“She doesn’t like them very much. And shereallydoesn’t like that I like them.”
Now that didn’t sound like Trinity. From what Spencer could see, her children were her entire world.
“Does she think they’re dangerous?” he offered. Many people held this belief, and in all honesty, it wasn’t that horsesweren’tdangerous. In the wrong hands and in the wrong situation, they absolutely could be. It was why he had such great respect for the creatures. When you gained the trust of a good horse, you were rewarded.
“She thinks they’re dangerous, and expensive, and smelly, and?—”
“What are you talking about, Mia?” Her daughter’s words had obviously caught Trinity off guard as she returned from her car, a big bouquet of cream-colored flowers in her hands.
“All the reasons you don’t like horses,” Mia replied, her tone innocent yet probing.
“It’s not that I don’t like horses,” Trinity said, directing her explanation at Spencer. Her expression almost looked apologetic, like she owed him one for simply not liking a particular animal.
“It’s okay if they’re not your favorite,” Spencer said, inviting Trinity to join them on the makeshift picnic blanket with a pat of his hand on the open space. She settled the vase right in the middle as the perfect centerpiece before lowering to the drop cloth.
“It’s honestly just that I haven’t spent much time around them. And from what I’ve heard, they can be very expensive. The lessons, the tack, the upkeep. Horseback riding is a pricey hobby.”
“You’re not going to get an argument from me there.” Spencer had been lucky to have been raised around horses on Nana’s ranch, otherwise he knew his own family would never have been able to afford his passion for them.
“I want to have a whole herd of them someday,” Mia said wistfully. Her eyes had a dreamy, far-off gaze, like she was speaking of some magical kingdom filled with sparkly unicorns.
“If that’s something you want, then I’m sure you’ll get it,” Spencer reassured her with a warm smile.
“I want dinner,” Liam declared as he made a face before slinking his tiny arms across his chest.
Spencer couldn’t suppress his chuckle from the boy’s sudden outburst.
“Liam, that’s not how we talk to adults.” For the second time that night, Trinity looked momentarily flustered, her cheekscoloring. She cut her son a stern look before her gaze softened and refocused on Spencer. “I’m so sorry. I haven’t been great about teaching them how to act as guests at someone’s house. We haven’t really had the opportunity.”
“Hey.” Spencer stretched to open up the first basket filled with all of the children’s snack foods and treats. “I’m pretty informal. And calling this an actual house is too generous. No harm, no foul.”
Despite his attempt to lighten the mood, Trinity still appeared uneasy.
“Go ahead, kiddos. Dive in.” With a nudge of his chin, both Mia and Liam scrambled toward the basket and pounced on the snacks, digging in with shouts of joy as they uncovered one treat after another.
“You didn’t need to go all out like this, Spencer,” Trinity remarked quietly, moving closer to him on the blanket as Mia and Liam occupied themselves with the goodies. He wasn’t sure why his heart thrummed out a faster tempo, or why his throat was suddenly parched. “You didn’t have to,” she repeated, “but it’s so nice that you did.”
“I just wanted to make sure they had something they liked.” Spencer brought the second basket closer, settling it between them. “And I wanted to make sure there was something you might like, too. Don’t know if you’re a charcuterie type of person?—”
“Stop it right now,” Trinity interjected, her eyes rounding as a massive smile burst onto her face. “If you have cheese in that basket, say no more.”
Any concerns about Trinity’s dietary preferences flew right out the window when she eagerly delved into the wicker basket with the same gusto as her children.
“Gouda, brieandblue cheese?” She nearly squealed as she juggled all three blocks of cheese in her hands. “Spencer, you sure know a way to a woman’s heart.”
As soon as the words left her lips, Spencer could tell she regretted them. Her entire body went rigid, like she’d been shocked with a jolt of electricity. Ignoring it, he brushed off any potential misunderstanding, knowing she likely didn’t mean it in the way it sounded.
“I’m a bit of a cheese aficionado myself,” he admitted, hoping to ease any lingering embarrassment. He wasn’t trying to win over her heart. This wasn’t a date. They were just friends sharing a meal before going over the important task of paint color selection. Nothing more.
“What’s your favorite?” Trinity inquired, already spreading an aged goat cheese onto a multigrain cracker before lifting it to her mouth.
“I like sharp cheddar the best.”
“I likestringcheese the best!” Liam shouted from his corner of the blanket. The boy had dumped an entire box of animal crackers onto his plate and was busy separating each cracker by species.
“String cheese is a close second for me,” Spencer said, noticing the way Trinity’s gaze met his while she chuckled at her son’s enthusiastic response.
“I don’t like cheese,” Mia said suddenly.
