Blake finally looks my way, a puckish look in her eyes. “So youarethe possessive kind.” She fakes a serious demeanor. “But Walker and Levi are allowed to see me naked.”
My lips contort into a half-grin. “It’s different with them.”
“How so?” She’s dropped the teasing now that curiosity hangs over her like a cloud.
“With them, it’s more like sharing, except I’m not losing out on anything.”
My answer seems to leave her speechless when we continue down the trail in silence. After ten minutes of silence, I decide she’s been with her thoughts long enough.
It’s my turn.
I gently pull on the reins, bringing Ace to a halt, and Shadow follows suit. Standing on the stirrups, I swing one leg over and hop down.
“Are we here?” Blake searches the white fields around us. “I don’t see any large snow drifts. Do we just turn around now and go back?”
Rounding Ace’s head, I come to Shadow’s side and motion for Blake to dismount. I hold onto her hips as she mimics my movements.
She peers up at me, a furrow between her brows. “What are we doing?”
I don’t give her a verbal answer. Instead, I grab one of her hands and lead her to a spot beside the trail where the snow is thick. Blake analyzes me with her gaze, her skepticism loud and clear. Dropping her hand, I hold my arms out wide at my sides.
“Are we measuring your wingspan?” she jokes. “I already know you’re a tall guy. No surprise there.”
I smirk, then fall backward into the snow, performing an impromptu trust fall with Mother Nature. Blake lets out a startled shriek as I land on the icy cloud. Then I move myarms up and down and my legs in and out, dismissing the snow melting and dampening my clothes.
“You gave me a heart attack so you could make a snow angel?” she yells accusingly.
My only response is to chuckle.
“Santiago.”
More laughter.
“Santi.”
Lifting my head up, I pause my movements. “Yes?”
“You’re forty-five years old,” she points out like her statement is enough evidence for an argument.
I plop my head back down and continue making my angel. “Forty-eight,” I correct.
“That’s not helping your case,” she returns.
“Then I plead the fifth, Your Honor,” I joke back. When she doesn’t respond, I taunt her. “So you’re scared of horsesandsnow angels.”
“No,” she snaps.
“Prove it,” I challenge.
Her footsteps near as she mutters to herself, “This is ridiculous.” Despite her reluctance, she gets in the snow with me, creating her own snow angel. It’s not long before she’s laughing. I stop and sit up, witnessing the pure joy radiating from her.
I’d do anything and everything to keep her laughing like that.
She sighs and stops moving, gazing up at the sky with content written all over her face. I lie back down and look up with her. The sun is starting to go down, and the stars are making themselves known.
“Why do you call me that?”
I prop myself up on my elbow. “What?”
