“Yeah. Let me show you how to saddle her up.” Focusing on the task at hand, he pulled a thick, woven blanket from a rack,the familiar weight of it settling in his hands. “First things first, the saddle blanket.” Placing it high on Boots’s withers, he slid it back into place. “You want to ensure the horse’s coat lays flat and smooth underneath.”
Listening intently, she nodded. Her attention absolute, her movements mirroring his when he removed the blanket and gave it to her to try again. There was no wasted motion. No hesitation.
“Excellent. You did good.”
“I watched you.”
That she had. He was beginning to understand just how much she could learn by merely watching. Not just cards and numbers, but apparently, horses too.
Next came the saddle. She hadn’t flinched at the heavy weight, just positioned herself and swung it onto the horse’s back with a surprising, efficient grace.
“All right, now the cinch.” He moved to the other side, keeping his voice low and steady, and talked her through the process of tightening the leather straps, his hands occasionally brushing against hers in the tight space. Each touch an accident, a necessity of the lesson, but it sent a jolt of awareness through him nonetheless.
With Boots and his mount saddled, they led the horses out into the sunlit paddock. “Here we go.” He cupped his hands to give her a leg up. She placed her foot in his hands without a second thought. A simple act of trust that struck him as anything but simple. With his gentle boost, she settled into the saddle like she’d been riding her whole life. Covering her hands with his, he positioned her fingers on the reins. “If you hold them loosely, she’ll move forward. If you pull them to your left, she’ll turn left. If you pull to the right—”
“She’ll turn right,” she repeated with a knowing smile.
“Guess that was pretty obvious.”
Grinning, she nodded. “And pulling both together at the same time will tell her to stop.”
“Exactly.” He frowned, wondering how she’d figured that one out on her own.
“I used to love reruns ofGunsmoke. Whenever the horses came to a galloping stop, you could see that the riders were tugging hard on the reins. They also kicked with their heels to make the horses go, and sometimes slapped the reins from side to side to make them run faster.”
“Yeah, well,” he rubbed his hand along the back of his neck, “that pretty much covers it. But with Boots, the slightest tap of your heels will get her going faster.” He glanced down at her shoes. “Which reminds me, we’ll have to see if any of Jillian or Rachel’s boots will fit you until we get you your own pair. The last thing anyone wants to do is step in something unpleasant if you’re not wearing proper footwear.”
Her knowing nod told him she understood exactly what he meant.
Turning to his own mount, he swung up and on, and took the reins. Keeping his pace slow as he led the horse in a wide circle around the enclosure. He watched her, the initial stiffness in her posture giving way to a relaxed, easy rhythm in perfect synchronization with the horse’s movement. A genuine, unadulterated smile lit up her face. A look of pure, childlike joy that made his own chest want to puff out with pride at helping put that grin on her beautiful face.
“This is amazing.” Her gaze swept over the sprawling pastures.
“It is.” In that moment, bathed in the warm Texas sun, she didn’t look like a blackjack dealer from Vegas. She looked like she belonged right here. And wasn’t that food for thought.
Chapter Eight
Standing in her new bedroom, the one Cassidy shared with Kade, she unpacked the last of her suitcase. This morning had been way more enjoyable than she’d ever expected. Who knew horses could be so much fun. She almost wished Boots could talk. Cassidy suspected that animal was privy to all sorts of shenanigans the Sweet children had been a part of. The more interesting thing was that she really wanted to know what Kade had been like as a kid.
“Mom’s making dinner but she reminded me there’s a concert in the park tonight.” Kade leaned against the doorframe. “Might be a nice outing, if you’re up for it—especially if you like hot dogs.”
Closing the drawer, she turned. “A concert?”
“Local band. Nothing fancy, but a good chunk of the town usually turns out. There’s plenty of vendors, popcorn, sodas, pretzels. That sort of thing.” Lips pressed tightly, she was beginning to recognize when he was couching his words for something he considered important. “We’d be seen together. As a couple. Are you ready for that?”
The question hung in the air. Was she ready? To be on display, to play the role of his wife in front of everyone? Curiosity won over hesitation. She wanted to see more of Honeysuckle,wanted to understand this place that meant so much to him. “Yeah. I think so.”
“You sure? We can skip it if you’re not comfortable.”
“I’m sure.” She did her best to flash a self-assured smile and prayed her knees didn’t knock. “What time?”
“Music starts at seven. We should leave in about twenty minutes.”
“Your mom won’t mind if we skip dinner?”
He shrugged. “It was her idea. I think she doesn’t want you to feel isolated out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“Isolated?” Cassidy shook her head. “Are you kidding? This place is awesome.”
