Chapter Fifteen #2
“No. Happy. No.” Bobbing in the saddle, Eve sawed on the reins to slow Happy down, completely forgetting she should be steering him right or left until it was too late. “Sorry. Sorry.”
Happy trotted right between the two horses, forcing Hayden to drop the lead rope on Katie’s mare.
Star skittered sideways away from Eve and Happy.
Clutching the saddle horn, Katie screamed, “Mama!”
“Whoa!” Hayden cried. “Pull back, Katie. Whoa.”
But Katie seemed to be too scared to heed Hayden’s instructions. Star bolted.
As Eve watched her worst fears unfold, something came over her. She leaned over Happy’s neck, kicked his flanks, and yelled, “Yah!”
Happy might have trotted faster. It was hard to tell.
“Stop, Evie. We don’t want two runaways.” Hayden leaned over and pulled her reins backward, bringing Happy to a stop. “Are you okay?” At her nod, he leaned over Red’s neck and yelled, “Come on, boy!” And off he went at top speed.
My hero.
Eve kept a tight hold on Happy’s reins. He swung his head around to take a look at Eve and blew a raspberry, as if to say, “Come on, chicken. We’re part of the herd.”
A glance ahead showed Hayden capturing Katie’s reins and bringing Star to a smooth stop.
“Okay. I guess you’re right.” She relaxed her hold on the reins and gave Happy a gentle kick. “That’s my baby up there and we can’t be left behind.”
*
“Hay-Hay.” Katie reached for Hayden when he brought Star to a stop. Her little face was pinched with fear. “Hay-Hay.”
Without hesitation, Hayden drew the little girl into his lap. “I’ve got you.” He still held Star’s reins too.
The normally unflappable mare nudged Katie’s leg with her nose.
“Bad horse.” Katie gave a half-hearted kick with one foot, missing Star entirely.
“No, Katie. That’s not how we treat a horse.
” Hayden might have put too much emphasis on those words because Katie turned her face into his chest and really turned on the waterworks.
She might have lost her cowboy hat if she hadn’t been wearing a chin strap.
“What I mean to say is…” He searched for the right words.
Having little experience with kids, he had to search a lot longer than he’d have liked.
“A good cowgirl knows her horse and what he’ll do in every situation.
You learned something about Star today. She likes to race. ”
“I don’t like to race.” The sprite banged her nose onto his chest. “It was scary.”
“You’ll learn how to control a horse, just like Piper and Sadie.” Hayden tried to sound reassuring but was afraid he failed. “Before you know it, you’ll be the boss of every horse you ride.”
“I’m not a boss. I’m only four.”
At four, Hayden had already been a demon on horseback. But Katie hadn’t grown up on a ranch. “You’ll be a horse boss by five. I promise.”
Katie sniffed and leaned back to look at him, teary-eyed. “Are you gonna teach me?”
With everything on his plate, he hadn’t planned to. But there was something about this little angel that made him want to say yes. “Of course, I’m going to teach you. Both you and your mother.”
“I love you, Hay-Hay.” Katie wrapped her little arms around him and gave him a squeeze.
“Katie, are you all right?” Evie reached them. Happy seemed winded, stopping without Evie moving the reins.
“Yes, Mama.” How quickly Katie recovered, wiping away her tears. “Hay-Hay saved me. And now, he’s going to teach me how to be the best cowgirl ever.” Katie lifted her head, catching Hayden’s eye with a glowing smile. “He said he’d teach you too, Mama. And then we can gallop all over.”
“Great.” Evie didn’t look enthused.
“That’s the spirit, Evie,” Hayden teased. “We’ll have you riding like you were born to the saddle by the end of summer.”
“Great,” Evie repeated, reaching over to touch Katie’s booted foot, as if needing reassurance her daughter was okay. “Just about the time our bargain ends.”
Hayden’s mouth worked. But he didn’t argue.
*
Clover Creek was charming.
The creek itself was about ten feet wide. It flowed over a rocky bottom, shadows created by the pines it wound past. As promised, the meadow was filled with green clovers. The girls noticed that right away.
Eve slid off Happy, glad to have her boots on the ground, even if her legs didn’t quite work the way they should have. “We can both use a rest, fella.”
“You were so brave, Katie.” Hayden handed Katie to Eve. “You and your mama both.”
Eve hugged Katie, but her little girl was already over her scare.
“I love you, Mama.” She squirmed to get down. “But I’ve got to be with my cousins now.” Katie scampered to join the twins at the creek.
Hayden reached over and gave her braid a light tug. “I’m proud of you.”
I’m proud of you.
Eve patted Happy’s neck while he drank from the creek, while Hayden’s words played on repeat in her head, like a fondly repeated caress.
I’m proud of you.
That wasn’t something Steven had ever said to her. It was something her mother was likely to say. And Violet.
“Can you help me lay out the food?” Hayden spread a red-and-white-checkered blanket on the ground beneath a tall pine.
“I’ll take Happy.” Rhett didn’t wait for Eve to agree. He collected the horse’s reins.
Hayden peered at her face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Happy took care of me.” She tried to smile.
“Just Happy?” Hayden asked softly.
“You did too,” Eve admitted. He’d been marvelous with Katie, riding to her rescue and being upbeat the rest of the ride. “Thank you.”
“I’d kiss you, but I don’t want to subject you to any bad kisses.” Hayden’s grin was overflowing with mischief.
“You two haven’t mastered kisses?” Rhett jumped right on that statement. “What kind of marriage is this?”
Uh-oh.
Before Eve came up with a reply, Hayden ducked down and kissed her on the lips, briefly. Passionately. And then he gave his brother a dirty look. “It’s a joke, Rhett.”
“I hope it’s a joke meant to annoy you, brother.” Rhett smirked at Eve. “You should never give my brother an even break.”
“Of course she should,” Hayden protested. “We’re married. She loves me.”
Eve’s breath caught. He said that as if he was happy Eve loved him.
How could that be true?