Chapter 24
Winter
“Perfect, Winter!” Ade exclaims, clapping his fist into his large palm.
I exhale breathlessly with adrenaline, biting into my smile as I help Lightning slow down.
He eases up into a light walk, and the dust begins to settle in the glow of the barn.
We had snowfall on three occasions since the winter began at the start of December, but today it looks almost like spring, at least within the protected confines of our makeshift arena.
The golden streams of January sunlight pouring through the warm wood slats make the barn feel cozy, and the polished panels lining the walls around us shimmer in the morning glow like jasper.
It’s a beautiful day to be training, and I’m feeling more confident with Lightning than ever.
We’ve been at it all morning – strengthening, exercising, and then running the barrels – and he’s been unbelievably well-behaved through each step of our routine.
“Caden was right,” Ade rumbles gently, making his way over to us as I loop the reins. “Couldn’t think of a better name for this horse. He really is Lightning.”
My cheeks dimple as Ade smiles that rare stunning smile of his, and he steps beside us in the sand, holding his hand up for my dismount.
He knows that I’m capable and that I don’t need any assistance, but he’s always been a Southern gentleman, so I let him help me down from the saddle.
I step down to the sparkling dust and Ade releases my palm from his, sparing a glance over to Lightning who flips his tail and gives him his side-eye.
“Good ride, man,” Ade tells him, his deep voice rumbling as he holds out his palm, and Lightning stares at him for a couple of seconds before reluctantly sniffing at his knuckles.
Then he turns his head in the other direction, his silent way of saying, bonding time is OVER.
Ade breathes out a laugh, deep and husky, before smiling down at me and shrugging his shoulder, and I smile back up at him in understanding because, hey, it was worth a shot!
We’ve kind of established that Lightning’s issue wasn’t with Carter but with men in general, and that maybe the reason why he’s so good with me is because he’s much more comfortable with a female rider.
Carter is definitely not doing any riding right now but he wasn’t so traumatised by being bucked that he’d avoid his horse once he returned to the ranch.
Which means that he’s stayed with us in the barn a couple of times while we’ve been practising, and between both Carter and Lightning everything has been fine.
If anything, I think that Lightning can tell that he did something wrong, because he’s particularly gentle when he sees Carter, and he’s the only male rider who he’ll actively approach.
Each day that Carter has stopped by to time our barrel rides with Ade, Lightning has put on his best performance before skulking over to him, exchanging a soft nudge with his muzzle for a firm rub down his mane.
And, amazingly, Carter has taken everything in his stride, seeing himself as lucky for not being more injured and treating Lightning with love and kindness.
And, even though Carter is technically on a ‘rest period’, he’s been using his time off typical ranch duties to get freaking jacked. Carter has literally never looked so good and with all the time that he’s spending lifting weights, his upper body is now as big as Ade’s.
I keep the reins in one hand and readjust my soft pink jumper with the other, the knitted material keeping me cozy during our long morning session.
“Is our best time still the one from yesterday morning?” I ask, and Ade nods as he shows me his phone, scrolling through his list of notes, stating our times.
“Wow,” I breathe softly, because I have to admit, the numbers are impressive.
“Yeah,” Ade rumbles. “No-one’s catching up to y’all at the rodeo.”
“Only a couple of weeks to go,” I whisper, and I meet his eyes, suddenly nervous.
But he gauges how I’m feeling as I look up at him from under my lashes, and his eyes soften as he watches me, giving me a reassuring squeeze to my shoulder.
“Winter,” Ade says, “you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Worst case scenario? Nothing goes to plan.
But even then, we’ll survive the year. Our entire budget isn’t riding on the pay-out from this rodeo, and we’ve got enough money saved to keep things rolling at the ranch.
And we’ve got the ropers doing their thing at the rodeo, too.
This doesn’t all fall on your shoulders, sweetheart. ”
Then he gives me that handsome smile, so similar to Caden’s that I can barely look at it, and I shove him playfully as we walk to the door, beyond grateful for his reassurance.
And then tires are crunching over the gravel and I flash him a happy look as he nudges my shoulder.
“That’ll be her!” I squeal excitedly, and Ade chuckles as he opens the barn door, stepping back as he pulls it open so that I can walk through before him.
