Page 32 of Rescued By the Mountain Man Cowboy
"He likes you."
"He's a good boy. Aren't you a good boy? Yes, you are."
"That's Tuck."
"Hi, Tuck." She rubs along the bone of his nose. "Hi, baby. You are very handsome."
"I forgot you said you knew horses. How did you get frequent access to horses in Connecticut?"
"My grandmother had a place in Texas. We spent every summer there until I was seventeen for training. I rode every day." She glances at me sideways. "Until I moved to Portland, anyway. Haven't been on one in five years."
Five years and she's standing here easier than half my hands look in their first week.
"You want to ride?"
She pauses. The hand on Tuck's nose stops moving.
"I... yeah. God. Yeah, I'd love to."
"Get him saddled. I'll pull Buttercup."
She turns. Looks at me full on. The braid is starting to come loose on the side facing the wind, and a piece of hair is stuck to her cheek.
"Really?"
"Yeah, ma'am."
"Anna."
"Anna."
A smile breaks across her whole face, and I have to physically turn around and walk to the tack room because I do not have the discipline today.
She tacks Tuck herself.Bridle. Saddle. Cinches it the right amount on the first pull and tells him he's a good boy in a low voice the entire time. She mounts clean. Settles in like she never left.
I watch her from where I'm finishing Buttercup, and I am in trouble.
We ride out west. Through the working pastures, past the south paddock where the herd's grazing, up into the timber where the road thins out to a trail. The morning's gone warm. Late spring sun cutting through the firs in long bars. Birds are making a racket. Buttercup huffing under me, still annoyed I didn't bring her another peppermint.
Anna rides quietly for the first ten minutes. Just looking. Tuck under her like he forgot anyone else was ever in his stable.
"This is the most beautiful place I've ever been."
"Yeah?"
"You're not impressed by it anymore."
"I am. I just don't say so much."
"You don't say much in general."
"Rumor has it."
She laughs. Nudges Tuck closer. Our boots almost knock as we ride side by side up the trail.
"Tell me something, Luke Davis."
"Like what?"
