Page 64 of Trigger Happy

The tension in my shoulders eases, just barely. “Okay, I need you to sit deep in that saddle, grab one rein, not both, and pull it gently to the side. Don’t yank ’em. You’re gonna turn him in a circle, nice and steady.”

She listens to me for the first time in her life, and her spine straightens with determination. I can almost see all her backup plans combusting before my eyes as she lets Dragon take over. The horse slows from a gallop to a canter to, eventually, a slow trot.

“That’s it,” I coax, my body feeling lighter the more Dragon slows. “That a girl. You’re doing so good.”

A grin tugs at my mouth as I watch her steer Dragon in a wide arc, bouncing in her saddle until he stops.

Look at her.

She did it.

I release a heavy breath and slow Mudflapper to a halt alongside her. Once Dragon’s come to a full stop, Sabrina swings a leg over her horse with a jerky motion. Her hair is a tangled mess from the wind, and it’s only now with her feet on the ground that I can fully relax.

That was a close call.

Too fucking close.

Didn’t Bobbi say she trained the horse? Sabrina brushes herself off, but I catch the tremble in her hands before she shoves them into her pockets.

“So, horseback riding? Not for me,” she pants, rubbing her palms on her thighs. “Never again.”

She’s trying to play it off, but I can hear a slight shake in her voice. I used to do that all the time after Walker died, brush off the pain, because burying emotions was easier than digging them up.

Bobbi comes rushing through the wind. “Holy shit! Are you okay?”

Arch gallops behind her, and when they reach us, they both swing a leg over their horses. At the sight of them, my chest winds up tight, anger welling inside me. She’s been riding for years. They should’ve known better than to put Sabrina on a wild horse. The thought festers beneath my skin, boiling through my rational thoughts.

Bobbi pulls Sabrina into a hug. “That was so scary. I’m sorry. He’s never done that before.”

That’s not a good enough apology.

Sabrina throws on a tense grin. “I’m fine. Just a few scratches, but nothing a papaya enzyme peel won’t fix.”

My fists clench. She should be yelling at her, not making jokes about fruit peels. It’s Bobbi’s fault. She’s the one who put her on that horse. Hell, she trained the bronc.

The next thing I know, I’m marching toward Bobbi.

“What the hell was that?” I demand, waving at the horse. “You put her on a feral bronc when you knew damn well she couldn’t ride.”

Bobbi’s hands fly up in some weak-ass attempt at placating me. “Luke, I’m sorry. It wasn’t like that. I swear, I didn’t know he’d react like that.”

I step closer. “You said you’ve been riding since you were a kid. You should have known better.”

“She said she liked horses!” She looks at Arch for backup. “And I trained him myself. He’s usually so calm, I swear.”

Bullshit. I don’t trust her.

From the corner of my eye, I catch Sabrina’s head bouncing between us. She’s always so quick to jump in, but now she’s just watching me with her mouth hanging open like she’s shocked I’d defend her.

Arch grips my shoulder. “Hey, let’s all take a breath. She said she didn’t know, and she meant it.”

I shrug him off. “Were you trying to get Sabrina killed?”

I blurt out her name so fast it doesn’t even hit me it’s the first time I’ve said it out loud. Sabrina, not Chastain.

“Luke,” she slices out.

She looks two seconds away from punching me, and my stomach sinks when I realize my mistake.