And, sure enough, pulling up in front of the main house is a large rental truck, with a dark-haired man in the driver’s seat, one arm hooked around the passenger’s headrest.
And that passenger just so happens to be one of my favorite fellow ranch girls.
“Kitty!” I exclaim, and she grins back at me from behind the windshield, a heavy rock song blaring from the speakers as her boyfriend eases the truck to a gentle stop.
I met Kitty about a year after becoming Caden’s girlfriend, because her parents and Caden’s have known each other forever.
Her mom is one of the finest Quarter Horse riders in the entire country, and seeing as they run a stunning ranch in Phoenix Falls, they always stop by when they’re in the area.
We don’t see each other as competition, because we’re lowkey on opposite sides of the country, and we always share intel and advice about any news on the rodeo circuit.
Kitty’s parents will be coming here for the rodeo, which means that Kitty will be in charge of their ranch during the time that they’re gone, so she decided to visit us for a tiny holiday before the intense work begins.
Aside from working at her parents’ ranch, Kitty’s also a signed country artist, so after she’s spent a couple days in Kentucky, she’s heading over to Nashville – the home of country music.
She doesn’t want Riley Dutton-level fame so she hasn’t released an album just yet, but the song that she did release online hit over a million streams without even trying.
She blends soulful country guitars with alternative rock, and she has one of the prettiest voices that I’ve ever heard.
She’s completely unique and totally captivating to listen to.
Lightning canters beside me, following my lead as I run past the outdoor paddocks, and Ade easily keeps pace by my side as I race over to my long-distance friend.
Kitty’s boyfriend, Madden Montgomery, steps down from the truck and onto the gravel, running a tan hand through his black hair as he jerks his chin at Ade, his smile-creases flexing.
“Hey,” he calls out, his Phoenix Falls mountain-accent rich and deep, and dust swirls around his dark brown construction boots as he makes his way around the hood of the car.
He’s wearing roughed-up dark-wash jeans and a black compression shirt exposing enormous biceps, and there’s a flash of silver as he rounds the truck, drawing my attention to his bad-boy lip-ring.
“How was the flight?” Ade asks, and Madden shrugs with a handsome smile.
“Long, but decent. We chilled out and watched a movie.”
“Heard that the winter’s rough up there in Phoenix Falls.”
Madden smirks at that. “You have no idea.”
He gently tugs Kitty’s door and helps her down from the raised-up step, interlacing his fingers through hers as she slips her black cowgirl hat over her hair.
“We already have two feet of snow, and that’s in the parts that aren’t even near the mountains,” Madden says, waiting as Kitty leans back inside the truck, bending over her seat as she turns off the radio.
She kicks one black cowgirl boot from the gravel, helping her balance as she reaches inside, and then she’s back in the open with a naughty smile, her long onyx hair shimmering all around her.
“Winter!” she squeals. “It feels like it’s been forever!” And then she’s laughing as she jogs over to reach me, wrapping her arms as tight as she can around my shoulders.
Madden locks up the rental truck and follows behind her in the morning sunlight, tugging his fitted shirt away from his chest and meeting his girlfriend’s playful smile.
His quartz-like eyes flick to mine, and they crinkle softly as he rumbles, “Hey,” before settling his big palms over Kitty’s shoulders and squeezing gently as she peeks up at him.
She’s wearing a high-neck black tank top and a pair of ripped dark-denim jean-shorts, exposing the cinnamon freckles on her shoulders that match the cute smattering over her sun-kissed nose.
“Is this the horse?” she asks, holding onto her cowgirl hat as she peers up at Lightning, and he shuffles tentatively on the dirt, sensing her out before moving closer.
He glances down at me to make sure that he’s safe, and then he lowers his head, nudging Kitty’s shoulder, his movements gentle and adorably shy, before he moves behind me again.
Kitty lifts her brow, her chin puckering, and she laughs softly as she says, “Aw!”
My cheeks dimple as I stroke Lightning’s mane, and I hold his reins loosely as we start walking.
“I know, right?” I tell her gently. “I love him so much. He’s a total softie.”
“With the ladies,” Ade adds warily, sharing a look with Madden that I choose not to decipher.
“We were just running the barrels,” I explain to Kitty, “but if you want, we can show you your bungalow–?”
“Can we see you ride?” she asks immediately, and I breathe out a laugh at the excitement in her stunning eyes.