Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CALEB
“Turn left on the next road,” Mia tells me, her voice soft as she turns her head, her eyes gazing out the window as we head down the winding backroads. Sugar Hill Hollow isn’t a long drive from Aston and since I don’t have any games today, I jumped at the opportunity to drive Mia and Tella.
Tella’s been bugging Mia about getting to meet her horse ever since Mia brought him up.
Mia asked me a few days if I minded if she took her today, as long as the weather was cooperative.
The sun’s been shining bright all morning without a single cloud in sight.
The air has a bit of a chill to it, which isn’t surprising since we’re deep into the fall months now, but it’s a nice warm day considering.
As we approach the road, my eyes roll over the sign and I flip on my turn signal, waiting for a truck coming the opposite way to pass.
Following Mia’s directions, I turn the car onto Lavender Lane, slowly making our way down the road.
Bright white fences line the right side and there are a few horses out in the center of the field.
“That’s Willow’s family’s farm,” she says, glancing at me, a soft smile pulling across her lips.
“The driveway is down between those two trees.” She points ahead.
We near the two massive maple trees with an opened black iron gate situated between them.
I pull off the road, the gravel beneath the car kicking up from my tires as we head down the drive lined with trees and the same bright white fencing.
As we reach the end of the lane, there’s a house situated on the left with the back of it overlooking the river. If you turn to the right, there’s a barn with the grey exterior matching the house.
“They have a really nice property here,” I tell her as she points to where I can park alongside the barn. Just beyond what looks to be the horse stable is a small riding arena and another barn.
“Don’t they? I just love coming here. It’s so peaceful and quiet, tucked away from the rest of the world,” she adds with a smile.
“It’s got a great view of the river,” I say, turning off the engine as I glance at Tella in the rearview mirror. She’s already unbuckled with her hands on the door. Her eyes are wide as she stares out at the field with half a dozen horses occupying the space.
“Which one is yours, Mia?”
Mia smiles, glancing over her shoulder as she looks at my daughter. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
I grab the bag of apples we brought along and Mia gets out of the car before I have the chance to open it for her. I stop by the back, opening Tella’s. She climbs out with excitement rolling off her in waves.
She doesn’t even bother to stop by me. Instead, she breezes past, skipping over to Mia.
I close the car door, slowly turning around to catch sight of the two of them.
Mia tips her chin to look down at Tella as Tella lifts hers.
Their gazes are locked and a tender smile tugs on Mia’s lips as Tella slides her hand into hers. Just two horse girls.
My grip on the bag of apples tightens, my throat constricting as my heart swells. I never really worried how Tella would take to Mia, but seeing the two of them like this is indescribable. It hurts my chest while simultaneously filling it to the brim with joy.
I shelve the conflicting feeling as I let myself enjoy this moment with just the two of them. Tella tugs on Mia’s hand and Mia lets out a soft laugh that tugs on my heart. It’s the sweetest melody I’ve ever heard and I soak in the warmth that washes over me.
She warms my soul like the sun upon my skin.
I follow behind them as they lead the way, heading down the gravel lane that wraps around the back of the barn. We stop at the gate by the meadow.
“Do you see the bay one out there?”
Tella lifts on her tip toes, pointing out to the field. “The one over there?”
“Yep,” Mia smiles at her. “That’s Hank.”
“Can we go get him?”
“I have a better idea,” Mia says with a wink. She releases Tella’s hand, bringing both of hers to cup around her mouth as she whistles loudly. The sound has two beats and I watch in amazement as the gelding lifts his head quickly, his whinnying carrying across the breeze.
He drops his head, breaking out into a trot and then a lope as he heads across the field, not stopping until he’s reaching the fence where we are. He slows to a stop and snorts out a breath when he drops his head, a low knicker escaping him as he comes right up to Mia.
“Hey, old man,” she murmurs, scratching her nails against the whorl in the center of his forehead. “I brought a new friend for you to meet.”
As if he understands what she’s saying, he drops his head down to Tella. She holds her hand out to him, letting him smell her. He bobs his nose, blowing his breath against her hair as he lets out another soft sound.
“I think he likes you, babe.” Mia smiles down at her. “Should we get him out? We can take him into the barn and give him a good brushing. He loves that.”
“Oh, yes, please!” Tella says, bobbing up and down. She looks back at me, remembering I’m here. “Can we, daddy?”
“Whatever Mia says, T,” I say, meeting Mia’s eyes as she glances over her shoulder at me. “She’s in charge here.”
Mia’s gaze lingers for a moment before she grabs a rope halter and lead rope from the hooks next to the gate. Tella takes a few steps back beside me, both of us watching as Mia lets herself into the pasture. I watch her carefully as she steps up next to her horse.
Her lips move as she says something quietly to him, too quiet for either of us to hear.
I’m mesmerized by the way the horse responds.
It’s as if he’s completely tuned in to her, dropping his head, waiting patiently as she slips the halter on.
He stands beside her, waiting for her to move as she pushes open the gate.
The horse doesn’t try to lead her or pull away. His movements are deliberately slow and careful as he walks with her and beside her, not ahead of her. Tella’s pony operates in the same fashion. It’s clear he’s a well trained animal that is in tune with his rider.
Mia leads him through the gate and I step up, pushing it closed behind her and making sure it’s securely shut. As I turn back around to see them, I find Mia handing the lead rope to Tella, falling in step beside her as she leads Mia’s horse toward the stable.
My heart crawls into my throat once more. Carrying the bag of apples, I follow after Mia Landry like a lost puppy. She’s doing things to me I never imagined would be possible again. She’s making me feel things I never thought I’d be capable of feeling again.
