Chapter 11
Winter
Ade sets the third barrel into position in the centre of the pen, the glittering sunrays streaming over the valley and alighting the dust around his boots.
Maverick leans his forearms over the gate, resting on the paddock fence as Ade walks toward us.
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind about what rodeo event I’ll do, if I actually go through with riding for the ranch at the rodeo in February.
Hence the three large barrels that Ade hauled over to the pen this morning, and the two beautiful horses waiting beside Maverick as he loosely holds their reins.
I feel him give me a careful once-over, wondering which horse I’ll bond with better.
In honesty, bonding with horses has never been an issue for me since joining the ranch – but that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel guilty about riding another horse who isn’t Gratitude.
And, aside from that, there’s something else pulling me – urging me to go back to the stables for a whole other reason.
For something that is definitely not approved by the guys.
And if there’s one thing that I believe in, it’s to always trust my gut, even if everything external is urging me to believe the opposite of my inkling.
Ade stops on the other side of the gate, towering over me as he sets his cowboy hat on one of the posts.
“What’s that look for?” he rumbles slowly, searching my eyes because he can sense what I’m thinking.
“Nothing,” I say, too quickly, and Maverick breathes out a chuckle as he tightens the reins around his fist.
“Winter,” Maverick drawls, his irises sparkling as I meet them with mine. “Whatever you’re thinking, just tell us. You can’t ride while your energy’s spiking.”
“My energy isn’t spiking,” I rasp, my voice feather-light because we all know that’s a lie.
I was already a little nervous about saying ‘maybe’ to doing the rodeo, and then when a thought came to me last night, I got even more restless.
Because the thought that came to me? It could be a dangerous one.
Trust your gut, I remind myself gently, and then I raise my gaze to Maverick’s, breathing out an exhale.
“Fine,” I relent. “I’ll tell you what I’m thinking, but don’t freak out.”
Ade narrows his eyes, flicking his brother a glance as he unlocks the gate.
“Okay,” he says slowly. “I promise, we won’t freak out.”
Maverick lifts a brow as he steps aside, allowing me to walk into the pen ahead of him.
“Speak for yourself,” he replies roughly. “I’m already freaking out.”
I breathe out a laugh as I turn around, taking the first set of reins from him as he re-locks the gate.
“How do you think I feel?” I say teasingly. “Yesterday I didn’t think that I’d ever compete again. Now I’m standing in Carter’s paddock, with two of the finest rodeo-winning horses in Texas.”
Ade moves around beside me, his eyes locked on my face as I mount the first horse.
“You don’t have to do this,” he reminds me quietly, in that deep patient voice of his. “Of course we want you to be our rider, but we would never push it if you changed your mind.”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” I reply honestly.
He nods up at me. “And that’s okay, too.”
I stroke one of my hands over the horse’s mane, feeling his strong body beneath me as I shift gently on the saddle. Getting a feel for him, and wondering if we’ll be compatible.
“Okay,” I breathe out. “Let’s practice first. And then, after that, I’ll tell you what’s on my mind.”
“No racing around the barrels yet,” Ade says, walking beside me as I start to ride. “We’re just taking them for a stroll, seeing who works best for you in the pen.”
I nod, holding the reins loosely, and stroking my free hand over his shiny coat, giving him a little piece of extra affection so that he knows that we’re a team.
Our pace is perfect, his body agile as he manoeuvres effortlessly around the pen, and, even though we’re only walking, I can tell that he’s an incredible horse.
We do a couple of graceful laps, and then I dismount as Ade waits beside me, standing at the ready in case I need a hand.
I pass the reins into his waiting palm as Maverick hands me the next set, and I admire the fairer horse as the golden rays sparkle in his beautiful eyes.
“He’s stunning,” I murmur softly, running the backs of my fingers over his cheek.
“I get that a lot,” Maverick drawls back to me, and he crooks me a smirk when I glance over my shoulder.
I shake my head at him in amusement before hoisting my body up onto the saddle, threading my fingers through his mane as he begins a gentle walk toward the first barrel.
“He must like you,” Maverick says, keeping pace beside us as we do the first turn.
“Yeah?” I ask, smiling down at him.
Maverick chuckles. “Yeah, he’s showing off.”
“Is he yours?” I ask, going a little bit faster, because I can sense that the horse’s prowess is really impressive.
And even though I spend a lot of time with the ranch’s horses, the competition horses are the ones I see the least. They’re usually taken care of by Carter in the rodeo-training barn, although Ade and Maverick spend a lot of time with them, too.
“He’s Carter’s horse really, but, yeah, I picked him.” Then Maverick steps back as we round the third barrel. “He’s a real good horse.”
“Yeah,” I agree, although my muscles clench as I glance at the stables, the thought in the back of my mind freaking dying to be released.
Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it–
“So, I was thinking,” I start.
Ade glances up from his position by the gate, searching my eyes as I pull the horse to a stop, and Maverick steps forward as I dismount, taking the reins as my boots hit the dirt.
Ade meets us in the middle of the pen, and my gaze flicks involuntarily toward the stables.
“You didn’t like the horses,” Ade says, his deep voice surprisingly gentle.
“It’s not that,” I reply honestly. “It’s just… I have this feeling.”
Maverick rubs his stubble as he searches my eyes, and then he glances over to where I’d been looking.
And three seconds later his striking eyes are back on mine.
“No,” he says simply.
“You don’t even know what I was going to suggest,” I tell him softly.
“Winter, I know exactly what you’re going to suggest. And we want you to ride, but that is out of the question.”
“What?” Ade asks slowly, his eyes on mine before flicking to his brother.
“You don’t want to know,” Maverick says darkly, his broad chest heaving as he glances down at me.
