Chapter 12
Winter
“You wanna what?”
I tilt my head to the side, laughing softly as Caden heaves his body upright, his morning voice rough and rasping because it’s barely five am in Carter Ridge.
It’s just before seven in Kentucky, but he messaged me good morning baby around five minutes ago, so I thought that now was the perfect time to videocall him ahead of the plans I have for this morning.
I’ll be teaching with the ponies from after midday until later in the afternoon, so my intentions prior to that are to see Carter’s Quarter Horse… and work out if he’s interested.
Ade and Maverick said that they would go along with testing the theory if I ran it by Caden, but little did they know that I’d already intended to tell Caden about it before making an attempt anyway.
Not for his permission, but because I like his support when I’m feeling unsure.
“I’m going to take it slow, I promise,” I say to him in my lightest voice, toying with the tip of one of my curls as I peek up at him from under my lashes. “Like, today, I won’t even ride him. I just want to get him out into the pen, and see how he’s feeling.”
Caden stares at me without blinking, his bare chest heaving at the bottom of the screen.
“You’re taking him into the pen,” he rasps slowly, “that he just bucked Carter off in.”
“That wasn’t in the large pen,” I say quickly. “That was in one of the smaller ones.”
Caden grips his fingers through his hair, his brow creasing as he murmurs, “Winter…”
“And Ade ran it by Carter yesterday,” I continue, “and Carter said that he’s behind it.
Like, he has a really, really good feeling about the Quarter Horse – even if everything that’s happened so far hasn’t aligned with his vision.
And Ade trusts Carter’s instincts, so we’re thinking that one little ride can’t hurt. ”
“One little ride?” he repeats hoarsely. “I thought you weren’t riding him today.”
“Not today,” I agree, “but I want to see if he’s cooperative.”
Then I rub my chest as my cheeks grow warm, because I’m not so sure if this is a good idea anymore.
The thing about lucky hunches is that, until you’re proven right, they can seem impossible. Or, at the very least, improbable, especially if it’s something that you haven’t done before.
“What if he isn’t cooperative?” Caden asks gently, pushing the bed sheet away from his quads. “What if his behaviour is just as dangerous as it was when he was riding with Carter, baby?”
“Then I’ll walk him back to his stall, and start training with a different horse – I promise. Maverick had me bond with two of them yesterday, and they were real good rides.”
Caden swallows thickly as he watches me and he doesn’t say anything for a long moment, one of his arms reaching out of frame, as his jaw tenses, his breathing unsteady.
And my heart beats a little bit faster because I know exactly what he’s doing.
“Caden,” I whisper, and he drops his head forward, grunting quietly.
“Just give me a second,” he murmurs back to me, his voice rough as he rearranges himself. “It’s just, you know… with all of the ridin’ talk…”
I fight a smile as my cheekbones heat. “I feel it, too,” I purr softly.
“I miss you so much,” he rumbles quietly, dropping his face in his palm as he calms his breathing.
“We only have one and a half weeks until you’ll be home for Christmas, right?” I ask, and he nods his head, which is still in his hand, his large shoulders swelling as he fights his adrenaline.
“Yeah,” he rasps. “I’ll be on the first flight back.”
Then he lifts his face from his palm and meets my gaze with his beautiful eyes.
“I’m not sure how I feel about you going near that horse, baby,” he murmurs.
And even though he’s expressing his concern… he’s not totally opposing the idea.
“I’ve been wondering if Carter bought the Quarter Horse from a guy,” I admit, “and if he wasn’t the best owner, and that’s why the horse freaked out with Carter.”
Because if he had a bad experience with a male rider, it makes sense that he’d assume Carter would be the same.
I glance to my left from my spot on the floor and say, “He’s been alright with me.”
A soft whinny comes from the stall and I breathe out a laugh as I look back at Caden.
Who has suddenly gone totally still, and whose eyes are molten as they stare into mine.
“Winter…” he rumbles slowly. “Where are you sitting right now, baby?”
My lips part for a moment and then my dimples pucker as I hide my smile.
“Um,” I laugh quietly, and then I tilt my phone to the other side of the stall.
To where Carter’s Quarter Horse is sitting, glancing at the screen from his cozy bedding.
He looks at the phone with mild interest before turning away in the opposite direction.
And warmth spreads through my chest, because that’s a really good sign. For him to feel safe enough in my company to not keep an eye on me while we’re relaxing… that is one-million-percent a positive sign.
“Baby, is that…?”
Caden’s deep voice lowers as he meets my eyes.
“Is that Carter’s horse? Tell me you’re not sat in his stall with him.”
I lift my phone for a better angle, giving Caden a three-sixty of the warm wood-panelled stall, and then I bring the camera back to myself so that he can check out my cute morning outfit.
I’m wearing a soft yellow sundress seeing as I’m not riding this morning, and, even though he’s pissed right now, I know that it’s one of Caden’s favorites.
“Jesus Christ,” Caden groans, dragging his large palm down his face, and I give him a forgive me smile as I lay back in a pile of golden straw.
“Horse whisperer,” I tell him, pointing a finger toward my chest, and he swipes his thumb over his lip as he looks me over, his gaze heating.
“Ade and Mav have to be with you the whole time,” he demands roughly. “Walking beside you while you ride, when you get to that stage.”
“I promise,” I breathe softly, and he clears his throat as he pushes his hair back.
And I catch sight of his swollen biceps, and my heart races faster, missing him like crazy.
“If that horse starts acting up, you stop riding him. Understand?”
My lashes flutter as I nod. “I’ll be careful, Caden. I mean it.”
“I know you do,” he rumbles quietly. “And I trust you. But I don’t know that horse.”
I glance over to the horse in question and he lifts his head, his blue eyes sparkling.
And I can practically hear him asking, can we get up and hit the paddock now, or what?
I lean over and stretch my arm out, giving him the space to tentatively huff against my knuckles.
And then he meets my gaze again, and it’s like I just know that this is going to work.
“I don’t really know him either,” I whisper honestly, getting to my feet and kicking the straw from my boots. “I’ll just take him for a walk and” – I shrug – “we’ll go from there.”
“I want live updates from the guys while you’re in the paddock,” Caden rumbles, the deep tenor of his voice making me smile.
“Okay,” I laugh softly, “I’ll let them know your requirements.”
“And, like, photographic evidence that you’re okay.”
I fluff my curls with my free hand. “I’ll send you photos as soon as we’re done.”
Caden swipes his tongue over his lower lip, his gaze flicking to my dress before he meets my eyes.
“PG photos,” I add, laughing gently when his cheekbones turn crimson. Then I lower my voice and whisper, “We can save the non-PG stuff for our call tonight.”
He breathes out a rough exhale and tugs his hair in his fist.
And then he nods his head and says, “Deal.”