Lauren’s sigh said it all. “You have no idea.”
I had to take my hand away from the soft warmth of her blouse before I pulled her into a hug. She looked like she needed one, but that would be way too forward of me. “Listen, this is the horse I put seven-year-olds on. If you fall off, it’s because you jumped.”
Lauren’s laughter rang through the quiet barn. “Alright, if you say so. You’re gonna be sweet to me, huh?” She reached out to scratch behind Alma’s ears, and the horse leaned into her hand in response.
“She won’t move fast, but she’ll get you there, and she’ll listen to your commands even if you’re feeling unsure. Believe me, she knows the trails and what’s expected of her.”
“I guess I have nothing to be worried about then,” Lauren said.
I was the one worrying. She was a guest, and here I was spending personal time alone with her in the barn, drinking beer and thinking about how much I wanted her in my arms. There was an aching need inside me when I was around Lauren, but I had to keep this thing professional. Too much was at stake with my ranch at the moment, and I couldn’t get muddled up in some improper relationship when things were falling apart around me. Literally.
“I should probably turn in for the night.” I stretched my arms over my head. Every light in my brain was on, and I wasn’t anywhere near sleepy, but I had to get away from Lauren before I did something stupid like ask her to have dinner with me or confess my feelings. “We’ve got a big day tomorrow, and I get up with the sun.”
“See you tomorrow, pretty girl,” she whispered, giving Alma one last pat on the head. “Thank you, Matthew. I feel much better about riding now. In fact, I’m excited about it.”
She was so close and smelled so good that I felt myself being drawn closer to her. She flickered her gaze to my lips, and I knew she had the same thoughts that I did. I started to move in when one of the horses let out a rude noise, followed by an even ruder smell.
“Oh, my!“ Lauren said with a laugh.
That was enough to jar me back to reality. I stepped away from her, establishing a no-kissing zone between us. I needed to get my head on straight.
“Let’s get you back to your cabin,” I said, “so you can get a good night’s sleep.”
* * *
As promised,Alma was a sweetheart on our morning ride, and Lauren looked comfortable in her Western saddle. As a kid, she’d ridden English style, which uses a smaller, lighter saddle, and I showed her how to hold the reins in one hand instead of two, as well as how to use her body, more than her hands, to guide Alma. She was a quick learner, and I could tell by her posture that she’d relaxed into her seat and was enjoying the ride. I’d given her a helmet to wear because, even though they were optional for adults at the ranch, I thought it would make her feel safer.
Gigi forged ahead of us on a Palomino gelding named Loki, blazing the trail as our guide. I stayed close to Lauren to keep a close eye on her and provide pointers. It wasn’t a hardship. If anything, I was enjoying myself too much. As Lauren and I sidled side-by-side on our horses, I couldn’t help but notice how natural it seemed to see her on a horse. Despite her protests that she wasn’t cut out for life on a dude ranch, she seemed to fit in here just fine to me, even with those diamond studs still in her ears.
I held a loose grip on Roan Pony’s reins as I walked him next to Alma. He was eager to get moving faster, but he’d read my signals and was keeping it together so far.
“You enjoying the ride?” I asked.
Lauren smiled over at me. “I’m loving it. I can’t believe I almost let my anxieties keep me from riding. It’s incredible out here. How did your parents come to own this wonderful place?”
“That’s a complicated story.” I paused, wondering if she should get the story I normally gave to guests. As usual, something made me want to tell her the whole truth and not the sanitized version. “My mother is from Minnesota. She was a middle class kid who loved horses and camping. Dad grew up on a cattle ranch in Durango, Colorado, but his mother wanted him to become a preacher, so he followed that calling, even though he was more interested in being outdoors than in a chapel. He went to a Bible college in St. Paul and met my mother at a church event. After his ordination, they came back to his hometown so he could take a position in a church there.” I’d never known my dad as a minister, and it was still hard to picture him at the pulpit, although he sure did like to preach at us when he took a notion to.
“Things didn’t work out in the church for him,“ I continued, “and around that time, my mother came into an inheritance from her grandmother, and they bought Silver Sage Ranch. It was kind of a wild thing to do because they’d never run a guest ranch before, or done anything like it, but he grew up on a ranch and I guess he knew enough to make it work.”
“Why did he leave the church? Did he ever tell you?” I looked over at her, and she blushed. “Sorry. I’m a New Yorker. We’re direct, but I didn’t mean to sound nosy.”
I nodded briskly. “It’s alright. People around here don’t usually sugarcoat things either. From what I understand, he was a convincing preacher, but the senior minister felt threatened by him. Dad didn’t know how to be someone’s subordinate.”
“You mean he was too outspoken?” she asked.
I adjusted my cowboy hat. “That’s one way to put it. He really enjoyed being an authority figure, which meant he ran our household like he was the general of a small army. You didn’t question your orders. Don’t get me wrong, he had a lot of great attributes, and I learned so much from him. He could just be kind of domineering at times.”
The path narrowed as we went downhill, and I slowed my horse to allow Alma to walk in front of Roan Pony. For several minutes, we put our conversation on hold as our horses picked their way down the rocky terrain until the path widened and leveled out again.
“Are you close to your siblings?” she asked when we were side by side.
“Definitely, although Sam is the only one who lives here, so I don’t get to see Faith and Bowie very often.”
“I’m lucky to have my brother and sister in New York with me.”
It was another reminder her real life was far away from these mountains and valleys. I tried to picture Lauren in the big city, her fancy high heels clicking against the cement.Everything that came into my mind—like her talking on a cell phone while she hailed a cab—seemed more like a movie than reality.
“And your mom?” I asked. “Is she in the city, too?”
