‘Her dad died, which – at least according to her – is part of the reason she wanted to arrive on a horse. Distract people from the fact that nobody was giving her away …’
Sierra vaguely remembered that from one of her conversations with the bride. Her long stride never faltered as she made her way around to the back of the resort where Charlotte Sinclaire was supposed to get on the horse. ‘And we can’t have Benji lead him because of the photos,’ she said to herself.
She saw the little group huddled together. The bride wrung her hands anxiously. Her bridesmaids, dressed in black, hovered around her, unsure of how to help. Midnight, freshly washed and groomed, his black mane and tail intricately braided with white ribbon, stood nearby, Benji patiently holding his reins.
He looked up as she approached, tipped his head once in greeting.
Sierra didn’t say anything about the fact that Charlotte had potentially screwed up her own wedding. She held out both hands, said, ‘Charlotte, you look absolutely gorgeous.’
The bride’s eyes filled instantly, but she took Sierra’s hands and gripped them tightly. ‘I’m sorry. I just … I figured how hard could it be, you know? But then I was standing next to him, and I panicked.’ She shook her hands, cast an anxious glance at Midnight. ‘He’s so big.’
‘We’ll figure something out,’ Sierra assured her. ‘But just to clarify: How many timesexactlyhave you been on a horse?’
‘Once.’ Charlotte hung her head. ‘When I was five. It’s my favourite memory. My dad organized for pony rides at my birthday party.’
‘Do you have someone else who you wouldn’t mind leading you – and being in the photos?’
She shook her head. ‘Not really. Or, at least, nobody who’s dressed for it.’
‘Okay.’ She cast a look at Benji. ‘One moment. Let me brainstorm with my team quickly.’ Gripping Lucas by the arm, she practically dragged him to where Benji and Midnight stood.
‘Ideas?’
‘She walks on her own two feet?’ Benji suggested dryly.
‘We might have to resort to that if we can’t think of anything else,’ Sierra said calmly, but the possibility filled her with dread. Not only were the couple paying a fortune to have their wedding at Hunt Ranch, but the bride, Charlotte Sinclaire, was exactly the type to leave a scathing review if everything wasn’t perfect. And Hunt Ranch couldn’t afford to take another hit, especially to their reputation as a luxury wedding venue. Weddings provided a huge percentage of their annual revenue …
‘Midnight could handle a beginner with basic instruction but not one who’s afraid to even get on him,’ Benji said, his frustration clear. ‘And at this point, I wouldn’t put her on without a riding helmet anyway.’ He cocked one hip. ‘She’d deserve it.’
Because her instinct was to snap at him, Sierra forced herself back to calm, said quietly, ‘Benji, it’s her wedding day. What else can we do? What about a lunging rope? It’ll be long enough to lead Midnight from a distance …’
‘The rope would still be in the pictures,’ Lucas pointed out.
‘The photographer could photoshop it out,’ Sierra suggested.
Lucas sighed. ‘There’s no way Charlotte would go for it.’
Benji shook his head. ‘There’s only one other option …’
She knew by the way he looked at her that she wasn’t going to like it. ‘What?’
‘We have Zeph, Ty, and Diablo. Three horses that are liberty trained and that Mav, you, and I can work with from a distance and actually hope to get a response from.’
Sierra’s stomach sank. ‘She won’t want the Mustangs in her photos.’ The Mustangs were beautiful, athletic horses. But they were relatively small and didn’t have the size and flash that the Friesians or her Thoroughbred, Ty, did.
‘Nope,’ Benji agreed. ‘But Ty …’
‘Benji, Ty hasn’t been worked in over a year,’ she argued. ‘And he took almost six months off before that.’ Though neither of them said it, she knew that they both thought about her pregnancy.
‘I work with him every day,’ he replied quietly.
Sierra took a full step back. ‘What?’
Benji shrugged. ‘He needs the exercise.’
Sierra didn’t have time to ponder why that particular admission made her feel grateful and guilty and angry all at once. ‘Could he do it?’ she asked. ‘If we put her on him, and you stood at the front, out of the camera’s way, would he walk to you?’
‘Maybe for me.’ Benji’s green eyes bore into her. ‘But he would definitely do it for you.’
