Page 61 of Just Home for the Holidays
“Tell me about dressage,” she invited and he did, explaining to her the rules of competition, the objective of each step, the way that the horse is taught to dance to the music.
“I wish I had a video of Duchess competing,” he said. “She loved it.”
“There aren’t any?”
“If there are, Char has them in the box with our ribbons.”
“Do you think you can make her dance again?”
“I’ll see if she remembers. She might.” He didn’t want to think about Duchess forgetting him so he told Chloe how Duchess had been a small foal, rejected by her mother, and that his mother had bottle-fed her. She’d spent time in their yard, cajoling apples and nipping hair, as much a part of the family as his siblings. “She grew into a powerful beauty and a smart, smart mare.” He shook his head. Now that he’d started to share his secrets with Chloe, he couldn’t stop. “When we sold the farm, it nearly killed me to let her go. But Reg’s family have treated her well.”
“Why didn’t you keep the farm?”
“Char never liked riding much and was moving to California for a high tech job. Hollis only loved his music. I was the one who wanted to keep the business, but I couldn’t have done it alone.”
“You would have had to buy them out.”
“That, too. I didn’t have the money and my share wasn’t enough for that.” Hunter shook his head. “It wasn’t just the money, though. I like to ride. I like to dance. I couldn’t have run the business myself.” He sighed. “You have to recognize your strengths and I didn’t have what it would take to make that dream work.”
“So you let it go.” She put her hand over his and it felt good to have her support.
“We followed Hollis’ dream instead.” He frowned at the floor. “But when he died, there was no dream left.”
“You could have a dream of your own, Hunter.” She was chiding him gently, but Hunter knew he hadn’t believed that.
“I didn’t think so, not for a long time.” He took a deep breath and met her gaze. “But you’ve got me wondering, Chloe Richardson. Maybe I can come out here and ride once in a while.”
“It might be good for you to get back in the saddle,” she said.
“Ouch,” he said and winced. They laughed together. “Good one. It might be.”
“You never told me about the room service at the Beekman,” she said.
“Awesome. Best breakfast I’ve had in ages.”
Her gaze clung to his. “So, we’re just friends now.”
“I think it’s for the best, don’t you?”
“No,” she said to his surprise. “But it has to be you who breaks that last rule, if anybody does.”
Hunter stared at her, amazed. His world was yawning wide open with new possibilities, and this one was the most terrifying one of all. They stared at each other for an endless moment, then Chloe’s gaze dropped to his mouth. He watched her smile, just a little, then she leaned closer and kissed him.
And Hunter was gone. He was powerless against her, even before she raised one hand to his cheek, even before she twisted in her seat and wrapped her arms around him. He was lost before she made that little moan, and angled her mouth to deepen their kiss.
He thought about Chloe’s confession the day before that she could fall for him and realized that he’d already fallen.
Hard.
She was the One. The realization stunned him. He hadn’t even expected there to be anyone for him, yet here Chloe was, liking him just the way he was, fulfilling his fantasies and offering up a few of her own. He liked being with her. He liked who he was when he was with her.
And against every expectation, he wanted them to have a tomorrow.
That changed everything.
If Chloe was the One, then Hunter needed to lift his game.
He’d start now.
