Eventually, Harper clapped her hands and said, “All right, existential crisis over. Let’s get moving.”
Cole mounted up, then waited. He didn’t take the lead, instead he stayed at Ethan’s side, letting the others decide their order. Harper took the lead, followed by Jack and then Riley. Ethan and Cole followed along, side by side.
The trail started shaded, the pines arching overhead, but soon opened to the wide bowl of Sunrise Valley. The floodplain was an ocean of green, spiked here and there with bursts of yellow flowers, the path winding through with a lazy, forgiving grade. Sun filtered down and bounced off the wet leaves, making everything look almost hallucinatory in its brightness.
They fell into an easy, companionable silence, the hooves and tack the only real soundtrack. The horses moved slow, heads low, picking their steps over the worst of the mud. At every clearing, the world yawned open and the view stole the breath straight from Ethan’s chest—endless sky, jagged ridges glowing white and blue in the morning sun, and a hundred miles of endless possibility.
He looked over at Cole, who was watching him instead of the scenery. The man’s face was relaxed, the perpetual furrow gone from his brow. Ethan reached over and grabbed Cole’s hand. They laced their fingers together for a few seconds, then let go, but not before Cole gave Ethan’s hand a gentle squeeze.
At the first rest stop, the group dismounted to get water for the horses and to stretch their legs. Cole sidled up behind Ethan as he bent over to adjust a stirrup. With no warning, Cole slapped Ethan’s ass—hard. Ethan jerked upright, then spun, but Cole was already walking off, the smug grin on his face impossible to ignore.
Harper caught it and smiled.
Cole came back a minute later and pressed a kiss into Ethan’s forehead. He kept a hand at Ethan’s waist for the rest of the break, his thumb sneaking under the hem of Ethan’s shirt whenever he thought nobody was looking. When it was time to remount, Ethan made sure to lean in and give Cole a big kiss as he let his hand trail down the front of Cole’s jeans, fingers lingering just a second too long on the impressive bulge there. Cole’s breath caught, and for a second his whole face went red.
“You got a nice cock there cowboy,” Ethan teased, his smile dripping with seduction.
Cole met his gaze, a playful glint in his eyes as he replied, “It’s all yours.”
The group remounted and they set out again, the mood charged now, every glance between them thick with memory and intent. The horses picked up their pace; the group fell into a loose single-file as the trail narrowed along the valley wall.
After a while, they pulled into a broad overlook. The land dropped away in a wide, panoramic scoop—lowland forest, river winding through it, the first pale rooftops of Walker’s Edge Ranch barely visible on the horizon. The group halted to take in the view.
Harper stood at the edge, arms crossed, and after a minute she turned to Ethan. “I hope someday someone will look at me the way you two look at each other.” She jerked her head towards Cole, who was pretending not to listen.
“You will,” Ethan promised. “Your dream man is out there just waiting to be found.”
She laughed—a bright, open sound—and ruffled Ethan’s hair.
Jack rolled his eyes. “I give them another two miles, tops, before they’re fucking in the bushes.”
“We’re saving that for later. It’s called delayed gratification, Jack. You should try it sometime.” Cole said.
Riley’s laugh was a little too loud.
Ethan looked over at Cole and for the first time in his life he felt like the happiest person on earth right now.
They watered the horses at a nearby stream and lingered in the shade, the heat of the day building slow and sweet.
After a while, Harper’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she proposed a challenge. “How about a race? First one to reach that big pine tree at the far end of the meadow wins.” Jack’s enthusiasm flared instantly. “Finally! I’ve been waiting for my moment to show you all how it’s done. I must have been a jockey in another life. Get ready to eat my dust!”
Riley chuckled, “I’ll give it my best shot.”
Cole turned to Ethan, his brow raised in playful challenge. “You ready to smoke these amateurs?”
“Absolutely,” Ethan grinned back.
They mounted their horses and lined up side by side, the energy crackling between them. “Who’s calling the start? How do we time this fairly?” Cole asked, glancing around.
“GO!” Jack yelled as he launched himself forward without a second thought. Harper and Riley bolted right after, followed by Cole and Ethan.
The horses thundered across the meadow, hooves pounding against the earth, laughter and shouts filling the air. They quickly caught up to Jack, and the last fifty yards turned into a three-way slugfest between Harper, Cole, and Ethan.
As they neared the finish line, Ethan eased up, content to watch Cole win by a nose—he wanted to see that triumphant smile and it did not disappoint.
Harper crossed in second place, Ethan claimed third, Jack came in fourth, and Riley ambled in last, taking his time as if the race had been a leisurely stroll.
“I almost had you!” Harper exclaimed, breathless yet beaming.
