Chapter 41
Hayden
“Morgan said she would be happy to give me lessons,” Sierra says with her arms folded across her chest.
Morgan Berkley started working at Boulder Ranch not long before Sierra started, and Sierra quickly took a liking to her.
From what Miranda has told me, Morgan has experience as a barrel racer and is more than happy to train Sierra once she’s comfortable riding.
As much as I worry about Sierra getting hurt while trying something new, I’ll never tell her barrel racing isn’t for her.
Or that I don’t want her to do something if there’s a risk of getting hurt.
“Have I ever told you no? About anything? Calm down,” I say with a quiet laugh. “I just want to talk to Melanie about it. I’d feel more comfortable if the training were a combined effort. And that’s something you’ll need your own horse for. All things that need to be figured out, that’s all.”
Her shoulders slump, and it’s obvious she thinks I’m just trying to find a nice way to tell her no.
Instead of arguing with her, I nod toward my stables and head inside.
Sierra follows without a word, and I lead her to the last stall where I keep Dixie, my black American Quarter Horse, who watches us with curiosity.
“You’ve met Dixie,” I say as I stroke her shiny mane.
Sierra rolls her eyes. “I know all of your horses. I help take care of them, remember?”
I let another chuckle escape. Clearly, Sierra has gotten comfortable enough to let her sass show. I was beginning to think she was a unicorn. Folding my arms across my chest, I pin her with a look.
“Anyway,” I say, dragging out the word. “Why don’t you tack her up so we can take a short ride. See how she feels to you. We can do a simple ride around the perimeter of my property.”
Sierra’s expression softens at the suggestion of a ride, but I’m not sure she’s figured out where I’m heading with this.
Dixie has a great temperament and would likely be pretty easy to train for barrels.
If she’s going to go out there and try this, I’d rather she do it with an animal I know and trust.
It doesn’t take us long to get them ready and head out.
I appreciate the warm breeze as we set a leisurely pace.
After just this small amount of time, I can already see how comfortable she is riding, and it serves to ease my mind.
There’s no doubt Sierra can do anything she puts her mind to, but most people who compete in rodeo events have been around the animals damned near their entire lives.
When she came to me to ask about barrel racing, there was no stopping the immediate memories of Lisa getting transported to the hospital.
Of losing her. Especially considering how much Sierra favors her aunt.
I casually pick up the pace, and Sierra has no issues leading Dixie to follow suit. Pride fills my chest as I watch her handle the horse like someone who’s been riding for years and not someone who has only recently taken to the ranch lifestyle.
“Hell, I might send you out to herd cattle when I don’t feel like it,” I joke when we come to a stop at the edge of my property.
“Heck yeah! That sounds like fun.”
Shaking my head, I laugh at her enthusiasm. “Easy there, cowgirl. One thing at a time. But once you’re comfortable, I’ll let you take Dixie and come with me sometime.”
The girl’s grin is contagious, and I find myself smiling right along with her. We take a few minutes to sit and appreciate the view. Cattle graze in the background, and the sun is at the perfect height to cast shadows behind them, making the scene look like a painting.
“Alright, let’s head back so we can eat at a reasonable time. I’m hungry.” I take the reins and lead the way back to the stables.
We ride in silence and return just as the sun begins to hang low above the trees. After brushing down the horses, we make sure they have plenty of fresh water and that everything is set for the night.
We’re nearly to the house when Sierra speaks. “Are you really going to just let Miranda move to the city?”
Stopping in my tracks, I turn to face her.
This is the first time she’s asked me a direct question about Miranda and me.
I swallow hard as I try to think of an appropriate response.
The girl isn’t stupid, so I know pretending there’s nothing between us will never work.
Plus, I don’t want to be anything but honest with her.
“Miranda is an adult; I can’t stop her from doing whatever it is she wants to do.”
Sierra raises a brow at me. “But does she know you don’t want her to?”
“What makes you so sure I care either way if she moves? It’s not like she’s moving across the country.”
With a sigh, Sierra continues walking into the house and toward the kitchen.
She’s already got two containers of leftovers on the counter ready to go.
I love that she doesn’t have a problem with leftovers.
There’s simply too much going on to cook a meal every night, so I’ve fallen into the routine of cooking way more than we need on my nights to cook, so we have enough for at least two meals.
After washing my hands, I empty the two containers of beef stew into a pot and turn it on low.
“I see the way you two look at each other with hearts in your eyes. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t kind of cute. You don’t want her to go. I don’t want her to go. So, you need to tell her,” Sierra says with a shrug. As if it’s that simple.
I stir the food, buying myself time to come up with a response. “I told her. So, it’s up to her. I want her to be happy, and if she has to move to the city and start a new life in order to do that, I won’t stop her.”
With a crooked smile, she contemplates something before nodding. “Okay.”
“Hey.” I point the spoon in her direction. “You aren’t going to try to stop her either, got it?”
She rolls her eyes at me again, and I wonder how many times she can do that before they get stuck.
I turn to stir the food, and when I turn back around, she’s gone, leaving me with nothing but my thoughts.
I may have responded as if I don’t care, but deep down, there’s nothing I want more than for Miranda to stay.
If she’s going to move somewhere, I want it to be here with us.
Now that I’ve had a taste of what my life is like with Miranda in it, I’d do just about anything to hold onto it.
But the one thing I can’t do is take the choice away from her.
Just as I turn the stove off, Sierra reappears wearing pajamas. She takes a seat at the island, a sullen look all over her face. Finally remembering the whole reason we took the horses out, I greet her with a smile after filling two bowls and joining her.
“So, you never told me what you thought of Dixie.”
She tries to hide her smile, but I catch it creeping through. “She was alright.”
I give her a sidelong glance before taking a bite of the beef stew, which tastes even better as leftovers. Sierra does the same, and it’s quiet for a few long moments while we eat. When she still doesn’t elaborate, I gently prod.
“Just alright?”
She shrugs.
“Well, I guess never mind, then. If you liked her and found her easy to ride, I was going to give her to you. She’d probably make an excellent barrel horse. But I guess we can keep looking-”
“What?” she shrieks, cutting me off. “Seriously? She’s mine?”
A bit of the heaviness from talking about Miranda leaving lifts from my chest, and I grin at the excited teenager beside me. “Only if you want her. I don’t want to twist your arm or anything.”
Once again, she squeals in excitement, clapping her hands and doing a little dance in her seat before taking a bite of her food and responding with her mouth still full. “Yes. I want her! I can train with Morgan?”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. I’ve been telling her since she asked that my answer wasn’t no.
That I just needed to get things figured out.
“I still want to talk to Morgan and to Melanie, but I’m okay with it as long as we get it all figured out.
I’d feel better if you would at least wait until after summer is over.
That will give you time to get more comfortable riding and get to know Dixie better. ”
Sierra is out of her seat before I’ve finished speaking. She wraps her arms around me from behind and squeezes me in an awkward hug before bounding out of the kitchen. “Thank you! I’m going to call Miranda!”
Those words instantly cause the heaviness to creep back in.
Sierra loves Miranda. If she moves, I’ll be able to handle it; but it will crush Sierra.
I shouldn’t have let Miranda get so close.
I should have done a better job shielding Sierra, who’s had enough pain in recent months.
All I can do now is hope Miranda realizes that she belongs here.
Before she moves away and out of our lives.