“Lucy?” Mom asks again.
“Can you hold on just a moment?” I don’t wait for his reply, pulling the phone from my ear and hitting the mute button before spinning to face her. “It’s about lessons, Ma.”
“Okay, okay. I thought it was a bill collector. You seem anxious.” She raises her hands in surrender.
“I’m not,” I mutter under my breath, then tap the button to unmute the phone. “Sorry about that. I needed to get to my schedule.” The little lie falls easily from my tongue. “Do you have a date in mind to come by and check out the stable? Make sure we’re the right fit for you?” I want to give him an out. I really wasn’t expecting my first client to be a twentysomething guy. Little girls are usually the majority of our students.
“What about tomorrow?” His tone is kind of flat, bored sounding.
“I could do that. Do you have a time that works best for you?” I look up at the ceiling, hoping I’m coming off as indifferent as he is.
“How about the whole day? Is it by the hour?”
“For the first time, especially if you’re new to riding, you wouldn’t want the whole day. I promise.” First timers are always shocked by how sore they are after riding. It takes all kinds of muscles you don’t even realize you’re using to stay on a horse.
“I can last all day.” His tone isn’t so flat now, or maybe I’m just overthinking it.
“Um, how about ten? That’ll give me time to get some things ready.” I know he’ll end up giving up on the whole day idea once he’s been here for a little while.
“I’ll be there,” he tells me, and now I know I wasn’t imagining the change in his voice because it’s gone flat again.
“All right,” I agree, and there’s an awkward pause before I eventually say, “See you then,” and hang up. My stomach does a flip just like the kind you get right before you take off on a roller coaster.
I spin again to look at my mom. I know she’s still watching me, and I hope my features are schooled enough so she can’t sense my nerves and excitement—or if she can, she just assumes it’s from getting a client and not because I’m way too curious about the man who just called me.
“Well?” Her brows are high as she waits for my response.
“He’s coming by tomorrow for lessons. He wants to learn to ride before getting a horse.” I can’t help the wide smile that lifts my lips.
Mom’s expression softens, and she smiles with me, but it never reaches her eyes. “That’s great, babe.” I can tell her enthusiasm is totally for my benefit. I want to ask her about it, but she shoos me off before I can. “Go on, I’ll take care of the dishes. I know you’re already thinking about tomorrow.”
I don’t argue because it’s the truth. I’m already going over everything in my head, from making sure I have the right saddle for him to teaching him about the reins and everything in between.
* * *
The next morning,I’m up early with the sun. After showering, I braid my hair over my shoulder and dab on a little mascara. It’s the first time I’ve applied any makeup since I quit the club, and I have to dig through my work bag to find it. The scent of smoke and perfume still clings to everything. I think about tossing it all in the trash, but something stops me.
Mom is still in her room when I head out to the barn. I want to clean the stalls before he gets here. He desires the full experience, so I will show him that too, but it may be a little overwhelming for a first timer to get a crash course in riding and mucking on the same day. He doesn’t strike me as someone that’s been around a ranch very much, and they can be messy.
Around nine, I head back into the house to make a cup of coffee and grab a bite to eat. I’m too nervous to eat much more than a breakfast bar, but it does the trick and helps settle my stomach a bit. Scooby and Isabella are already brushed and ready. I’m going to wait until he meets the horses before I decide which one I’ll set him up with. Both horses are gentle and good for beginners, but sometimes, personalities don’t match. My first instinct was to put him on Scooby, but for some reason, I feel like they may clash.
“What time is he coming?” Mom is stationed at the kitchen table, freshly bathed herself.
“Soon, ten.” I look over at the clock, noting the time, and pour my coffee into a thermos since I didn’t drink much. I’m so nervous, it might just go right through me anyway. “Wish me luck,” I say cheerfully.
“You don’t need luck. You’ve got skill and knowledge,” she replies without an ounce of platitude.
“Thanks, Ma. Crap, he’s early.” I see his black Mercedes slowly creeping up the drive. He glides into the spot right next to my truck.
“That’s him?” Mom whistles when he gets out of his truck and looks around as if he’s inspecting the place.
“Yeah.” My voice is high-pitched and breathy.
“Wait, you know him?” Mom looks at me as if I’ve been holding back.
“No, not really. We talked when I posted the flyers.”
“Babe, that man ain’t here for horse riding lessons.” Her grin is wide.