And suddenly, I can’t imagine not looking at her the way I do now.
As we walk up to the barn, an older white truck pulls up alongside the barn and parks close to mine. Mia pauses, her horse stopping beside her as she lifts her hand to wave at whomever is sitting behind the wheel. I slow to a stop next to her and Tella as a man slips out of the driver’s door.
“Hey, Noah!”
He looks to be in his mid to late twenties. Dirty blonde hair curls around the edges of his backward baseball hat and a smile lifts his lips as he raises his hand to wave back to her. “Hey, Mia.”
He shuts the door of his truck and walks around to the back as he pulls something out of the bed.
I watch him for a moment, assessing the situation as he drags a bail of hay from the tail gate.
His hands grip the twine, the lean muscles in his arms flexing as he carries it to the front of the barn and tosses it on the ground.
Something tightens around the base of my throat, my stomach sinking as I watch him walk over to Mia. His black T-shirt and light jeans are dusty, undoubtedly from a day of work but he doesn’t hesitate to pull Mia into a hug.
“How are you doin’?”
“I’m good,” she says, smiling brightly as they release and take a step away from one another. “I wasn’t sure if I’d run into you or not today.” My jaw tightens, my teeth clamping together. The pressure is significant and it feels as though my molars could crumble beneath it.
This must be Willow’s brother—the one who now runs the farm.
“Noah, this is Caleb and Tella,” Mia says, motioning to me. Her eyes quickly scan my face, eyebrows tugging together. “This is Willow’s brother, Noah.”
Noah looks down at my daughter, offering her a warm smile. “Hello, Tella.”
“Hi, Mr. Noah!”
Noah lifts his gaze to me, immediately closing the distance between us and extends his hand for me to take. I release my clenched jaw, the jealousy still boiling in the pit of my stomach as I take his hand. “Nice to meet you,” he says, giving me a firm shake and a swift nod.
“You as well,” I tell him, my voice low in warning. I don’t like the way he and Mia embraced and I sure as hell don’t like the jealousy that’s wrecking havoc inside of my mind. I know he’s her best friend’s brother, but did they ever have a thing?
Mia’s past doesn’t matter to me, but at the same time, she’s drop dead gorgeous and to my knowledge, this man isn’t blind. It’s hard not to be blinded by her light.
He lets go of my hand, his green eyes assessing me with a raised eyebrow before he slowly bobs his head. “I’ll let you guys get back to it. It was nice meeting you,” he says to me and looks at Mia. “If you need anything, I’ll be down by the dock.”
“Thanks, Noah,” Mia smiles at him, placing her hand against Tella’s back. “Come on,” she says softly as she guides her toward the barn.
“Bye, Mr. Noah!” Tella says, waving at him. The muscle in my jaw ticks once more and my knuckles are undoubtedly white as I tighten my grip around the bag of apples. Noah looks between Mia and me once more before he heads in the direction of the other barn.
I catch Mia’s gaze as she looks over her shoulder at me. “What was that?” she half whispers as she lets Tella lead Hank into the barn. We follow behind as she leads him to the wash stall.
“I don’t like him.”
Her face scrunches. “You don’t even know him.”
“I don’t need to.”
She grabs a brush for Tella, handing it to her as she quickly ties the horse and gives him a pat on his neck. The horse drops his head, eyes closing as if he’s falling asleep. I walk to the side of the stall, just around the corner as I set the bag of apples down.
Mia appears in front of me and corners me against the wall, stepping into my space. I look past her. Tella has her back to us, paying us no mind as she sings to Hank.
Mia slides her arms up around the back of my neck, lifting onto her tip toes. “Are you jealous, Caleb Ford?”
A grumble vibrates in my chest as I slip my hands around her waist, pulling her flush against my body in a rush. “Maybe.”
“Well, I promise, you have nothing to worry about with him,” she says under her breath, her lips softly grazing mine. “Or anyone for that matter.”
I capture her mouth with mine, my lips moving torturously slow against hers as I draw the air from her lungs. Mia half sags against me, her lips parting, tongue slipping out to tangle with mine. My tongue dances with hers, before I’m pulling away with both of us breathless.
Lips parted, breathing shallow, she peers up at me through her long dark lashes. “What was that for?”
“Assurance,” I murmur as her gaze burns through mine.
“For what?”
My fingers tighten on her hips. “That you’re mine.”
She slowly tilts her head to the side, her fingers threading through the hair along the nape of my neck. Her lips part as if she’s going to say something, but the words dissolve on her tongue as Tella’s voice severs the moment.
“Mia! Am I allowed to try and clean his hooves?”
A slow smile pulls on her lips as she stares up at me. “Grab the hoof pick from the grooming box,” she tells my daughter as she drops her arms away from the back of my neck. “I’ll come help you.”
My fingers linger on her hips, pulling her back to me once more. “This isn’t over,” I murmur, my mouth claiming hers in a hasty kiss. “This is far from over,” I assure her, letting my hand fall away from her hip.
“I’ll reassure you later tonight,” she says with a wink before spinning around to head back into the wash stall.
My chest constricts as I watch her walk back over to my daughter, Tella greeting her with excitement.
I walk to the wash stall and lean against the wall as I cross my ankles, pushing my hands into the front pockets of my pants.
I savor the moment, my heart stumbling over itself as I watch the two of them together.
And as swiftly as a soft and gentle exhale, I let the realization wash over me, settling deep beneath my rib cage.
Mia Landry has a hold on me. It tugs on my heart strings as I watch the tenderness she has with my daughter.
My daughter, who looks at her as if she hung the sun and the moon and all the stars in the sky.
And perhaps she did . . .
Because I know my skies shine a little bit brighter with her in it.