She studied the machines for a moment, then her grin widened as she typed on her phone.
"You might make a good country mouse yet. But those will have to wait for another day. Today, we have a date with some horses." Damon led her to his rental car where he pulled a pair of ladies’ cowboy boots from the back seat. "Paige said you could borrow her boots since you guys wear the same shoe size." He waited for her to change her shoes, then he grabbed a bag containing the lunch his mom packed for them and led her to the horses Jake had saddled.
Jake stepped out of the stables as they approached. After giving Damon a few instructions regarding Trigger, the high-spirited horse that needed a tight rein, he introduced Grace to Honey. "She's the gentlest horse I own, and she's great with beginners. She'll follow Trigger no problem."
"But you just told Damon Trigger needed a firm hand, because he could be flighty."
"Yes, but Damon knows how to handle a horse. You'll be fine."
Damon and Jake took turns giving Grace instructions on mounting and dismounting and how to use the reins to guide her horse. Then Damon helped Grace into the saddle. She was so stiff, he feared she'd fall off.
After Jake adjusted the stirrups for Grace, he opened a gate for them to cross a pasture. "Stay away from the river at sandy flats. Spring floods washed out large sections of the riverbank. It's not safe."
"What about Rocky Falls?" Damon asked.
"Water is still pretty high there too, but it's safe, and as pretty as ever."
Damon kept a close eye on Grace as they rode in silence.
Her knuckles were white from gripping the saddle horn so tight.
"Relax. Honey has a smooth gait. Let your body sway with your horse."
It took another full minute for her to release the pommel, and another five before she truly relaxed in the saddle.
They made small talk for a while, and Damon told her about coming to the ranch every chance he got when he was young. He entertained her with stories of how he and Paige got into all kinds of trouble with their cousin Riley and the ranch foreman's son, Daniel.
"It must have been great to have cousins to hang out with."
"Don't you have cousins?" He gave her a surprised look.
"No, both of my parents were only children. My mom's mom suffered several miscarriages before she managed to carry my mom to term. Then she was never able to get pregnant again."
"Wow, I'll bet that was hard on them."
"It was. They were so grateful they at least got to have my mom." Grace's voice grew tense as she continued. "My dad'smom gave birth to a still born child when my dad was three, and it wrecked her. She couldn't bring herself to try again after that. She was barely able to function enough to care for my dad."
Grace had opened the door to something Damon had been wondering about but wasn't sure he had dared to bring up.
"Where is your dad now?"
Grace gripped the saddle horn again, her knuckles white. "He walked out when I was fourteen after having an affair for two years with his secretary, who was considerably younger than him, and he decided he'd rather be with her than us." Her tone was matter of fact, but Damon sensed deep pain in her words.
He wanted to reach out and pry her hand off the saddle horn and hold it in his, but she was too far away. Besides, it took every ounce of his focus to keep a tight rein on Trigger. The stallion wanted to run, but he didn't want Grace to have to worry about holding Honey back.
"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been." The words felt trite, considering how much pain it caused Grace's family. "Do you still have a relationship with him?"
"No. We did the court-mandated monthly visits for a while, but then Gabe turned eighteen, and I hated going alone to our old house where my dad lived with Allonah. Then shortly after I turned sixteen..." Grace lowered her gaze to the pommel where her grip grew even tighter. "He decided he didn't want to see me anymore, and I was perfectly fine with that."
The hitch in her shoulders and tension in her voice said otherwise. She might not want to admit it, but she'd been hurt deeply.
A twinge pricked Damon's chest. He was touched that Grace felt she could be vulnerable with him. "Is that why you decided to move to Providence when Gabe moved here? He's the only family you have, isn't he?"
"Him and my mom." She gave a sad smile as her eyes filled with tears. "It's been just the three of us for so long, I couldn't bear the thought of being left alone after he got married and my mom—" Emotion choked off her voice.
The twinge that pricked Damon's chest moments ago was a full-on piercing stab now.
"Whoa." He pulled Trigger to a stop and dismounted.
