Cheers rang out and a few good-natured jokes about Telford not forgetting to empty the dishwasher or avoiding dog poop patrol in the backyard.She laughed.They didn’t have a house or a dog, but maybe someday they would.A life with security.A family that cared and rooted for you instead of crushing who you were.A man who loved and listened and supported her dreams.
Her wishful thoughts should scare the hell out of her.
Telford ran to the target, wiggled out the axe, watched as Huck wrote down the score, and then he carried the axe back to her.
“Just like that,” he said, smiling, almost boyishly, and the glimmer in his eyes and the hint of a dimple she’d never once seen before had her catching her breath and staring at him stupidly.
“Easier said than done,” she said and winked, trying to break the spell he was effortlessly weaving around her suddenly susceptible heart.
She drew in a deep breath, bounced to her toes to settle, and then sighted the target, trying and failing to clear her mind.The morning had been fun.They’d ziplined.Played a spirited game of capture the flag, had tag-team raced through an obstacle course, where she and Telford had been hooked together and timed, and done rock climbing.While the challenges had never felt remotely like a survival test, each one had been creative and fun and had revealed that Telford was a keen problem solver and team oriented.
Today had given her a glimpse of how they would work together.He analyzed and proceeded the most logical course whereas she had often seen solutions differently, and yet Telford had listened and several times agreed and changed course.No criticism.No demeaning.And when she’d continued to roll off a wide-mouthed tunnel instead of being able to get over it, he’d climbed inside and had used a rocking momentum to carry her to the top and hadn’t teased her or complained about the delay—and at the end, they’d received extra points for teamwork and innovation.
“Ready?”Huck called out as she sighted the target.
That was a loaded question.But she’d once told Telford to think of their days as amarried coupleas a form of improv.So ready or not, she was on stage, and it was her turn, and she was also going to do her best to turn their improv into a life together.
“Ready.”
“Clear.”
I want this.
Ayana let the axe fly and watched, thrilled, as it buried deep in the center of the target.
*
“Of course, Iknow how to ride.”
Telford didn’t dial down the tension in his voice, and Cash gave him a hard second look.
“It’s not a…” Cash waved his hand.“Neither of us had a chance to live on the family ranch.I wasn’t flexing or judging.I didn’t learn to ride until I was sixteen and caught a job at a ranch that also bred bulls and broncs and hosted a rodeo training school.I worked hard, and the ranch hands gave me a shot.”
Telford paused in his perusal of the horse and looked at Cash, who lounged with deceptive ease, arms crossed, legs crossed, and leaning against the corral gate.
“I was an apartment townie off and on and then housed in group homes in Casper until I busted out and took control of my life,” Cash added, clearly an invitation to share.
Telford looked away from the sincerity burning in his brother’s eyes.They’d finished the morning challenges and were now at the stables to ride out and picnic on the ranch.
Ayana chatted with Piper and Lane as they walked down a different aisle in the barn discussing horses and probably a lot of other things that women talked about so effortlessly.He forced his shoulders to relax.It was anathema to him to share.But he had started to trust Ayana.And if he wanted to have a connection with his half-brother, who already had adoption papers filed to adopt their half-sister, Bronte, then he’d have to start to trust Cash.Let his guard down so they could be in each other’s lives.
But how?
Ayana made it look so easy with her direct questions and steady gaze that saw through him.She listened, didn’t judge, and instinctively knew when to push or not.
“It’s been too long,” Telford confessed.“I’ve been based in Denver nearly half my life so I could have taken the opportunity to ride—plenty of ranches, but I trail-ran, hiked, boulder-scrambled, and kayaked in the mountains instead.I think the thought of riding horses felt too painful.I thought horses would remind me of losing my mom so young.”
“She was a good mom?”Cash asked curiously.
“She was…” He thought back to his eight-year-old self, his younger-than-that self.“She was always interested in me, treated me like I mattered.She was disciplined.Exacting.She worked hard, and wanted me to do the same, be a man of my word.”He wondered if he should bring up their bio dad—his ambush, and yet the morning had had a magical quality and now the ride—it was a family moment.He didn’t want to share it with that loser.
“I lost her violently and too soon and have spent years running from the memories.”With a shaky hand he touched the horse he’d chosen.
Cash was quiet.His attention, his intense blue gaze didn’t relent.
“And now you can reclaim the parts of your life you’ve boxed away.Today’s the day, brother,” Cash said without missing a beat.
They saddled the horses; Cash and Boone watched him to see if he needed help.He didn’t.The steps, the movements, the equipment were seared into his memory.The horse, named River, definitely took his measure as much as the Telfords did.He stood close to the horse, talking softly about nothing, really.Admitting it had been a long time for him, and Cash snorted.
