I think Huck knows I’m on edge because he keeps nosing me as if he’s checking to see if I’m okay.
“Here. He’s searching your pockets for a treat.” Camden hands me a carrot and then shows me how to hold it out to Huck.
He takes it immediately, his huge teeth chomping down on the vegetable. I try not to think about how easily he could bite down on my fingers.
“Okay, are you ready?” Holt asks once Huck hasbeen saddled.
“Not even a little bit.”
He laughs. “Come on, scaredy cat. I’ll help you.”
Holt places a step stool next to Huck and walks me through how to get on the horse. It sounds easy enough, but I have a feeling I’m going to fail spectacularly.
“You got this, G!” Leah cheers.
After a deep breath, I stick my foot into the stirrup and hoist myself up. Only, I don’t go anywhere. My stomach presses into the side of Huck’s saddle, and my left leg just hangs uselessly next to my right one.
“You gotta swing your leg up there,” Holt says behind me with a hint of laughter.
“Throw your leg over!” Lauren shouts.
I try to, but I can’t lift it high enough to get it all the way over. Exhaling, I slide my left foot back down to the stool. “My legs aren’t long enough to go all the way over.”
“You have to make it all one motion. Step into your stirrup, grab the pommel, and use the momentum of lifting yourself to swing your leg over.”
“This is fucking embarrassing,” I murmur to myself. Holt snorts, and I throw a glare at him over my shoulder. He winks, not even the least bit intimidated by my evil eye.
I try again, following Holt’s instructions. This time, I manage to get my leg over and almost slide off the other side. Holt grabs my thigh to help keep me upright.
But now, I’m on a fucking horse. They’re a hell of a lot taller than you think they will be, and panic begins to build in my chest.
“That’s it, Rainbow. Take a deep breath. Feel how sturdy Huck is underneath you? Find your balance in the center of your body and try to move with Huck. Don’t fight it.”
My wild eyes find Holt’s steady gaze. There’s pride in his expression, and the sound of the girls cheering me on helps me unlock my muscles. I nod my head to tell him I’m okay.
“We’re going to walk around the paddock a bit to help you get a feel for the movement. Ready?”
“No. Yes.”
Holt grins as he begins to lead Huck around. I’m stiff as a board until it finally kicks in that I won’t fall off. Once I start to relax, balancing becomes easier. The clomp of hooves makes me look up to see Lauren and Leah riding into the field together. They make it look so easy.
Holt must notice me watching them. “They’ve been riding since they were old enough to sit up. Hannah and I would take a kid each, and they’d ride with us on our laps. Leah just got tall enough to ride by herself.”
“Here ya go, Holt,” Camden says from the edge of the fence.
“That’s Tiny?” The horse is almost taller than Camden, and he’s like six-five.
Holt laughs as he leads Huck and me over to where Camden is waiting. “We didn’t think he’d be as big as he is when we named him.”
“No kidding.”
Holt double-checks all the straps on Tiny before he swings himself onto the horse’s back. Then my vagina takes a punch when Holt turns around to look at me.
Why does he have to look so goddamn hot?
If I had a checklist for all the things you want a hot cowboy to look like, Holt just marked off every one of them: jeans stretched tight over his legs, the Carhartt coat, a cowboy hat, and sitting confidently astride a horse. Goddamn, he’s sexy.
“I think you’ve got a little drool there.” Holt reaches out to tap my chin, startling me a bit. It hadn’t registered that he’d gotten so close to me. I was too busy watching the way his hips rolled in his saddle.
