“Oh. Nothing. I was just talking to myself,” I lied, my gaze catching Mom’s in the mirror and seeing her inquiring eyes.
I shifted the Jeep into park and the thundering pound of my heart made me sure it was going to beat right out of my chest.
Thankfully, the stables were opposite the recording studio so I could only hope Stetson was busy enough finishing his album to ignore us out here.
“Dad, can you go grab the saddles and stuff from the tack room? Mom and I will get the blankets and then get the horses situated.”
“Of course.”
“Are you good, sweetheart?” Mom asked.
“Yeah. Of course. Just really glad you two are here,” I said, which wasn’t a lie.
“Okay, I’m just a little worried about you.”
“I know, Mom, but I’ll be fine. I always am,” I offered as we took the corner, spotting the stalls. “What the hell?” I questioned.
The stables were empty, except for Winnie who was clearly trying to get our attention. Her long black and white head rested outside of her stable as she threw a few impatient snorts our way.
“I hear ya, girl. Where is everyone else?” I asked, rubbing the back of my hand onto her velvet fur.
“Scarlett! Out here!” Dad yelled.
Coming up over the hill was Cheyenne and Valhalla, and perched on their backs were George and… Stetson.
Mom made her way toward them and I lagged behind, crossing my arms over my chest, needing the weight to balance out the uncertainty in my feet.
“George!” Mom yelled.
“Kate and Kirk! What are you two doing here?” George slid off Cheyenne, meeting my parents in the middle.
I wondered why Stetson was on Valhalla considering he’d ridden Cheyenne ever since he’d gotten to Rolling Meadows.
“We just came to see Scarlett. After our flight got cancelled over Christmas, we rescheduled for the spring. We just grabbed lunch at The Wheel and then I begged Scar to bring me to Rolling Meadows because I’ve been craving a ride.”
I jailed my eyes, forcing them to look at the three of them conversing in front of me. My brain begged me to set them free, but I couldn’t, I wouldn’t.
“I’m gonna go get Winnie saddled up for Mom since these two are already ready to go,” I offered.
“Sounds good.” Dad half-assed toward me, clearly too engulfed in whatever conversation was happening between the three of them.
No one seemed to realize how thick the air had become between Stetson and me, but I was practically suffocating. The fact that just a couple of weeks ago he was a part of my life in more ways than one and now it was like we were practically strangers made the sinking feeling in my belly gape open.
“Hi, how rude of me. I’m Kate Carson.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Stetson Walker.”
I moved as fast as I could to get myself out of earshot of their conversation.
“Hi, girl. Wanna go for ride?” I asked, before sliding the door of her stable open, throwing the blanket over her back, and securing the bridle.
My body snuggled into hers, and a low nicker sound left her muzzle. I wished she and I could’ve stayed like that forever.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm the racing thoughts inside my brain, when I felt the presence of someone standing right behind me. I could only stand frozen like a statue.
“Are we ever gonna talk about what happened?” The vulnerability in my words shocked me.
His fingertips dragged across the back of my hand that was resting in the soft space between Winnie’s eyes. The graze forcedmy body to shudder. Stetson stepped to the opposite side of her body, and for the first time in weeks, my eyes met his.
