your mother can’t ride as much as she used to ride.”
“It’s a limitation she accepted not long ago,” I told Reese. “But she’s taken up a lot of other hobbies to make up for it. She’s become a very avid gardener now, and she keeps busy all the time. I think she was ready to retire from painting, so that didn’t bother her much, either.”
“I adore your mother. If she ever needs help with anything, please call me. Once I’m proficient at riding, I’d be happy to ride her horse for her when she needs someone to do it.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I informed her. “Mom talks about you all the time. She said you stop by her place fairly often to check up on her and chat. I appreciate that. She loves company.”
She laughed. “I do it for my sake, too. She’s had a fascinating life. I’ve learned a lot from her. She’s an amazing cook, and I like the company, too. She’s so excited about her first grandbaby.”
It occurred to me that Reese could be homesick and possibly a little lonely. She had no one here except Hannah, Lauren, and Anna, and all of them had pretty busy lives.
“Are your parents still alive?” I asked curiously. “Siblings?”
Her happiness dimmed for just a moment and a flash of sadness crossed her expression as she nodded. “I miss them. We’ve always been close because I was an only child.”
“Can’t they come and visit?” I questioned.
There it was. That flash of fear in her eyes that I hated, and I almost regretted asking the question.
Was she currently estranged from her parents?
“They’re pretty busy right now,” she said vaguely. “But I’m hoping that can happen soon. We’ve always lived in the same city. It seems weird not to see them fairly often. They were a huge part of my life. They’ve always been my biggest supporters.”
“Did they support you coming to Montana?”
She hesitated for a moment before she answered. “Yes. They thought the change would be good for me.”
Okay, I had to ask the question. “Reese, is one of your old boyfriends harassing you? Is that why you needed a change?”
Her eyes widened. “Is that why you think I moved here? No, that wasn’t a factor at all. I haven’t had a serious relationship in a long time.”
I had to believe her. She’d looked so astonished at the very idea of a problem ex-boyfriend that I didn’t think she was lying.
“Have you ever gotten close to getting married?” I asked.
Hell, did I really need to know that ?
I couldn’t figure out why I’d just asked that question, but for some damn reason I really wanted to know.
She shook her head. “Not really. I’ve never been engaged. Just a few long-term boyfriends.”
She was young, so that made sense.
“What happened with them?” I queried wanting to kick myself for asking another question that I didn’t need to know.
“They eventually dumped me,” she said matter-of-factly. “I don’t lead an exciting life, and I was boring. I was in school, and then I worked a lot. I loved to cook, and I do a lot of boring things like antique hunting and crocheting. I always pick the wrong guys. They liked to party, and I was an adult and past my college party days. I was over it, but they weren’t. I was willing to go to a club sometimes, but not every single night. So now you know why the idea of some guy being obsessed with me is laughable to me. I never broke up with any of the guys I dated. They dumped me .”
I wasn’t sure why, but the idea of anyone dumping Reese infuriated me.
What in the hell had they been thinking?
Reese was everything a guy could want in a partner,
“You’re smart, and they were idiots,” I grumbled.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she replied. “But I was always kind of a nerd, even in high school. I was in band playing the flute instead of being a cheerleader in the popular crowd. I did a lot of volunteer work with my parents, which isn’t exactly exciting. But I’m okay with who I am. I probably wished I fit in better in high school, but as a grown up, I was good with being a little boring because I liked my life. I like helping people when I can. I found good friends that accepted me and had common interests.”
“You’re perfect the way you are,” I told her. “I wasn’t part of the popular crowd in high school, either. I played some sports, but I was more into music. There’s nothing wrong with being who you are, Reese. I guess you already have that figured out. For what it’s worth, I think you’re exciting and unique.”
I wasn’t lying.
For some reason, Reese fascinated the hell out of me.
I wasn’t used to women wanting nothing from me and doing nice things for me.
They certainly wouldn’t think I was doing them a huge favor by letting them use my gym or teaching them to ride a horse.
“I’m definitely going to take that as a compliment,” she said lightly. “Especially since that comment is coming from a gorgeous, extremely accomplished billionaire. Maybe there’s still hope that I’ll find a decent guy who thinks the same thing someday.”
There were plenty of men who’d like to find a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman like Reese. She’d just been unlucky enough to end up with the dimwits.
For some damn reason I didn’t really care for the thought of Reese finding that guy.
It was a stupid thing to think since I was starting to like her, but there was a part of me that rejected the idea of seeing her with a love interest.
I shook off that feeling.
I probably just felt that way because I was attracted to her physically.
“We should head back toward the barn,” I said abruptly. “It will take us a while to get back, and I think you’ve had enough for one day.”
She tried to hide her disappointment, but I saw it, and I fucking hated it.
“You’ll thank me later when you’re not limping around from being in a saddle for too long,” I added in a more playful tone. “We can take a short ride whenever you’re here to use the gym. We’ll have a little daylight on some days after work now that spring is here. On Saturdays, we can explore the area on horseback so you’re familiar with some of the trails.”
“When do you think I’ll be ready to ride alone?” she asked.
Fuck! I really didn’t like that thought.
“Not for a while,” I said noncommittally. “I need to make sure you know exactly what to do if something weird happens. Luna is pretty solid, steady, and well-trained, but anything can happen out here. You’re stuck with me until you’re comfortable with anything that could pop up.”
“I’m happy to have company and someone to teach me,” she said thoughtfully. “I just don’t want to take up all of your free time.”
Hell, that was part of my plan, right? I wanted to spend time with her to get her to trust me.
“Not a problem,” I said. “If I get home early enough, I try to get a short ride in anyway, and I’ll actually get a decent dinner if you’re here.”
She let out a genuine laugh, and the sound made my gut ache.
Christ! I really needed to get my attraction to her under control.
I was on a mission to get the truth out of her, and that was my only objective.
The problem was that I wasn’t sure that was the only reason I’d agreed to spend more time with her anymore.
I hadn’t planned on actually enjoying the time I spent with her, and I was going to have to keep reminding myself that once I was satisfied with the information she gave me, that time spent with her would end abruptly.
I fucking ignored my gut and my dick this time when they both rebelled.
I was going to get this shit under control and listen to my reasonable brain from now on.