Chapter 36
Daisy settled into a gentle trot beneath her, and Shylo couldn't help smiling as she posted in rhythm with the mare's movement.
The first time she'd ridden the mare, Seth had kept Daisy on a lead from Maple’s saddle, talking her through the basics one careful step at a time.
Now, she guided the horse around the corral on her own without feeling as though every stride might send her tumbling into the dirt.
Her body had finally stopped protesting after every lesson, having grown accustomed to using muscles she'd never known she had. The canter still intimidated her—Shane had suggested trying it more than once—but she wasn't ready for that leap yet. One victory at a time.
Across the corral, Shane watched with his arms resting on the top rail of the fence. “Looking better,” he called. “You're not fighting her nearly as much.”
“I'm trying not to.”
“It shows.”
His praise warmed her. Not because she'd managed a decent trot, but because it came from him.
Over a month ago, she'd been a stranger who'd driven into Hazard Falls wanting answers about a father she'd never known.
Now, she spent nearly every day learning something new about the Triple-R, whether it was balancing a ranch ledger, understanding breeding records, or sitting a horse properly.
Shane wasn't making her feel like an employee he'd reluctantly taken on out of guilt.
He'd made it clear he wanted her beside him, helping run the ranch one day—if that was the future she wanted for herself.
There were still parts of ranch life she'd probably never do.
She couldn't picture herself riding out with the men to gather cattle or working a branding pen, and honestly, she wasn't sure anyone wanted to see that.
But she enjoyed watching them work in the pastures.
There was something mesmerizing about how the cowboys, horses, and herding dogs moved as though they all shared the same thoughts.
She belonged here.
That realization no longer felt impossible.
It felt... right.
The only part of her new life that refused to find its place was Seth.
Every glance in his direction reminded her of what she'd lost.
She caught herself looking for him far more often than she should have, only to watch him disappear into the barn, head in another direction, or get into his truck to run an errand before she'd gotten close. He was never rude. Never angry. Just... absent. Deliberately so.
She couldn't blame him.
If their positions had been reversed, she wasn't sure she'd have handled it any better. She'd lied to him from the day they'd met, even if she'd convinced herself it had been for the right reasons. No matter how genuine her feelings had become, she'd kept the truth from him far too long.
Accepting that hurt, but not nearly as much as realizing she'd probably sacrificed their friendship too.
Maybe, given enough time, they could find their way back to that.
She wasn't sure how she'd handle watching him fall in love with someone else someday, but she'd deal with it when the time came.
If friendship were all he could offer, she'd take it.
Having Seth in her life in any capacity would be better than not having him in it at all.
Shane had certainly done everything he could to convince her she already had a place on the Triple-R.
He'd insisted she stay in the main house as long as she wanted, reminding her there was no rush to decide anything.
He'd shown her the small cottage where he’d lived after turning twenty-one—a little house tucked away on the property that Tucker's parents now used whenever they visited from Arizona.
They'd be arriving in another week, but until then, it stood empty.
Then, Shane surprised her by offering to build her a house of her own on the ranch.
The offer had left her speechless.
Someday, maybe. But not yet. She liked being near everyone and getting to know her new family, especially Ari and Ashley. And Paige was fast becoming the sister Shylo had never had.
“Looking good.”
Shane's voice pulled her from her thoughts as Daisy completed another circuit of the corral. Shylo glanced toward the gate and noticed Seth walking across the yard, Maple following quietly on a loose lead. Her heartbeat stumbled before settling into an altogether different rhythm.
He hadn't shaved in a few days, and she found she liked the scruff on him.
As handsome as ever, he looked every bit the rugged cowboy she'd fallen in love with.
She couldn't help letting her gaze wander over him, taking in the broad shoulders beneath his T-shirt, the faded jeans molded to long legs, and the worn boots she'd watched cross the ranch more times than she could count.
He stopped beside Shane, and the two men exchanged a few words she couldn't make out from where she was. Shane listened, then glanced toward her, a slow smile spreading across his face before he gave a single nod.
Seth turned his attention to her. “You up for a ride through the woods with me?”
Hope bloomed so suddenly it nearly stole her breath.
