Page 85 of The Meeting
“I could use it to feed the horses to save money. My boarders could pay for the feed here rather than me having to secure some for the year. It might help me get a good stockpile going for the winter months as well.”
Derek looked over at John, who nodded along.
“I think it would be a great addition,” John said.
Derek smiled.
“Do you think you have the time for that?” Chase asked.
Derek shrugged. “That’s why you need to move home. It can be your little side project.”
Chase laughed. “No thanks, man. I’m good in California.”
“John is actually going to see that project off. His family used to own a farm.”
“That’s great!”
Chase patted Kailynn’s leg under the table, but she didn’t look at him. Her eyes remained on her food, acting as if she didn’t hear the conversation.
He was certainly in the doghouse.
* * *
Kailynn followedChase and Derek back down toward the barn, but they crossed off to the left, toward the tents from the night before. They all worked together to disassemble the tents and before they knew it, they were done.
She really wanted to help Derek with the chores, but she knew she couldn’t offer much help since she hadn’t grown up on a ranch. She wasn’t handy by any means except with a sewing machine. But hearing Chase and Derek talking this morning hurt her feelings a bit. The fact that Chase wouldn’t consider ever moving home because he didn’t think she’d do well there was a bit of an insult. He hadn’t even given her a chance.
She didn’t particularly want to live in Montana, and they were nowhere near discussing living together, anyway. If he wanted to move back at this point, they’d likely break up. Her eyes pricked with tears. She didn’t want to lose Chase, but she didn’t want to keep him from family if that’s what he wanted.
Chase took her hand and walked her into the barn, where Buttercup waited for them. Derek had already taken her out of the stall and brought a saddle over for her. He got her all ready for their ride and then left them alone so he could continue his chores.
Chase motioned toward Buttercup. “Let me help you. Put your foot here and then swing your leg over the horse as you get on her back.”
Kailynn stared at him like he had two heads. He acted as if it were so easy to swing up onto a horse, but he clearly had too much faith in her. She wasn’t that graceful, especially with mounting a large animal—a non-human animal.
He laughed at her expression. “I’ll help you. Don’t worry.”
She put her foot into the stirrup like he instructed and grabbed onto the horn of the saddle. Doing the best she could, she pushed off the ground to swing her leg over. Chase’s hands settled on her butt and gave her a good push to give her the boost she needed.
It wasn’t as easy as they made it look in the movies, but she was on the horse, unsteady as she suspected she’d be. Buttercup took a few steps forward.
“Uh. I don’t know how to control her,” Kailynn said.
“I’m coming,” Chase responded, before hoisting himself up behind her on the saddle.
Her back pressed into his chest and his arms came around her waist to take hold of the reins. He clicked his tongue and tapped his heel into Buttercup’s side, and then she walked out of the stables and into the pasture.
Derek waved at them from where he was mending a fence as they headed in the opposite direction.
“My parents’ place is this way.”
Kailynn nodded and clung to the saddle as they swayed with Buttercup’s steps. Being on a horse was different from what she expected. It always seemed to be something that was easy for people to do, but she struggled to stay upright. She worried she’d slide right off the saddle at any moment if she wasn’t careful.
“How do you make this look so easy?” she asked.
Chase dropped a hand from the reins and rested it on her thigh. Warmth tingled through her body, and she wanted to urge him to continue moving his hand further up her leg.
He lightly squeezed her thigh. “Keep tension here to hold you in place so you don’t feel like you’re sliding.”
