Page 107 of The Strength Of A Woman

I get some fitted pants, a flowing blouse I tie at the waist, one of the scarves he bought for me, and regular sports shoes.

I fly down the stairs where Cosimo waits for me, holding the reins of a brown horse.

“How good are you at riding?” Callum asks, and I realize he’s never seen me riding in New York, since my mother made every effort to keep him away from me.

“Very good. I’ll show you.”

I take the reins from Cosimo, hop on the horse, and free my hair from the ponytail before nudging the beast under me to lurch forward.

“Catch me if you can,” I say, laughing, and Cosimo and he chuckle before I hear the hooves of Callum’s horse behind me.

CALLUM

She is a good rider,and I don’t catch up with her so I can see her arched body over her horse’s neck, her spine tense, her hair moving in the wind, mirroring the horse’s mane.

The sun kisses her skin as she moves forward at speed, so full of life that I’d never forgive myself if I ever allowed anything bad to happen to her again.

Eventually, she looks at me over her shoulder, smiling, her eyes flooded with the kind of joy only complete freedom can give you.

I finally erase the distance between us, and for a few good minutes, we’re riding next to each other before we slow our horses down so I can actually show her the property.

She’s catching her breath as we slowly move past the vineyard.

“How do you like it?” I ask, the breeze moving through her hair.

Her cheeks are ruby from the effort, her hair looking like it would probably look had she spent the night with me.

“You know I love the other house,” she says pensively, straight in the saddle.

She looks so fine, so gracious.

Her eyes come to mine.

“Despite belonging to my mother.”

“About that,” I murmur, looking down briefly. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Is it something bad?”

Her instant worry makes me smile.

“No, it’s not.”

I look at her.

“It’s just that I never fully understood your relationship with Bianca.”

“There was no relationship with Bianca.”

“That much I figured out.”

“Same goes for the rest of my family.”

“I got that, too.”

Our eyes connect when I speak next.

“It was her idea for you to be sent here.”