It takes him three times to mount Reign.
“Are you sure you’ve done this before?” I ask Declan as we start down one of the riding trails through the wooded section of land on Wild Ranch.
We’re walking side by side on Midnight and Reign, but Declan doesn’t look nearly as comfortable on his gelding as I am on mine.
From his clenched jaw to the way he’s gripping the reins, I would hazard a guess that Declan hasn’t ridden much. Of course, that doesn’t take away from how hot he looks—all rugged and casually dressed in worn blue jeans and a brown leather jacket, not to mention the cowboy hat on his head.
He looks over at me and grins. “Does riding as a kid count?”
“You haven’t been on a horse since?” I say.
“Nope. I spent most of my childhood on ice.”
I bring Midnight to a stop and call out “Whoa” to Reign. He stops on command.
“These horses are well-trained,” I say. “You’ll be fine. Let’s just go slowly through the woods because the terrain is a little uneven. Keep Reign at a walk.”
“How are you doing?” he asks me. “Emotionally, I mean. Obviously, physically you look amazing. You’re a natural on a horse, Mia.”
I smile at him. “It feels so good. I…” I reach over and grab his hand. “I can’t thank you enough for making me do this. Or talking me into it. Whichever it was.”
He squeezes my hand before I return it to its position on Midnight’s reins.
“I’m proud of you,” he says to me. “Although I have to admit, if I do any trotting, I’m going to be sore before I even step into the rink tonight,” Declan says.
He means it as a joke, but I know tonight’s game against the second-place Denver Alphas is a big deal.
“So, this is your former team you’re playing, right?” I ask him.
“Yep. I enjoyed my time with Denver. I thought I might retire there, to be honest. But, Montana came calling, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to play here. It was like a second home to me growing up.”
“What a great story that you could come home to finish your career,” I say.
Declan had told me his plans to retire at the end of the year aren’t being made public yet, and I was careful last night not to say anything about it at the event. But, I am curious.
“When did you know you were ready to stop playing?” I ask him.
He keeps his hands on the reins but lifts them to gesture to his shoulder. “I got injured one too many times. Eventually, the body lets you know it’s time.”
“Are you hurt right now?” I ask him in concern.
He glances over at me with a half-smile. “You’re the only person in my life who genuinely worries about me.”
I flush with heat. “Oh, no, I don’t want to bug you…”
“Mia. You’re not bugging me.” His gaze holds mine. “I like it. I like when you worry over me. I’m just not used to it.”
“Oh.” Now I’m even more flushed but for an entirely different reason. “Well, you deserve to be fussed over, Declan. I’m surprised you haven’t had loads of women trying to take care of you.” Okay, so that last sentence was unnecessary. Yes, I’m fishing a bit here.
He doesn’t say anything at first, and I’m sure I’ve pushed him too far.
Our horses keep pace with one another through the piney woods, but then the path opens up to a clearing. The meadow is lush green and filled with flowers. But my attention is on the huge, blue sky overhead. I look up at it and sigh.
“God, it’s so beautiful.”
Declan raises his gaze to where I’m looking. “The sky is one of my favorite parts of Montana. And for the record…” He reaches over and brushes my hand with his. “No woman has ever been in my life long enough to have the chance to fuss over me.”
My hand tingles where his touched me, and I swallow. “So you haven’t been married before?” I joke.
