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“We’ll saddle up,” Jake informs her. “And I’m going to teach you that, too.”
“I’m ready to learn.” Summer follows the teenager into the stable.
“She’s excited,” I say to Ryan and Chase as we follow behind. “She’s going to do great. And Jake is great at this. He should give lessons, work with riders professionally.”
“He really is excellent,” Chase agrees, and I glance over to find Ryan lost in thought.
I slow my pace, but Chase moves ahead, and Ryan hangs back with me.
“You okay?” he asks me.
“I was just going to ask you the same thing. You suddenly got quiet.”
“Not in a bad way.” He smiles down at me. “I’m just soaking it all in. You’ll love Ladybug.”
“I already do.” I can’t help it. I slip my hand in his and give it a squeeze, and when we walk into the barn, everyone is too enthralled with saddling their horses to notice us. “I can saddle my own.”
“Let’s do it, then.”
Ten minutes later, Erin pulls up and hops out of her SUV. “This is so fun. Thanks for including me.”
“We had an extra horse and didn’t want to leave her behind,” Jake says. “Blossom’s a good girl. You’ll like her.”
“I’ve met her,” Erin says and rubs the horse’s nose. “We’re friends, aren’t we, pretty lady?”
It takes about thirty minutes to get all the horses ready to go, and before we all take off on a ride, Jake takes Summer out in the pasture by herself to show her how to handle Lullaby.
“He’s so damn good with them,” Erin says softly. “With both the horse and the rider. Those horses have helped heal him, Ryan.”
“They’ve healed each other,” Ryan replies.
“I’m doing it!” Summer grins over at us and leans down to pat the horse on the neck. “This is awesome.”
“Do you think you could go on a ride with us?” Jake asks her.
“Like this? Yes, just don’t get fancy on me.”
“Okay, then.” Jake laughs and gestures for all of us to follow them. Once mounted up, we’re riding two-by-two deeper into the ranch. I can’t help but notice all the beautiful wildflowers blooming in the pasture, with the gorgeous mountains rising up into the blue sky in the distance.
“How many acres do you own here?” I ask Ryan, who’s riding next to me.
“About five thousand, give or take.” He smiles over at me. “You look damn sexy on that horse.”
“Thanks.” I toss my hair over my shoulder and bat my eyelashes at him. “I like to ride all kinds of things.”
“Like?”
“Oh, you know. Horses. Amusement park rides. Ryan Wild.”
That has him busting out laughing, and the others look back at us and then go back to their own conversations.
My horse stomps and seems to be unsettled about something in the tall grass.
“Whoa, girl. Whoa. What is it?” I narrow my eyes, looking down, and then immediately turn her closer to Ryan. “Snake.”
We make a wide berth around the snake in the grass, and then Ryan looks over at me with admiration in his gaze.
“What?”
