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“Then you should come out to my family’s property. We raise sheep dogs, but we also have a lot of horses and some good trails. Have you ever been riding?”
“When I was a girl. But it’s been ages.” Emma folded her arms, a smile tugging at her lips. “I’m probably not any good.”
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You just need to get back in the saddle.” The woman snickered. “Okay, that was kinda corny. But seriously, you should come out to my place and we can go for a ride.”
Emma’s eyes narrowed behind her sunglasses. She didn’t know what this woman was up to, and she didn’t have her security team. This could be a recipe for disaster. And yet at the same time, Emma wanted nothing more than to have an adventure. She needed to get out of her slump and have some fun. Without realizing why, she nodded. “Yeah, okay. Give me your address and I’ll come by.”
The woman pulled a scrap of paper from her purse and scribbled the information on it. “I swear that I’m not some psycho,” she murmured as she held the paper out to Emma. “You just looked like you could use a friend.”
Emma took the offering, not sure how to respond to such a statement. Maybe the Lord was opening doors for her and she should give it a chance. She lifted the paper and gave the woman a timid smile. “I suppose we’ll find out.” She glanced down at the paper. “Nice to meet you, Sophia Palmer. I’m Emily Hartford.” It was the name she used whenever she was hiding her identity—the name she was born with.
“Looking forward to getting to know you better,Emily.” Sophia nodded to her before she traipsed off down the street.
Emma stared at the paper, wondering just how much of a mistake it would be to show up at this stranger’s house. She should probably get a burner phone before going off to parts unknown to meet with someone she wasn’t sure she could trust. It was that little thought in her head that told her to take a chance, to allow herself to make mistakes. She’d never been one to hide away from the world. Why would she stop now?
Emma still couldn’t decideif she was doing the right thing by meeting up with Sophia. There were so many risks involved, and not all of them related to her safety. But she’d already made some unwise decisions, and she’d finally come to terms with the fact that she was going to continue to do so until she returned home.
Today she was going to ride a horse with a new friend, and she would be throwing caution to the wind. If Sophia found out who she was, then that would have to be a risk worth taking.
Emma kept her glasses on her face and her head down as she headed toward the house. Before she got there, the front door opened and Sophia squealed as she hurried down the steps. “I can’t believe you actually came.” She pulled Emma into her arms and gave her a big hug. “I thought for sure I had scared you off.” Sophia pulled back. “But we should really get to the horses before anyone else comes out. My family is great, but they ask a lot of questions.”
Emma didn’t have much of a chance to dissect what Sophia might mean before her new friend pulled her toward the barn.
“And you’re going to have to get a different hat. Around here, we’re all cowboys.” She pulled the hat from Emma’s head, causing her to gasp.
Her hair fell to her shoulders, only being pulled back by the hole in her cap. She touched her head and stared in shock at Sophia. This woman was just as crazy as she was.
Sophia laughed. “I have a couple you can pick from hanging up in the barn. You just need one that’s going to shade your face and your neck. No need to make you age any faster, right?”
“Right.” Emma found herself laughing.
They got to the barn and picked out their horses, and just when everything seemed to be going smoother, Sophia grabbed Emma’s glasses. “Wow, these arenice.” She placed them on her nose and posed. “What do you think? Do they suit me?”
Emma froze as she stared at Sophia. It had been a long time since anyone had been so forward with her. Touching her, taking her things, it wasn’t normal, and it definitely wasn’t normal for a star.
Sophia tilted her head and stared at Emma hard. “What? Do they look bad?”
Emma exhaled a sigh of relief. Sophia didn’t know who she was. That made two people in this town who were so sheltered they hadn’t heard of her. She reached for the glasses. “They look great. But my eyes are super sensitive, so I’m afraid I can’t let you borrow them.”
Sophia didn’t seem fazed at all and handed the sunglasses back to Emma. “You ready for the ride of your life?” She climbed into her horse’s saddle and then motioned for Emma to do the same. “Come on. Let me show you around.”
Their ride started out great. The scenery grew more and more colorful as they headed into fields of wildflowers.
“We don’t do much with cattle except to train the dogs with them, so we tend to let our fields do what’s most natural.”
“I think it’s beautiful.”
Sophia squinted out at the surrounding property. “It can be. But there are critters you wouldn’t want to make friends with the farther we get out.”
Emma shot Sophia a concerned look.
“Don’t worry.” Sophia laughed. “I won’t take you out that far.” She motioned to Emma and her horse. “You’re doing really well for not having any experience.”
“I didn’t say I was inexperienced. I said I haven’t ridden since I was a kid.”
Sophia waved a hand through the air. “Same thing.” She beamed at Emma. “Either way, you’re doing great. We’re going to have to make this a regular thing.” She smacked her hand on her forehead. “Wait, I forgot. I’m not going to be here in a few days. My cousin is getting married. They live in Florida.” She groaned. “It’s going to really mess with my hair. I hate the humidity.”
“Florida isn’t so bad,” Emma said and chuckled. It was amazing how easy it had become to feel comfortable with Sophia, even though she was a little out there. “You just have to know how to prepare. I could give you some tips.”
