Chapter 6 #2
Just then, a woman emerged from one of the side stalls.
Petite, blonde, with soft blue eyes and a strand of hay in her hair, she was wearing denim overalls and a shirt with a faded cartoon cow on the front.
She looked about twenty-five, maybe younger, with a kind of sunshine energy that brightened the entire space.
“Oh, Majesty! You brought someone new!” she said, brushing her hands off on her overalls as she approached.
“Reese, this is Cami,” Majesty said. “Cami, this is Reese—she runs this whole place and somehow manages to keep Bossy P from a full-scale mutiny.”
Reese laughed softly. “That’s generous. Mostly, I just bribe him with almonds.” She turned to me with an easy smile. “Hi, Cami. Welcome to the zoo.”
Bossy P immediately squawked again. “Kiss the girl!”
Reese covered her face. “Oh my God, not that again. Arlo taught him that after we watched The Little Mermaid. He thinks it’s funny.”
Majesty smirked. “Your Daddy’s got a sense of humor, I’ll give him that.”
I blinked at the term, but Reese didn’t seem embarrassed. Just happy. “Yeah, he does,” she said softly, the affection in her tone obvious. “He’s around somewhere—probably fixing the duck pond again or up with the horses. Howard’s been redecorating.”
“Howard?” I asked.
“Our white duck,” she explained with a grin. “He thinks the pond’s layout offends him personally.”
Majesty leaned down slightly toward me. “Wait till you meet Ryan Goosling.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“The goose,” Reese said, biting back a smile. “You’ll understand when you hear him hiss. He’s got a flair for drama.”
Majesty and Reese led me through the pens—Clara and Clancy the goats. Clancy fainted when he saw a bird. Wilbur and Babe the pigs, and a trio of cows named Elsa, Anna, and Stella. Reese introduced each one with the pride of a mother showing off her kids.
“Michelangelo’s around here somewhere,” she said, looking down. “Tortoise. He’s about forty. Moves faster when he smells strawberries.”
“Same,” I said, smiling.
Bossy P suddenly flapped his wings from above and yelled, “Go to the barn! Go to the barn!”
Reese sighed. “That’s his way of saying it’s feeding time.”
She gave Majesty a knowing look. “Arlo’s going to want you to help me with hay bales later. We’ll both be in trouble if you disappear.”
Majesty grinned. “I’ll be here. Promise. We can’t have you getting in trouble now, can we?”
Reese shook her head and then looked at me and smiled, that kind of gentle, open warmth that made you feel immediately accepted. “You should come back later,” she said. “We’re letting the rabbits out for a hop session after lunch. They love new people.”
“I’ll try,” I said, meaning it.
By the time we left Reese’s barn, my cheeks hurt from smiling. Between the talkative parrot, the fainting goat, and Reese’s endless stories about how each animal ended up here, I’d forgotten about the nerves that had been buzzing under my skin all morning.
As we exited, Bossy P’s voice followed us out, loud and commanding: “Kiss the girl!”
Majesty laughed under his breath but didn’t comment. When I glanced up at him, the humor in his eyes had softened into something quieter—thoughtful.
“Guess he’s not wrong about everything,” he murmured.
I looked away, heart thudding a little harder than I wanted to admit. What if he did kiss me?
Majesty walked beside me as we followed a dirt trail that curved away from the rescue barn. The afternoon sun slanted low, painting everything in gold. The scent of hay and horses drifted on the breeze, mingling with something warm. Majesty laughed to himself and held on to the smile on his face.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, eyeing the small smile tugging at his lips as we approached another cluster of fences and a wide, open paddock.
He gave a low laugh, hands in his pockets. “It means you might want to hold on to that excitement you had back there. You’re about to need it.”
I didn’t think that’s what his thoughts had been about. I frowned, but then followed his gaze and froze.
A handful of horses grazed lazily in the field ahead of us. A few stable hands moved around the barn, brushing coats and tightening saddles. The rhythmic clink of tack filled the air, and my heart did a weird little flip.
“Majesty…” I started slowly, glancing from the horses to him. “Why do I feel like you’re up to something?”
He grinned, pure mischief. “Up to something? Me?”
I crossed my arms. “You’re definitely up to something.”
“Lex might’ve mentioned,” he said, drawing the words out like he was testing me, “that you’ve never been on a horse before.”
My eyes widened. “Wait, what?”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said easily, stepping ahead to open the gate. “He thought you’d enjoy learning while you’re here. Said you’ve got good balance and a brave streak.”
I blinked, caught somewhere between horror and delight. “He did, huh?”
Majesty’s grin widened. “Oh, he did. And lucky for you, your first lesson starts in about five minutes.”
He offered me his hand as we stepped through the gate, the smell of hay and sun-warmed wood growing stronger. My pulse raced.
“I’m really doing this, aren’t I?” I murmured, half to myself.
Majesty squeezed my fingers. “You are. And trust me, once you’re up there, you’ll never want to get down.”
The closer we got, the more the air changed, thicker with the earthy smell of horses. The soft shuffle of hooves echoed from the covered arena ahead, mingling with low voices and the creak of leather.
The stables stretched wide, built of weathered wood and worn smooth from years of use. Each stall door had a polished brass nameplate, and a few curious horses leaned out to investigate us. One nuzzled at Majesty’s sleeve, earning a quiet chuckle from him and a soft pat on the nose.
“Friendly bunch,” I murmured, stepping closer.
“Only if they like you,” came a deep, warm voice from further down the aisle.
