Page 76 of Unforgettable
He reached for her right hand without realizing it and squeezed it tenderly.
Randi jumped – not because it hurt but it made her heart skip in her chest. It filled her with such warmth and belonging and didn’t want it to ever end between them.
Blythe met them in the kitchen. She had already packed a basket by the time they entered to let her know that they were leaving now for the day.
“Mom. We’re going now for –“
Before Brew could finish his sentence, she extended an insulated bag.
“Thought you might be heading out,” she said, handing it to him. “Nothing heavy on the stomach to spoil your dinner later,” she said, “and just enough to keep you from getting hungry.”
Randi smiled. “Thank you.”
Blythe leaned in slightly toward her son. “There’s a bottle of Sauvignon in there… just in case.”
Brew shook his head, but the corner of his mouth lifted.
Randi caught it and smiled inwardly.
The familiar scent of leather and dust hit her first and settled directly into her muscles. Randi tentatively put her foot into the stirrup, her heart hammering with a mix of apprehension and deep nostalgia and lifted herself up and onto the saddle. The horse’s calm, warm breathing under her was like meeting an old friend – a silent and forgiving greeting that melted away her apprehension.
“You ready?” Brew inquired beside her.
“No cowboy hat,” she teased.
He chuckled responding.
“That’s Branson’s thing.” He nodded to her mare. “Pepper is agentle and even-tempered filly. You okay up there? I know it has been a while.”
“I’m… good,” she drew in a slow breath,” tapping the heel of her shoe boot lightly against her mares belly.
Her hands were still initially stiff, and she felt a little clumsy holding the familiar reins, but the muscle memory was still there, just beneath the surface. The horse, sensing her anxiety, took a slow, deliberate step before pausing, checking to see if she was ready.
She clucked and tapped her mare to cue her to move forward, and the mare obeyed with a slow walk, the rhythmic, rocking motion triggering a wave of muscle aches she knew would be debilitating tomorrow but felt wonderful now.
The world seemed to align with the soft clop of hooves on the dirt path. It was an awkward, stiffreunion, yet as she eased into the familiar gait, the time of separation dissolved into the simple, grounding act of riding.
The ride carried them farther out than she expected.
Randi adjusted to the rhythm, her movements careful but more confident than before, her awareness shifting from the mechanics of it to the experience itself.
The land stretched endlessly around them, each rise and dip revealing something new, something untouched.
“How much farther?” she asked after a while.
“Not far,” Brew replied. “You’ll know it when you see it.”
He was right.
The moment they reached the crest of a gentle rise the land opened into something that feltalmost hidden from the rest of the world.
It gave way to pockets of quiet shelter, the air cooler, the light softer.
“Here,” he said.
Randi followed his gaze.
And everything stilled.
