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"So are horses, or they wouldn't relate to you like that."
Keegan was aware of Sofia watching him, but he didn't look over. He didn't want to talk about baking. "Want a leg up, Sofia?"
She nodded, still watching him thoughtfully.
"All right." He walked over to her, clasped his hands around her bent left leg. "On three. One. Two. Three." He lifted at the same moment Sofia hopped, and she popped over Sally's back, landing easily in the saddle.
Kingsman was a little jittery, but after a few moments, Keegan was able to soothe him enough to mount him. Zach waved them off, and then Keegan led the way out the rear doors, soothing Kingsman as the gelding danced sideways, his feet clip-clopping on the wooden floor.
"You want an easier horse?" Zach called out, watching him. "So you don't need to focus on him?"
"No chance. We're good." He tipped his cowboy hat at Zach, then grinned at Sofia. "You first. Out that door."
She was still watching him thoughtfully. "All right." She urged Sally forward, and Keegan followed.
Her low gasp told him the moment she'd seen what he'd brought her there to see.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sofia had never seen anything like it.
Stretching ahead of them was a mulched trail, winding through the woods, the entire thing lined with Christmas lights and strands of white globes, strung up along garlands of greenery. On every post was a Christmas wreath, and the trail stretched down the hill and through the woods, as if a fairy had left a trail of glittery pixie dust for them to follow into fairyland. "It's literally magical," she whispered.
She felt like a little girl again, swept up in the magic of Christmas. She wanted to run through the lights, dancing and twirling and singing, laughing like a two-year-old who had just discovered a miracle.
"I'm glad you like it. I stumbled across it, and I used to come here every year. My family would rent out the place, and it would be ours. I've been so busy with work that I forgot about it."
"How can you forget about this?"
"I don't know. Life happens, I guess. Now that I'm back, I can't imagine how I let this go by."
She looked over at Keegan, surprised by the edge to his voice. There was something weighing him down so much. "Are you okay?"
He grinned. "You bet. Glad to be here. Ready to ride?"
This time, she didn't take his evasiveness personally. She knew about secrets. Who was she to ask him to trust her with his issues when she was having trust issues already? She understood. "Oh, yes. Do we just ride down the trail?"
"Yep. If you go fast, you can get through in an hour or so, but I've been known to be out here for a couple hours. You set the pace. I'll adjust."
"All right!" Her heart dancing with the magic of the holiday, she urged Sally into a jog. The mare's gait was like riding on a cloud, and she settled easily into the rhythm. The air felt bright and crisp in her lungs, and she loved the feeling of the breeze on her face.
Keegan rode beside her, chatting with his horse, and she felt the peace of his companionship. They weren't talking to each other, which gave her space to relax into the warmth and strength of his presence. His horse was antsy and skittish, and he kept shying, clearly nervous. Keegan had his hands full with his mount, but his body language was relaxed, and his constant crooning to the horse felt like a warm gift wrapping around her.
As they rode, she could see Kingsman's ears flicking back to listen to Keegan, as incapable as she was of resisting his voice.
The mulched, sanded path muffled their horse's hooves, making it almost feel like they were flying as they rode through the trees and under the light. There was a full moon, which allowed her to see into the woods they were passing. All was still, except for them, making her feel like they were all alone in the world, alone with the peace and spirit of Christmas.
Every so often, one of the light posts would host a small Christmas tree, or a lighted candy cane, or a Santa. Periodically, the lights would crisscross across the trail, so they were riding below them. It was a winter wonderland that clearly took many loving hours to put up and maintain, created for the sake of giving Christmas spirit out into the world.
They'd been riding for about fifteen minutes, when she looked over at Keegan. He was leaning forward, talking to his horse, stroking his neck. Kingsman had settled down, his head lower now, his body relaxed. She could almost feel the horse's relief at being able to trust Keegan and his environment. It was how she'd felt in Keegan's arms, before she'd gotten scared again.
She slowed Sally to a walk, and Keegan gently reined in Kingsman, inviting the gelding to keep pace with her and Sally. "He trusts you," she said, watching the pair. "It's beautiful to see him relax."
Keegan grinned, his eyes dancing. "He's a great horse. You can feel his kindness beneath the fear. There's nothing like reaching past a horse's fear and helping them rebuild their confidence. It's an incredible feeling to have this majestic animal invite you into his inner circle."
His voice was reverent, and she smiled. "Do you work with horses on your ranch?"
He shrugged. "I used to, but I spend most of my time on bakery business now. It's growing quickly, and the business side is taking a lot of my time."
