“Stop callin’ me that. And you could barely walk a few hours ago, so forgive me for assumin’ you’d be bitchin’ and moanin’ over a headache.”
“Oh, don’t worry. My head’s killin’ me. I’m just choosin’ to ignore it.”
I chuckle under my breath. “Alright. You can start over there, then. I’m almost done with this row.”
“Aye aye, captain.” With a cocky smirk, he gives me a salute and walks toward the tack room.
I shake my head at his ability to wake up and act normal.
My phone’s been vibrating on and off for the last thirty minutes, so when I finish this stall, I finally check it.
Forty-seven text messages.
What the fuck?I don’t even like forty-seven people.
When I click on my messages, it’s Jake’s horse club group chat that’s blowing up my phone.
Damn, they start early.
I scroll through them talking about someone’s injured horse and asking for updates on how it’s doing. There’s a bunch ofthinking of y’allandkeep me updatedmessages. The problem is I have no idea who anyone is except Jake. All I see are random phone numbers, and I don’t recognize any of them.
Since I don’t want to intrude during a vulnerable moment, I’ll wait until Jake introduces me.
At nine-thirty, Wilder and I wrangle up the horses needed for the first trail riding session. When the guests check in at The Lodge, Tripp helps at the registration desk and decides which horse is best for each person based on their experience or knowledge. Then they ride that horse during their entire stay.
“You were at the Twisted Bull last night, weren’t ya?” Gabby asks, smiling at Wilder after my safety and guidelines speech.
“Sure was. But I woulda noticed a beautiful woman like you.” Wilder’s thick drawl makes me roll my eyes.
“My friends and I saw you on the mechanical bull,” she explains, waving to the other three riders. “I was gonna offer you a shot, but you left shortly after.”
Wilder shoots me a death glare as if I’m the reason he didn’t get lucky last night. If he’d pace himself, he could make it to the end of the night without having to be carried out.
“We’ll just haveta plan a do-over, huh? Whaddya doin’ tonight?” Wilder drawls, and I clear my throat to grab his attention.
Wilder holds up his hand, then leans in closer toward Gabby and whispers, “Gimme your number later and we can hook up tonight.”
Gabby grins.
“As I was sayin’…” I drawl, glaring at Wilder. We have a group of four and it’s important I get through everything before we leave. “These are experienced trail horses and know the routes, but in the event yours goes rogue or you get lost, do not panic. Screaming will spook or confuse your horse and squeezing your legs will cue them to run. So it’s crucial you relaxand stay calm. There are safety checks every quarter mile, so one of us will reroute to come find you if you’re not with the rest of us. Any questions?”
Everyone shakes their heads and then I begin my demonstration and instruction for getting into the saddle. Most have some experience, so I’m not too worried. It’s Wilder acting like a moron that I have to watch out for.
Exhibit A: Wilder turns completely around in the saddle and faces the guests behind him instead of holding on to the reins and facing forward.
“So Gabby, where ya from?”
“Livin’ in Knoxville right now. I’m a junior at UT.”
My eyes widen, and I chuckle under my breath at how young she is. Probably twenty-one.
“Oh, nice. What’re you studyin’?” Wilder asks—as if he cares.
“Engineering,” she replies.
“Oh shit.” I bark out a laugh, glancing over my shoulder at her and then meeting Wilder’s eyes next to me. “She’s too smart for you.”
“I like me an intelligent lady,” he retorts.
