Sage looked down at him.
“You look ridiculous.”
Buckshot thumped his tail once against the dirt.
“Yeah, I know. Same.”
The dog sneezed.
Sage huffed, then turned his gaze back toward the arena.
Across the corral, Micah sat stiffly in the saddle of a patient brown mare, hands too careful on the reins, shoulders too tight, expression locked somewhere between determination and silent murder. Black rode beside him on a dark gelding, relaxed in a way that looked unfair. One hand loose on the reins. Back straight. Hat low. The bastard made it look easy.
Micah did not.
“Stop laughing,” Micah called without looking over.
Mac laughed harder from where he leaned against the fence ten yards down.
Noah stood beside him, arms folded, grinning like he’d been waiting all day for this exact entertainment. “Nobody’s laughing.”
Mac wiped at one eye. “I’m absolutely laughing.”
“I can hear you,” Micah muttered.
Black angled his horse closer, voice low enough that Sage couldn’t catch every word, but the shape of it was obvious. Calm. Direct. No wasted syllables.
Micah listened, jaw set, then adjusted his heels.
The mare took one smooth step sideways.
Micah grabbed the saddle horn.
Boston, perched on the second rail like gravity was optional, brightened. “Oh, that was elegant.”
Micah pointed at him without turning his head. “I will throw something at you.”
“From up there?” Boston asked. “Bold.”
Seth laughed from the shade near the barn, shoulder pressed to Frost’s side. Frost had one boot up on the lowest rail and the expression of a man pretending he wasn’t enjoying every second.
“Give him a break,” Seth said. “He’s doing better than Frost did.”
Frost’s head snapped toward him. “Excuse me?”
“You tried to intimidate the horse.”
“It looked shifty.”
“It was eating grass.”
“Exactly,” Frost said. “Too casual.”
Sage smiled before he could stop it.
Buckshot barked once, sharp and delighted, then sprang up like he’d decided he was personally responsible for horse training.
“Nope.” Sage hooked two fingers in his collar before the dog could launch himself into the arena. “You are not helping.”
