Page 86 of Yours To Take
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Great. Give me a minute.”
Gemma walks over to where her horse is tied up and readies him with ease. She does everything with a grace I never thought possible. I must have looked like an idiot trying to get on this horse.
Gemma? Gemma looks as if she floats up and over as she settles onto her white horse.
“Let’s go, cowboy.”
It’s like Gemma’s voice is a beacon to Buttercup. She heads toward her immediately.
“You lead the way, cowgirl.”
The trail outside the barn is wide, allowing us to walk side by side. The path is muddy after all the rain, but the sun is bright and warm. Gemma clicks at her horse, and we head toward the trees.
“Back to these adventures,” Gemma says. “Where would you go?”
“Where would you want to go?” I throw the question back at her.
“I would love to visit my family in England. White sand beaches in Mexico. Eiffel Tower.” She peers over at me. “Sounds pretty basic, right?”
“Not basic at all. It sounds pretty amazing.”
It sounds pretty amazing because I’d love to do all of that with Gemma. I can picture it—her spread out on the beach in a tiny swimsuit. Me getting to rub sunscreen all over her.
“I wish I had more time off here.” Her voice sounds wistful.
“Why don’t you?”
Gemma leads us through the trees, where the path narrows. Buttercup falls into step behind her.
“I’m the only kid who works at the ranch. Everyone else is so busy with their lives that it feels hard to take time off. Like I’m abandoning the family. Even though Gramps doesn’t seem to think I’m ready to take on more.”
“I don’t think that’s how they think of it,” I tell her.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. But I want to experience more of the world than Dixon.”
“Dixon’s a pretty great place.”
She smiles back at me. “It’s the best place in the world.”
“Complete with its own Ghost Pepper Dick.”
Gemma tips her head back in laughter. She’s in her element. I love getting to see her like this. “Something you will experience nowhere else in the world.”
“I don’t think anyone would believe me if I told them.”
The trail gets steeper as the sun fades behind the trees. Rocks line the path we’re following. It doesn’t faze Gemma.
Me? I can’t help but look down at how much narrower the trail is.
“It’s fine.”
I look up. Gemma is turned around, focusing on me.
“What?”
“The trail. This is the easiest of our trails.”