“Come on,” I plead. “At some point you thought it was a good idea.”
“Not for you,” Maverick growls. “I’m serious, Winter. The answer’s no.”
“What is it?” Ade repeats, his strong jaw flexing as he looks me over.
I twist my lips to the side and whisper, “Well, I was thinking–”
“Winter,” Maverick warns.
“Let her speak,” Ade shoots back at him.
Maverick’s irises flicker thunderously. “This one isn’t up for debate.”
Ade drops his gaze back to mine and says, “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
I swallow hard as I meet his eyes, knowing that Maverick is right, but I have to throw this out there.
“Um,” I whisper finally. “What about Carter’s horse?”
Ade blinks at me for a few moments before his brow creases, glancing at the horses beside us.
“Well, yeah,” Ade rumbles quietly. “They’re both Carter’s, technically, but which one were you thinking?”
I stare up at him without blinking, and he looks deep into my eyes, his biceps flexing.
“I’m not sure that I’m followin’,” he says slowly, frowning as he tries to work out what I’m reluctant to say. “The horses are both Carter’s, and you can ride either of them, so what’s the problem–?”
But then his eyes flash to his brother’s and he backs up a step as he grips his nape.
“Wait,” he rumbles. “You don’t mean that she’s thinking about riding–?”
And then his gaze drops to mine, his chest pumping as he shakes his head.
“You want to ride the new Quarter Horse?” Ade asks roughly. “You want to ride the horse that almost killed Carter?”
“Not necessarily!” I say quickly. “But you kept talking about his ‘lucky glow’–”
“Are you joking?” Ade growls. “Look at just how lucky that horse was to him, Winter.”
“But–”
“If you think that I’m letting you anywhere near that horse, you’ve got another thing coming,” he says gruffly, stepping forward until we’re toe to toe, and looming over me like a predator.
“Carter survived that fall because he’s a big guy – he’s over six-feet tall and made of muscle.
You’re barely five-fucking-four. If that horse bucks you, you’re gonna go flying. ”
“He won’t buck me,” I argue, my brows rising as I look up at him.
“Damn right he won’t,” Ade replies. “Because you’re not getting on that horse.”
“We’ve got two incredible horses right here,” Maverick rumbles, his deep voice reverberating through me as he moves to my side. “Why put yourself at risk when either of these horses will ride perfect for you?”
“You said that Carter’s hunches are lucky,” I rasp, looking imploringly at Maverick for a little support. “And I don’t like fighting against gut feelings like that. He must have felt it for a reason.”
“Maybe it was the Lord’s plan for Carter to take a little time-out,” Ade says drily, and Maverick flashes his brother a hard look as my jaw drops to the dust.
“That’s not funny,” I rasp, as I try to shove my way past him. “You shouldn’t use His name like that. You know I don’t like that kind of thing.”
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Ade says quickly, wrapping his palm around my shoulder and moving me to stand between them. “That was bad, I shouldn’t have said it. I didn’t mean it, Carter’s a great guy.”
“A great guy with great instincts,” I reply, and Ade shoves his tongue in his cheek as he bears down on me.
“Winter, you’re playing with fire.”
“Give me one chance to see if I can ride him,” I say simply.
“You know how many times Carter said those same words?” Ade retorts, rubbing his knuckles over his stubble before sharing a look with his brother.
“You said that I don’t even have to do the rodeo, if I don’t want to,” I remind them, “and after what happened between that horse and Carter… do you really think that he’s going to ride him again?
We can’t keep that horse in the stables if he doesn’t have a rider.
He’ll go crazy without the exercise. Anyone would. ”
Ade exhales hard, pushing his hair back from his forehead. “You’re right, and I know that, Winter, but you aren’t going to be the one to try and ride him.”
“And you are?” I ask.
“If it’s between you or me, then yeah, I’ll take that risk.”
“One ride, Ade,” I say, looking up into his molten irises. “Carter had a feeling for a reason. And when I woke up this morning, I had it, too.”
I’d surprised myself with how calm I felt when Caden asked me about doing the rodeo, and, seeing as it’s been so long since I competed, I think that he asked me at the perfect moment.
And when I woke up this morning at the ranch with this urge to check the stables, I couldn’t resist peeking into the stall that’s housing Carter’s stunning Quarter Horse.
And when I met his eyes with mine? I just knew that we needed to try it.
“He was awake when I checked on the ponies, and I can’t even describe the way that I felt when he looked at me,” I tell them. “And when I was petting him over the door–”
“Wait,” Maverick interrupts, “what do you mean, you were petting him?”
I tuck a curl behind my ear. “Like, when he was trying to sniff me over the door. So I was just stroking his snout while he was scenting me–”
“He let you pet him?” Ade asks.
I swallow nervously. “Well, yeah.”
Ade’s brow arches as I meet his eyes. “He doesn’t even let Carter pet him.”
I look between Ade and Maverick in silence, an unspoken truth vibrating between us, and sunlight glitters across the paddock as the horses shift softly, waiting to ride.
“Winter,” Ade rumbles slowly, his tone still reluctant as he looks me up and down. “I really, really don’t like the idea of you riding him, even if Carter had some kind of lucky hunch.”
“One ride,” I repeat. “And, even if he’s good, I promise that we don’t have to pick him for the rodeo. We can pick a different horse, if you think that he’s temperamental.”
Ade tucks his thumb in his jeans, his gaze unwavering as he debates my offer.
But it’s Maverick who moves first, his shoulders haloed in sunlight as he towers over me.
“One condition,” Maverick rumbles, his deep voice patient but authoritative.
And my dimples pucker in my cheeks as I smile up at his handsome face.
“Anything,” I agree.
“You have to tell Caden.”