24
R uby’s a goddamn beautiful sight.
I slow my stride, pausing in the doorway of the stables to take in her tiny, willowy frame. She’s at the new pony’s stall, a cremello colt that’s just arrived. Her delicate hands smooth over his cheek, his creamy mane, his pink nose. What I wouldn’t give to be a horse right now.
My boots crunch the dirt. “Second time this week,” I tell Ruby. “This who you’re sneaking around on me with?”
Still petting the horse, she says, “I love him. He’s such a sweet boy. What’s his name?”
“Doesn’t have one. Namin’ them is bad luck. Means we keep ‘em.”
Ever so slightly, her body tenses. “You’re not keeping him?”
“He’s going to a buyer in Deer Lodge next month.”
“Oh.”
“Fastest way to get that colt broke is to go out there and break it.”
She nods and leans her head down to touch her forehead to the pony’s. “Guess we’re both taking off soon, huh?”
Her words cause my stomach to drop.
When she turns around, it damn near bottoms out.
I’ve never seen beautiful look so sad.
“Hey,” I say, closing the space between us. The sight of her sad face is like a gut punch. Her blue eyes, always filled with joy and sunshine, are dim. “What’s wrong?” I glare around the ranch. “Someone say something to you?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.”
A lie. The red rims around her eyes tell a different story.
“Bullshit.”
Her lower lip trembles and I don’t like it. Not one damn bit. I want to track the motherfucker down who stole the sunshine from her face and beat him to a pulp.
I sweep my finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to mine. “Baby, out with it.”
“I don’t know,” she whispers, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “I had a bad day.”
I run my hands down her shoulders. “That’s why you’re here? You had a thorn day?”
A little gasp pops out of her mouth. “You remembered.” The faintest smile tugs at her lips.
I can’t forget. I’ve had thorns every damn day of my life, but this summer, my sunflower has been Ruby.
“I did. I had a thorn day. And I love the horses,” she says with a reverence that twists my stomach. “They calm me.” She casts her eyes down. “I just needed somewhere to go.”
Fuck but I hate that she didn’t come to me. That she’s trying to solve our problems at the ranch but won’t let anyone solve hers.
I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn’t. Suddenly, I’m pissed as hell. I don’t like where we are. Some sort of tentative in-between. We’re not together, but I sure as fuck don’t want to be strangers.
Not anymore.
I’m losing it. Losing my edge, that casual indifference I’ve tried so hard to keep ever since she set foot in my town.
I used to think her a distraction on the ranch, but not anymore.
She’s more than a distraction.
More than joy.
She’s become my person to seek out. The one I want to see every morning when I wake up. I like telling her about my day, asking about hers, sleeping beside her at night and earning that dreamless, fucking fantastic night of sleep.
She’s my everything.
It feels wrong not knowing more about her.
“Horses calm me too,” I say, rubbing her arm. She smiles, despite the sad look on her face. Whatever’s bothering her, it’s my business to get to the bottom of it.
“They do?”
“Yeah. Whenever shit went wrong when I was a kid, I just lit out of my house and saddled up,” I tell her. “Spent the day at the creek and when I’d get back home, I’d be in good shape. There’s nothing as free as bein’ on a horse.”
“Free,” she whispers. Then she clears her stormy eyes and blinks up at me. “Was it like that in the rodeo?”
“It was.” I force the words out. “I started out helping my dad break colts when I was seven years old. Competed in rough stock in high school before I tried out for the big leagues.” At the question in her eyes, I add, “Bareback riding.”
“Ah.”
Memories surface. Me and Wyatt comparing injuries after the Last Chance Stampede in Helena. I had a busted collarbone; he had a torn tendon in his shoulder. We were beat up, bruised and fucked up, and we had never been prouder.
Competing in rodeos with my brother was like a breath of fresh air. That feeling I could spur anything down, of being tossed on your ass in the dirt. Adrenaline, plain and simple. It was a thrashing that lasted eight seconds, and I loved every second of it.
Her lips curve upward. “You win any medals, Cowboy?”
I chuckle. “Prize money, baby.” I kiss her lips. “Loads and loads of prize money.”
She half-turns, blue eyes scanning the stalls. “Which one’s yours?”
Taking her hand in mine, I move down the row, stopping in front of a massive black stallion.
“This one. Arrow.” I palm his cool nose. “My dad got all of us horses for our tenth birthdays. Tradition.”
“He’s a beauty,” she breathes.
“He’s a bastard.” I chuckle, swiping Arrow’s silky tuft of hair away from his face. His dark eyes aren’t amused at the affection. “The amount of times he’s tossed me on my ass are legendary.”
Ruby laughs in delight as she stands on tiptoes to scruff his mane. Arrow nickers, leaning into her touch, snuffling her palm, and picking up her scent. I watch, amused. Of course, he treats Ruby like a literal princess, but acts like an absolute dick to everyone else.
As I watch her croon to Arrow, I see the sad yearning in her eyes. She wants to ride.
That’s when it hits me—with or without me—she’ll ride.
One day. Somewhere.
When I’m not around to catch her.
A cold sweat erupts on the back of my neck.
I clench my fist, heart racing. The thought is almost too much.
She’s not Maggie. She’s okay.
I take a breath. “You wanna go for a ride?”
She turns, her gorgeous blue eyes rounded in surprise. “Really?” Her joyous grin is a lightning strike to my heart.
Then and there, I know the lengths I’d go to make her happy are infinite.
“Really.” I cup her face in my hands. “I’ll go slow.”
She nods, like she’s following my train of thought. “For me?”
No, for me . If we go anything faster than a trot, I’ll lose my damn mind.
“I’ll take you out to the creek. We’ll ride double.” I’m not brave enough to let her ride alone.
She lets out a little squeal and throws herself into my arms.
Instead of listening to every excuse why we can’t be anything other than sex, instead of fooling myself one more goddamn second, I do something I’ve been wanting to do all day.
I pull her tight against my chest and kiss her.
In , I think.
I’m in it with this woman and I don’t want out.