My chest pings. “He seems to like the animals too.”
“They make him feel better. That’s what my mom says. She was so happy she could bring him today.”
There’s a catch in my center as I meet eyes with Ryder. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Very cool,” Ryder says. “I feel better when I’m around the horses too. It’s very calming. Therapeutic, even.”
George wrinkles his nose. “What does that mean?”
“It means…” I think on that for a minute before putting my hand on my chest. “You know where your heart is? Right here? It means your heart beats steady and strong. No part of you is afraid.”
George puts a hand over his heart. “Mine feels pretty strong.”
“That’s great news, buddy.” Now Ryder’s feeling his heartbeat too. “Minewascalm. Then Billie got here…”
Extreme cuteness overload.“Sorry not sorry.”
“I’d be upset if youweresorry.”
“How about we take some deep breaths?” I ask. “That helps me calm down sometimes.”
“Okay! I am very, very good at deep breaths.” George takes one, then another, and Ryder and I follow him. The October air is deliciously crisp, and when it hits the bottom of my lungs, a sense of irrepressible joy blossoms inside me.
“Wow.” I gently nudge George. “I feel so much better. Do you?”
“Yeah.”
“And you?” I glance up at Ryder.
In reply, he pops into a squat beside us, his elbows on his knees. His scent fills my head, the woodsy pine and citrus, and I wonder how a cowboy who works in the dirt all day can smell so good.
Does he take multiple showers every day?
Would he like company for any and all of them?
“I feel better’n I have in an age.” Ryder’s eyes twinkle. “I mean that.”
I roll my eyes, grinning like an idiot. “Such a cheeseball.”
Ryder chuckles, a deep, happy sound. “I knew you’d call me out.”
“How?”
“’Cause I know you. And now I’m starting to know myself a little better too.”
Deep breaths.There are many things that make Ryder sexy. His confidence. His eyes. But this sudden burst of self-awareness just might be the sexiest thing about him.
“Ew, are you guys gonna kiss?” George is making a face. “Because my parents kiss after they talk, and it’s gross.”
My heart does a neat little backflip. “Kissing is totally gross.”
“Totally.” Ryder looks away. “How about we go see this baby’s mama over there?”
The two hours I get to spend with the kids and the cowboys is truly the highlight of my week. Month. Year. Well, other than that tractor ride. And this morning when Ryder texted me out of the blue.
After the kids are loaded up into a caravan of waiting cars, Ryder touches my arm. “Can you stay a little longer?”
Please, for the love of God, ask me to stay forever.“Sure.”