I turned and my breath caught.
The man walking toward us looked like he’d stepped straight out of a ranch calendar.
Broad shoulders beneath a faded blue shirt, sleeves rolled to reveal tanned forearms. His hair was brown with just a trace of gray at the temples, the same silver streaked through his neatly trimmed beard.
His eyes were an unreal, piercing blue that caught mine and held.
“This must be Cami,” he said, smiling in a way that managed to be both kind and assessing.
“Yes,” Majesty replied for me, his tone respectful. “Lex and I wanted her to start lessons while she’s here. Thought you’d be the right one for the job.”
“Good call,” Arlo said, then turned his attention back to me. “You ever been around horses before?”
I shook my head. “Closest I’ve come is a carousel.”
That earned me a deep laugh, the kind that warmed the air around him. “Then we’ll start simple.”
He gestured toward a pretty paint. The mare was saddled and waiting in one of the training rings. “That’s Starling. She’s steady and sweet. Perfect for a first-timer.”
Majesty leaned against the railing, folding his arms as Arlo led me over. His gaze followed every move I made, quiet but unreadable. It did something strange to my chest. Like making me aware of him in a way that felt too intimate for something as innocent as a riding lesson.
Arlo showed me how to approach the horse, how to run my hand along her neck to let her know I was there.
His voice was steady, patient, explaining everything from the reins to the stirrups.
I tried to focus, but the combination of his deep drawl and Majesty’s watchful presence behind me made my nerves hum.
Arlo adjusted the cinch beneath the saddle, then stepped back, and nodded toward the mare. “Go ahead. Let’s see you climb up.”
I drew a steadying breath and put my foot in the stirrup, Majesty’s voice drifted softly from behind me. “You’ve got this, Cami.”
When I finally settled in the saddle, both men stood nearby. Arlo steady and encouraging, Majesty quiet but impossibly present. Between them, I felt seen, guided, and just a little undone.
Starling shifted beneath me, her muscles flexing in smooth, rhythmic motions. The first few seconds were awkward with me gripping the reins too tightly, my legs stiff. But Arlo’s calm voice cut through the jumble of nerves.
“Easy, sweetheart. Loosen your grip. Horses feel what you feel.”
Majesty’s low laugh carried from behind me. “Careful, Arlo. She’s competitive.”
“Oh, I can see that,” Arlo said. “That look in her eyes says she wants to prove herself.”
I drew a breath, letting the air move slowly out of my lungs. The mare responded instantly, her pace smoothing out.
“You’re a natural,” Arlo said after a few minutes. “Got good balance. Light touch.”
I smiled, cheeks warm. “Thanks. I had a good teacher.”
He grinned. “You’ve barely started, sweetheart. Now give her a little room to lead. You don’t have to control everything.”
My lips twitched. “That sounds like something Lex would say.”
Arlo chuckled. “Then he’s a smart man.”
Majesty’s expression had softened, becoming less guarded, almost proud. “You look good up there,” he said, voice roughened by something I couldn’t quite name.
The compliment hit me harder than I expected. For a moment I was thrust back into the past, a time before I’d met Majesty and Lex. A time when I wasn’t the woman still angry about what my ex had done. Back when I wasn’t afraid to live.
Shaking off the memory, I straightened in the saddle, letting Starling move in a slow circle around the pen.
The motion grew easier with each step, my body syncing with hers in a way that felt natural, like I’d known how all along but had just forgotten.
When I passed Majesty again, our eyes met. His hand flexed against the rail.
“Careful,” Arlo murmured with a faint grin, catching the exchange. “That’s how riders fall. They get distracted by something on the sidelines.”
I laughed, startled out of the moment. “Right. Focus.”
But I could still feel Majesty’s gaze on me, steady and consuming, like he wanted to memorize this version of me: free, unguarded, almost happy.
By the time Arlo had me bring Starling to a stop, a fine sheen of sweat had gathered at my temples, and my pulse was still racing.
I slid down carefully, boots crunching in the dirt, and Arlo caught the reins with practiced ease.
The adrenaline coursing through me was from conquering a fear and accomplishing a goal from my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to ride a horse and now I had!
“Not bad for a first day,” he said. “You’ll be riding trails in no time.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling despite the flush on my cheeks. “That was actually incredible.”
Majesty came closer then. His voice was low when he spoke. “Surrender happens when you stop fighting yourself.”
The words sent a ripple through me.
Arlo glanced between us, reading the air but choosing not to comment. “You did good work today, Cami. We’ll go again tomorrow if you’re up for it.”
“I’ll be here,” I said automatically, then bit back a smile. “I can’t wait to ride again.”
“Good.” He tipped his hat, leading Starling back toward the stalls.
Majesty stayed beside me as we watched him go, the silence between us thick with everything we hadn’t said.
It was difficult to remain cool when he looked damn edible.
His skin had a sun-kissed glow that was good for him.
Though it was February, the sun still shone brightly in the afternoon.
Now though, it was beginning to get chilly as the sun descended to rest.
Majesty’s phone rang and he glanced at the screen. “I need to take this, gimme a sec,” he said before walking away from me. He never turned his back to me, keeping his eyes glued to mine.
I took the moment to finally exhale. Today had been wonderful and I’d spent most of it with Majesty.
He’d been the perfect gentleman. Even I knew I’d lowered my guards around him today.
It was too wonderful of a day not to. Being outside with the animals and focused on the moment had made everything else fade to black.
My anxiety had melted and I’d leaned into the attraction I felt for him.