What if I get a horse, and you get a horse, and we…
Yeah, no point in going down that mental road. I may have been utterly stupid for Eric, but I didn’t need to be fantasizing about riding off into a literal sunset with him.
No matter how amazing that would be.
Or how it felt, in that moment, like something that could actually happen.
Thank God, Carole picked that moment to summon everyone to one end of the arena. “All right, everyone. Are we comfortable? Does anyone need to adjust a saddle or a helmet?”
Our helmets and saddles were fine, though Jackie’s boyfriend needed his stirrups let out a little. Once that was squared away, we headed out for our ride. One of Carole’s employees, Jeff, rode at the front. Carole brought up the rear.
I was already in heaven, and it just got better as the horses plodded down the sun-dappled trail. I loved the sway of a horse’s walk; it was so relaxing it was almost hypnotic. My God, I’d missed this.
The view wasn’t half bad, either. Not just the brightly colored leaves and grassy fields, but the man riding ahead of me. He looked good in those jeans anyway, but the way his hips moved with Lucky’s ambling gait—fuuuck.
I pulled my gaze away, because—especially for all the reasons Eric and I had talked about last night—I did not need to be getting a hard-on while I was riding. That was uncomfortable enough in jeans. In a saddle? No, thanks. Especially not with other people around. Especially not withEricaround.
Out of nowhere, Lucky shied hard to the right, stumbling into the bushes as he went off the trail.
“Whoa, whoa,” Eric said, calm as could be. “Easy, buddy.” He stroked Lucky’s neck. “Easy.”
Lucky’s nostrils flared. He snorted loudly, looking around with the whites of his eyes exposed. The other horses halted, watching him, except for Kirby, who was bound and determined to wander off into the bushes despite Jackie’s best efforts.
“You all right?” Carole called from behind me.
“We’re good.” Eric patted Lucky’s neck. Lucky snorted once more, then dropped his head and shook it.
Eric laughed. “That’s it. Okay, come on. Back on the trail.” He gently guided the gelding out of the bushes and back in line. The other horses started walking again—including Kirby, albeit with some tail-swishing—and Eric glanced at me with a shrug.
Carole jogged her horse up beside mine. “What was that all about?” she asked.
Eric shrugged again. “He’s a horse—who the hell knows?”
She just laughed and we continued riding. Whatever had thrown Lucky off his stride was apparently forgotten, and he plodded steadily a few strides behind one of the other horses. Now and then, he tried to sneak a bite of a nearby bush or vine, but Eric would just gently redirect him.
“It’s not snack time, pal,” he informed Lucky with a laugh. “Work now. Snack later.” I didn’t know if Lucky agreed with that, but Eric didn’t seem too stressed about the whole situation.
The trail widened a bit, and we could ride two or three abreast. I was going to ride up beside Eric, but apparently Lucky really wanted to be next to his buddy, the portly Appaloosa ridden by Jackie’s friend. She and Eric fell into conversation, so I hung back and just enjoyed the ride and the view.
I loved seeing him like this. Not just watching him from behind while he was in the saddle, but taking in how relaxed andhappy he was. No one who looked at him would ever guess he was supposed to get married very recently, and that his whole life had been yanked out from under him.
Why couldn’t we have met when we were both single and happy?
Ah well. Not much I could do to change the past. We were friends now, and I was glad I’d helped him dust himself off post-Selena. He’d helped me past her more than he knew, just by being there and distracting me. And, well, by not holding it against me for being her sidepiece. Plenty of guys would’ve kicked my ass for that and never bought for a second that I didn’t know. I was lucky Eric was a reasonable guy.
A good, reasonable guy with a great heart and an amazing personality. Christ, Selena. What were youthinking?
Hoofbeats beside me pulled me out of my thoughts, and I turned my head as Carole rode up beside me. She glanced at Eric, then cleared her throat and quietly asked, “Are yousureyou two aren’t…”
I laughed as heat bloomed in my face. “No, no, we’re not.” I looked at him again. “We’re just friends.”
Why don’t I sound as sure as I should be?
When I glanced at her, she gave me a questioning look but let it drop.
I had no idea what she saw that I didn’t.
But was it too much to ask that Eric might see it too?
