Slowing the horse, Blair yelled, “That run felt really good!”
“Damn, that was about as close to a perfect ride as you can get.” Mom beamed. “Let’s quit while we’re ahead for today. You run like that on Saturday and you’ll blow all those other girls out of the water. Incredible, kiddo.”
“Holy, wish I got half as much praise when I have a good ride.” I shook my head, eyes flitting between the girls. “How does it feel to be the favorite child?”
“Oh, shush.” Mom slung an arm around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug. She planted a kiss on my head, and I replied with a hearty, embarrassed groan, doing my best to slip out of her grasp. But her fingers only dug deeper into my shoulder with a bruising grip. “You know I don’t pick favorites, my sweet baby boy.”
“Okay, okay, okay. Forget I said anything.” I laughed, managing to pry her hands off me.
Blair sat on her horse a few feet away, watching the interaction with a raised eyebrow and a smile that I knew meant she’d be giving me hell for this later. Mom reached for me again, and I playfully shooed her hand away.
“Enough embarrassment out of you today, thanks, Mom.”
“Okay, kids. I’m gonna head inside and make some lunch. Love you.”
“Love you,” I replied before turning to Blair. “Wanna go down to the river?”
She hopped from the saddle and took her hat off, shaking out her hair. Her fingers combed through the dark brown locks and she nodded eagerly. “Yes, please. I’msweating. It’s so hot out here. I need to go for a swim.”
Grabbing her horse’s reins, I turned toward the barn. “I bet Chief’s sweating hard, too. You wanna turn on the spigot, and I’ll untack him so we can hose him down?”
“My hero,” she said with a melodious voice, hands clasped against her chest. “I’m too hot and tired to lug that saddle anywhere.”
Rounding the corner of the barn, I said, “You’re a weirdo. Go get the hose.”
She stuck her tongue out at me before dramatically dragging her feet across the dusty earth toward the water spigot. I watched her, tongue in cheek, while slowly removing the bridle.Sucha weirdo.
A few minutes later, I walked back out of the tack room into the blazing heat and found Blair spraying cold water over Chief’s shoulder. My T-shirt clung to the sweat on my back, and I plucked the hat from my head to fan myself.
“Hit me with that, would ya?” I gestured toward the hose in her hand.
Without a second thought, Blair lifted the nozzle above Chief’s withers, shooting me directly in the face with a jetstream of cold water. A chill ran through my veins as I instinctively turned away, feeling the spray move from between my eyes to the nape of my neck. Water cascaded down my back, rinsing away the sweat and soaking my jeans.
“Ayyyy, okay, okay, okay. That’s enough.”
I held a hand up for protection and turned to look at Blair. A mischievous, crooked grin swept across her face, and I narrowed my eyes. Then I launched toward her, ducking under Chief’s neck and frantically grabbing for the hose. Blair bolted, shooting water in my general direction as she ran down the length of the barn.
“You’re dead, Hart,” I shouted.
Her giggles filled the air and, nearly tripping over my own boots, my fingers made contact with the hose. I ripped it from her hands with a laugh, instantly turning to spray her. A jet from her shoulder down to her knees, dousing her body like I was putting out a fire.
“Denny, stop!”
Backing away, Blair’s foot hit a divot in the ground, and before she had an opportunity to save herself, she fell backward onto the damp soil. Immediately filled with regret, I dropped the nozzle and rushed toward where she was lying.
“You okay?” I asked tentatively.
She nodded as she sat up, but her face told a different story—scrunched nose, eyes squeezed tight, and lips pursed like she was holding back a scream.
Shit, she’s hurt.
My gaze traveled her body, assessing her for injuries. Hands and wrists seemed okay, no blood or obvious breaks. Same for her feet and ankles. Reaching her chest, spit filled my mouth and I swallowed hard to get it down. My heart thundered like galloping horses, and my brain screamed at me to look away, but it felt as though my eyes were fixed in place. I homed in on Blair’s chest in a soaking wet whiteT-shirt. Light purple bra with a floral pattern on full display through the translucent fabric.
I hadn’t thought…That wasn’t the plan. I didn’t. I would never.
Blair Hart?
The girl was more like my sister—I’d even made a comment about her being the favorite child to my mom no more than fifteen minutes earlier.