It was the first time since he'd stormed out of the house the night he'd discovered who she really was that he'd spoken to her about anything that didn't involve the ranch. Every conversation since then had been brief, polite, and strictly business.
And now he wanted to ride with her?
Not even an alien invasion could've made her say no.
“I'd love to.”
She guided Daisy toward the gate, and Shane pulled it open.
“Take your time,” he said, glancing between the two of them. “Just don't make me send out a search party.”
Seth smiled. “I think we'll manage.”
“I know you will.”
He gave Shylo a small wave as she rode through before pulling the gate shut again. Seth slipped his boot into Maple's stirrup and swung easily into the saddle, settling the reins in one hand.
“Want me to put her on a lead?” he asked.
Shylo patted Daisy's neck. “We’ve been getting along fine, so I think I'm good... as long as you don't go too fast.”
“I won’t.” His expression softened enough to ease the knot in her stomach. “Trust me.”
The irony wasn't lost on her.
She trusted him completely.
If only the reverse were the same. Her secret was out in the open now. There was nothing left to hide.
He turned Maple toward the trail leading into the woods, keeping the mare at an easy walk that Daisy matched without hesitation.
Morning sunlight filtered through the cottonwoods before giving way to taller oaks and hickories, their leaves rustling overhead in the warm breeze.
The air was noticeably cooler in the shade and carried the earthy scent of damp soil, moss, and summer wildflowers.
For the first several minutes, neither of them spoke.
The silence wasn't awkward, though. It was... cautious, as though they were both testing the ice before taking another step.
“So,” Seth said at last, his attention on the trail ahead, “how's Shane's crash course in ranch life going? Keeping you busy?”
She smiled. “It's good. And he's definitely keeping me busy. I swear the man wakes up every morning determined to teach me five new ranch terms so he can watch my brain short-circuit.”
A chuckle escaped him. “That sounds like him.”
“And Tucker’s been teaching me all about caring for the horses and tackle. He said there’s a... oh, what’s it called again? A farrier, I think. Someone who trims their hooves and replaces their horseshoes?”
“Yup. You can cross that word off your vocabulary list.”
She laughed. “One word out of a few hundred. Not bad. Anyway, the farrier is coming on Monday, so I get to watch that and learn how to pick a rock out of a hoof.”
“The hardest part is getting the horse to trust you enough to lift its leg. There’s a technique to it, and some horses like Maple here who can be stubborn about it.”
“Really? But she’s so sweet.”
“That she is. But she’s stubborn too. Just like her owner.”
It took her a moment to realize he was referring to himself.
For the first time since everything had fallen apart, being with him felt almost normal. It wasn’t the easy companionship they'd shared before, but close enough to remind her what she'd been missing—and to make her wonder if, maybe, they could find their way back.
The conversation drifted from there, touching on safe subjects neither of them had to think too hard about. She admitted she'd never realized there was a difference between hay and straw until Tucker had patiently explained it to her.
Seth told her that the crew had started setting up the fairgrounds for next week's Rodeo Bonanza and promised she'd seen nothing quite like it.
Shylo mentioned she'd offered to take a few shifts at the Bar None's booth during the event.
Before long, they were laughing over Ashley and Sassy, both agreeing it was impossible to tell whether the toddler or the puppy was leading the other into mischief these days.
It wasn't the effortless back-and-forth they'd once shared.
Not yet.
But it was close and more than she'd dared hope for when she'd ridden Daisy out of the corral a short time ago.
The trail curved gently to the left before opening into a thinner stand of trees. Sunlight spilled across the path ahead, bright enough that she had to squint.
Seth slowed Maple to a stop, and Shylo did the same. Her gaze drifted past the trees to the narrow stream, then the small glade on the other side, and she recognized the spot instantly.
It was where they'd shared their first kiss.
Before she could find the words to ask why they were there, Seth swung out of the saddle. He draped the horse’s reins over a low branch, then crossed to Daisy and held out a hand.
“Need some help?”
Not really, but she didn’t decline his offer. She slipped her fingers into his, expecting him to let go the moment her boots touched the ground.
He didn't.