Page 25 of Untamed Heart
‘Sure you won’t come with us?’ he asked as the family all approached the horses. ‘We’re meeting up with Bailey on the way, heading up to the ridge by the pools.’
I shook my head.
‘Not this time, but I’ll be there for the cattle drive, I promise.’
He nodded, guiding the guests out of the yard and mounting everyone up. Footsteps sounded from the barn just as Jesse swung up into his saddle.
Cole.
Instinctively I turned, my stomach tightening as he headed straight for me.
‘You going out for a ride?’ he called, forcing me to look back at him.
‘Not this time, no,’ I replied, with less force than I wanted in my voice, which was somehow weakened by the sight of him, already towering over me at six feet away.
Jesse walked his horse over.
‘Want to do something useful then?’ Cole asked, the same edge to the question as there’d been in his statement at breakfast. ‘Lil says you’re hot shit on a horse, so reckon it’s time you proved it.’ Incredulous, I stared back at him, my reserve beginning to evaporate. The contrast with Jesse’s easy, flirty manner gave me whiplash. What the hell was with this guy?
Jesse interrupted, a half-smile on his face as he glanced at his friend.
‘Don’t rise to it, Princess,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Cole loves to get his kicks this way—’
‘Fine, I’ll prove it,’ I replied, ignoring Jesse, unable to bury my growing irritation. ‘What do you want?’ I said to Cole.
Eyebrows raised and suppressing a smile, Jesse turned his horse and began to move off.
‘See y’all later – try not to rip too many chunks outta each other.’
‘Princess?’ Cole repeated, clearly fighting back amusement.
I took a deep breath, hating the way he got under my skin like this after years of successfully curbing my reactions, keeping things neutral and professional.
Just treat him like a lawyer.A really fucking hot lawyer.
At my lack of response he shrugged, walking over to the stalls.
‘We’ve got a young horse, broken last year but she’s as green as they come. Reckon you can handle her? Need to get some supplies and run them down to Bailey, take over for a while.’
‘Fine.’
My voice was as clipped and British as it was possible to be as I marched behind him, trying to catch up.
He opened the stall door and led out the horse. She was a beautiful pinto, with large chestnut brown patches on a snowy white coat, skittering to the side on the hard surface, her hooves clattering.
‘Hey, hey,’ I said, moving slowly towards her, watching as her small ears bent forwards and her neck arched. ‘It’s okay, sweetie, you just ignore him and come hang out with me.’
Cole’s mouth twitched and he watched with interest as the horse and I slowly met in the middle.
‘What’s your name, good girl?’
‘This is Bambi,’ Cole murmured and without even glancing at him, I took the lead rope from his grip.
‘Who came up with that then?’ I said, still using the same soft, quiet tone, gently stroking her neck, shushing her nervous breaths on my shirt.
‘It’s one of Bailey’s,’ he answered, a new gentle tone to his voice as Bambi rubbed her head on my arm.
I couldn’t help a low laugh, but my eyes stayed fixed on Bambi’s face, not daring to look at his.
