“I’d never think that.” I tightened my grip around her, hoping it made her feel safer and more secure.
“I don’t know why not. How can someone who grew up around horses be so afraid to get back in the saddle?” She turned her head to the side. Her lashes fluttered against her cheek before she looked up at me.
“Honestly, I think you’re probably one of the bravest people I’ve ever met,” I told her. “Some people let their fear get the best of them. Let it ruin their entire life. You’re facing it head on. I can’t think of anything that takes more courage than that.”
She’d turned her head forward again, but I could see enough of her profile to appreciate the smile spreading across her pretty pink lips. “I never thought of it that way.”
“Well, maybe it’s time you start seeing yourself the way I see you.” The words left my mouth before I realized what I was saying. It was too damn late to take them back. I didn’t want her to read anything into my comment, especially since it came way too close to admitting the kind of thoughts I’d been entertaining about her.
“How exactly is that, Jake?” She twisted at the waist, turning far enough around to look me right in the eyes.
I was a goner. I’d never been a man who experienced a lot of feelings. But looking at Roxy, a tumbleweed of emotions swirled around in my chest. I wanted to protect her, wanted to fight her battles for her and shelter her from anyone or anything that might make her feel less valuable than she was.
I didn’t know what to call it, but a tiny voice inside my head whispered that what I was feeling for Roxy might just feel a little bit like falling in love.
4
ROXY
Itook a little extra care getting ready to meet up with Jake on Thursday. After our ride on Tuesday, I’d started looking at him in a different light. I’d felt so safe sitting up on that saddle with his arms on either side of me. Like nothing bad could happen to me while he held me.
He was incredibly good looking—I’d noticed that the first time we met. But there was a lot more to him than broad shoulders, strong arms, and twinkling brown eyes.
As eager as I was to keep working with Trixie and get to the point where I could ride in the parade, I was also looking forward to spending time with him again. I’d even baked him a batch of my grandma’s candy cane cookies. Since the kitchen in the cabin I stayed at when I spent time at the ranch didn’t have a ton of counter space, I’d come up to the big house to bake in my mom’s kitchen.
“Who’s the lucky guy?” My brother, Stetson, walked through the doorway and reached for the coffeepot.
“What are you talking about?” I’d been sliding the cooled cookies into a big plastic bag, but his question made me drop the cookie sitting on the spatula. It broke in two when it hit the granite countertop.
“Bummer. I bet you don’t want to give him a broken one.” Stetson reached out and snagged half of the cookie before I could react.
He and my brother Justin had been teasing me my whole life. I wouldn’t let them get to me. The best thing to do would be to laugh it off. If Stetson found out I was meeting a guy who was teaching me to ride again, I’d never hear the end of it. Especially if I didn’t end up with the courage to ride in the parade. The last thing I wanted was for my dad to find out what I was up to. Failing in front of him twice would be devastating.
“What makes you think these are for a guy?” I willed my hand not to shake as I slid the spatula under another cookie and slipped it into the bag.
“Because the last time you made cookies was when you wanted that guy to ask you to the New Year’s Eve dance.” Stetson shook his head as he sank his teeth into half of the broken cookie. “Mmm. These are good, Roxy.”
Despite the circumstances, the compliment made my heart swell. “Thanks.”
“So, like I said, who’s the guy?” He talked around the other half of cookie he’d shoved into his mouth.
“No one.” I refused to give him any ammunition he could use against me. “I just felt like baking, that’s all.”
“Mmm hmm. Not buying it, sis.” He stuck out his pointer finger and third finger and made the universal gesture that indicated he’d be keeping his eyes on me.
“Aren’t you supposed to be working right now?”
He snagged another cookie. “Sure. Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for your big move?”
“I took the afternoon off. I’ve got a few errands to run.” He didn’t need to know that one of my errands would lead me straight to Jake and Trixie.
“I’m just about to head out myself. I wanted to ask you about something, though.”
“What’s that?” Figuring he had a question about something to do with my move or the job waiting for me in Oklahoma, I turned toward him.
“You sure you’re not making those for the guy you were hanging out with earlier this week?”
My stomach tightened. “What guy?”
