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Almost an hour went by before Arien raised her head. With a stuttering breath, she rubbed her eyes. “Was I sleeping?”
“Yeah.” Tanner chuckled, ruffling her hair.
“Are we in Wyoming yet?”
“Not yet.” Kellan stretched his arm out behind her on the bench seat. “Just passed Fort Collins.”
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” She shifted to sit back up, the softness of her body leaving him. “I’m not usually such a crybaby, I swear.”
“You’re allowed.” Tanner rested his arm on her shoulder. “We’ll show you around the ranch tomorrow—give you the grand tour, won’t we, Kel?”
“You ride, baby cakes?” Kellan’s fingers slipped into her hair.
“Ride?”
“A horse.”
“Uh, yeah.” Head bobbing, Arien pursed her pouty lips. “I’ve been on a trail ride a few times. Does that count?”
Hardly. Sitting saddle on a pony for an hour-long walk through the woods ain’t ridin’. Not really. With a snicker, Tanner and his brother exchanged a glance.
“Guess I’ll be teachin’ you.” Kellan winked. “Got a good mount for her, brother?”
Me.
“Buttercup or Daisy would do well, I think.” Running his thumb along her jaw, Arien smiled up at him. “Gentle and strong, but fast—so you can keep up with us. Well-behaved too.”
“Do you have a lot of horses?”
“Yeah, I suppose we do.”
Flush darkening her cheekbones, she gave her head a little shake. “That was a stupid question. It’s a ranch. Course you do.”
“Tanner’s the horse guy.” Kellan grinned, putting his hand back on the steering wheel. “He breeds ’em. Trains ’em too.”
“Yeah? Like for racing?”
“No, those are thoroughbreds. We have sport and draft horses. Friesian, Shire, and American Quarter mostly.”
“Wild mustangs too,” his brother added. “Tanner has this habit of findin’ stray foals and bringin’ ’em home.”
“Are you like The Horse Whisperer or something?”
His breath locked in his lungs. It was the way Arien looked at him. Sunlight dancing in her big hazel eyes. Sparkling green. Flecks of amber honey and cognac. “Something like that.”
They crossed the state line into Wyoming.
“Welcome home.” His head dipped to her ear and he whispered, “I’m keeping you.”
“Hope the weather holds,” Kellan said as he folded himself into the passenger side of the U-Haul. “Dad and Jennifer are a good hour ahead of us.”
They’d stopped at a roadside bar and grill in Sweetwater Station. He and Arien would have been okay with McDonald’s, but Kellan didn’t do fast food. Like ever. He could be a pain in the ass like that. Though, truth be told, Tanner wasn’t a fan of it, either.
Arien sipped on a pumpkin spice latte. He’d never seen anyone get so excited over coffee. She darn near squealed when she saw it on the menu. “How much longer ’til we get there?”
“Three hours, give or take.” Tanner squeezed her knee and started up the truck.
“More like four if we hit snow.” Kellan tapped her on the thigh. “Let me try some of that.”
