“This must be Cami,” he said, smiling in a way that managed to be both kind and assessing.
“Yes,” Majesty replied for me, his tone respectful. “Lex and I wanted her to start lessons while she’s here. Thought you’d be the right one for the job.”
“Good call,” Arlo said, then turned his attention back to me. “You ever been around horses before?”
I shook my head. “Closest I’ve come is a carousel.”
That earned me a deep laugh, the kind that warmed the air around him. “Then we’ll start simple.”
He gestured toward a pretty paint. The mare was saddled and waiting in one of the training rings. “That’s Starling. She’s steady and sweet. Perfect for a first-timer.”
Majesty leaned against the railing, folding his arms as Arlo led me over. His gaze followed every move I made, quiet but unreadable. It did something strange to my chest. Like making me aware of him in a way that felt too intimate for something as innocent as a riding lesson.
Arlo showed me how to approach the horse, how to run my hand along her neck to let her know I was there. His voice was steady, patient, explaining everything from the reins to the stirrups. I tried to focus, but the combination of his deep drawl and Majesty’s watchful presence behind me made my nerves hum.
Arlo adjusted the cinch beneath the saddle, then stepped back, and nodded toward the mare. “Go ahead. Let’s see you climb up.”
I drew a steadying breath and put my foot in the stirrup, Majesty’s voice drifted softly from behind me. “You’ve got this, Cami.”
When I finally settled in the saddle, both men stood nearby. Arlo steady and encouraging, Majesty quiet but impossibly present. Between them, I felt seen, guided, and just a little undone.
Starling shifted beneath me, her muscles flexing in smooth, rhythmic motions. The first few seconds were awkward with me gripping the reins too tightly, my legs stiff. But Arlo’s calm voice cut through the jumble of nerves.
“Easy, sweetheart. Loosen your grip. Horses feel what you feel.”
Majesty’s low laugh carried from behind me. “Careful, Arlo. She’s competitive.”
“Oh, I can see that,” Arlo said. “That look in her eyes says she wants to prove herself.”
I drew a breath, letting the air move slowly out of my lungs. The mare responded instantly, her pace smoothing out.
“You’re a natural,” Arlo said after a few minutes. “Got good balance. Light touch.”
I smiled, cheeks warm. “Thanks. I had a good teacher.”
He grinned. “You’ve barely started, sweetheart. Now give her a little room to lead. You don’t have to control everything.”
My lips twitched. “That sounds like something Lex would say.”
Arlo chuckled. “Then he’s a smart man.”
Majesty’s expression had softened, becoming less guarded, almost proud. “You look good up there,” he said, voice roughened by something I couldn’t quite name.
The compliment hit me harder than I expected. For a moment I was thrust back into the past, a time before I’d met Majesty and Lex. A time when I wasn’t the woman still angry about what my ex had done. Back when I wasn’t afraid to live.
Shaking off the memory, I straightened in the saddle, letting Starling move in a slow circle around the pen. The motion grew easier with each step, my body syncing with hers in a way that felt natural, like I’d known how all along but had just forgotten. When I passed Majesty again, our eyes met. His hand flexed against the rail.
“Careful,” Arlo murmured with a faint grin, catching the exchange. “That’s how riders fall. They get distracted by something on the sidelines.”
I laughed, startled out of the moment. “Right. Focus.”
But I could still feel Majesty’s gaze on me, steady and consuming, like he wanted to memorize this version of me: free, unguarded, almost happy. By the time Arlo had me bring Starling to a stop, a fine sheen of sweat had gathered at my temples, and my pulse was still racing. I slid down carefully, boots crunching in the dirt, and Arlo caught the reins with practiced ease. The adrenaline coursing through me was from conquering a fear and accomplishing a goal from my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to ride a horse and now I had!
“Not bad for a first day,” he said. “You’ll be riding trails in no time.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling despite the flush on my cheeks. “That was actually incredible.”
Majesty came closer then. His voice was low when he spoke. “Surrender happens when you stop fighting yourself.”
