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“Don’t be,” he said gently. “There are reasons you couldn’t until now.”
How true that was.
Silence settled around them, the two of them staring out across the gray-filtered world. Rain pattered on the ground before them, and the gentle footsteps of the horses’ nearby marked the rhythmic sound with subtle thuds.
The days before this had been perfect, but right now, standing beneath the oak tree, she hadn’t been this happy in years. And she had Matthew to thank for it.
She turned her eyes on him, already finding him watching her, though he averted his gaze to avoid being caught.
She smiled, moving to stand farther beneath the tree. “You know, I thought you’d be a faster rider than what I saw today, Matthew.”
She faced him again, leaning against the trunk and propping her hands behind her back to give her a slight cushion.
“I let you win,” he said, taking slow steps toward her.
“Really?”
“Yep. I wanted you to gain your confidence back.”
While that was probably true, Winnie enjoyed teasing him too much to let it slide. “I dunno. I still think Prince and I could beat you and Nightshade any day of the week.”
He held up a finger, his eyes narrowing as he was nearly upon her. “You’d best hold your tongue, Miss Knox. If there’s one thing I’m more protective of than even Minnie, it’s Nightshade.”
“I should hope so. Minnie was a diva that—”
“Now, now,” he said, taking another step toward her. He was so close now, Winnie had to lean her head back against the tree trunk in order to see him. “Let us not speak in such a way of the dead.”
“You’ve written her off, then?”
He stared down at her, shrugging as he rested a hand on the thick branch that jutted out near her head. “I dunno. There’s another woman who has come into my life recently and has made me rethink matters.”
Winnie’s heart stuttered. “Oh?” she asked, nearly breathless. “And who might that woman be?”
He leaned toward her, his eyes flicking to her lips. “Well, I’ve only just begun to get to know her. But what I’ve seen, I really enjoy.”
“Is that so?” she asked.
She stared up at him, her pulse racing, hands still behind her back. She figured that was a good thing, or she’d reach up right that minute and pull his lips to hers.
“Mmm-hmm. She’s quite a woman. Strong and brave. Intelligent and humble.” His words cast a euphoric spell on her, causing her head to spin as he leaned closer, his blue eyes still shining as his voice dropped. “She also drives me absolutely bonkers.”
Winnie scoffed in mock offense, reaching out a hand to swat him across his chest, but he caught it just in time, keeping hold of her wrist.
“You didn’t let me finish,” he said, grinning. “She drives me absolutely bonkers…in the best way possible.”
Once more, she was wrapped up in his words as his thumb caressed the inside of her wrist.
“Because,” he continued, his features sobering as sincerity touched his expression, “when I’m around her, I can’t think straight. When I’m around her, nothing else exists in the world but the two of us.”
He shifted his hold of her, pressing her own hand against his chest, where his jacket parted. His heartbeat tapped against her skin, the speed and strength matching her own heart.
“It wasn’t always like this,” he continued, his eyes focused solely on her lips, “but now that it is, I can’t remember what life was like before she came into it. That is the effect this woman has on me.” He paused, looking at her eyes once again. “That woman is you, in case I wasn’t clear.”
Winnie laughed. “I gathered.”
He smiled in return, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. “I don’t know what life will look like once we return to reality and our work starts again.”
She nodded, her hair rubbing against the trunk. She’d thought the exact same thing across the course of the last few days, and it had kept her lucid. But now, with Matthew’s arm propped next to her, his body so near to hers, she was ready to throw all caution to the wind. Was he?
