Where Forever Lies

by Tara Neideffer

  Remembering her vows to explore change, she squeezed her eyes shut and slightly nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this,” she said between clenched teeth. She knew she’d probably regret this later.

  Tyler leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, smacked her hard on the ass and said, “Let’s go, then.”

  She felt the sting from his hand and rubbed the spot as she glared at him. “Well, I think that was a little unnecessary.”

  With his hands in his pockets, he stood there with a cheeky grin splayed across his face and gave her a shrug. “Just trying to get you moving, we don’t have all day.”

  Paige huffed and sat down on the porch step, pulled the dirty cowboy boots on and dusted her hands off on her jeans. “Well, here goes nothing,” she grumbled as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail.

  As soon as she was ready, they headed to the barn. The summer heat was intense and she felt sweat beginning to drip down her back, already. Remembering she had a tank top on under her shirt, she took it off and draped it on fence.

  They got to the barn and she waited as Tyler rounded up the two horses they’d be riding. Even though he swore they were completely broke and gentle, she was a nervous wreck. Her mind kept racing to images of a runaway horse, she was on its back screaming, as it galloped full force into the woods. She shuddered, hoping that wasn’t going to be the case. Surely Tyler knew what he was doing by putting her on one of these things.

  Apprehension filled her as she saw him leading two horses up to the barn. She stood back and watched him tie them up to the post, wringing her hands together nervously. She took deep breaths, wanting to calm herself down so the horses wouldn’t feel her tension. There was no way they couldn’t. She couldn’t make herself be calm. This was one time she couldn’t control her emotions.

  Tyler studied her for a moment before saying, “You’ll be fine, Paige. I promise they won’t hurt you. Now, come here so I can show you how to put the saddle on.”

  He waved her over, and for a moment she just stood there. But then she shook her head and told herself to stop being a wimp. She could do this. She walked over and put her hand on the horse’s neck, gently rubbing him.

  “Now, first you put the saddle pad on,” Tyler began, throwing the blanket on the horse’s back. “Then goes the saddle.”

  She watched him swing the saddle onto the horse with ease and couldn’t help but notice the way his muscles flexed. His arms were slightly dirty and he already had a thin coating of sweat forming on his forehead, but Paige thought he looked incredibly sexy.

  “And then you make sure it’s on straight before you tighten it up like this.” She watched how he tightened the saddle and looped a strap into a knot around a piece of metal that was attached to the saddle. She thought it looked simple enough and figured it was something she could learn to do, if she ever had to.

  Tyler gave the horse a pat on the neck as he looked at her. “So, what do you think so far? Feeling a little better about all this yet?”

  Paige pursed her lips together and crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you’re getting me into, Tyler,” she said as she stared at him, a small smile threatening to form.

  He took her hand and squeezed it, “You’ll be fine, don’t worry. Now,” he began, “Let me get my horse saddled and then you’re going to get your first riding lesson.”

  He gave her a wink and walked away. A few seconds later he pulled out another saddle from the tack room and tossed it on his horse’s back. She decided to take the moment to get better acquainted with her horse. She reached her hand out and let it sniff her and then she ran her hand along its jaw. The horse was pure black and she had to admit it was beautiful and seemed extremely calm. As she continued to rub its neck, she noticed its eyes begin to close as it started to relax. As she gently rubbed the horse, her mind drifted to her life. Never in a million years would she have seen herself standing in a dirty barn getting ready to get on a horse. Her life had been taking sharp turns for the past year and she was praying she was finally heading in the direction she was supposed to be going.

  The rustle of hay behind her brought her out of her thoughts and she felt Tyler’s fingers trail lightly down her arms. “Hey, you okay?” he asked standing just close enough that his chest was pressing against her back. She leaned against him and he bent down and lightly kissed her neck, whispering softly, “If you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. I just thought it might be fun, you know, for us to take a ride together. The riding trails are pretty amazing and I thought you’d enjoy it once you got more comfortable on the horse.”

  She turned around and faced him and said, “No, Tyler, it’s not that. I’m oddly excited to do this for some reason. I’m scared as hell but I know you won’t let anything happen to me.”

  “Then what’s on your mind? You were standing there daydreaming for several minutes,” he said, looking amused.

  She looked into his face, and not wanting to drag the day down with her deep thoughts, she settled with, “I was just thinking about how happy I am right now to be here with you.” She wasn’t lying. Being out here with him never felt better. It just wasn’t the right time to get all emotional about her life. Today was a day to learn new things and let go of some old habits.

  Showing nothing but dimples, he said, “Good, I was beginning to worry. Come on, we want to get out on the trail before it gets dark. Let me get the bridle on and then I’ll show you the basics.”

  They headed out to the small arena and she shoved a stray piece of hair back behind her ear. The wind was picking up, making dust fly everywhere, and she looked over at Tyler and cringed as he gestured for her to step closer. She did and felt her boots sink slightly in the loose dirt in the arena.

  “Now, these are the reins which are like your steering wheel. When you want to turn left, drape the right rein on the horse’s neck and he’ll turn. Same for the other side. When you want to stop, just pull back softly, not hard or you’ll hurt the horse’s mouth. And to go forward, you gently squeeze with your legs. It’s simple as that,” Tyler said, shrugging his shoulders.

  Paige had made sure she paid attention this time. She didn’t want to be left alone on the horse to her own devices not knowing what to do. She thought it looked pretty simple and shook her head that she understood.

  “All right then, why don’t you hop on and I’ll lead you around first, let you get the hang of it,” Tyler said. He had one of the reins in his hand and his other hand was casually resting on the horse’s neck, making him look like he was posing for a photo shoot. Paige tore her gaze away from him, but her thoughts wouldn’t stop thinking about how sexy he looked standing there in his worn Levis, fitted white shirt and those dusty brown cowboy boots.

  She stuck her foot in the stirrup and smiled when she felt Tyler’s fingers lace around her thigh for balance. As she swung her leg over, she prayed the horse didn’t move.

  Once she was up in the saddle, she looked down at Tyler and gave him a half nervous smile. “Well, so far so good. I’m still in the saddle.”

  Looking up at her, he gave her thigh another squeeze, letting his fingers trace the seam along her pant leg as he watched her reaction to being on the horse.

  She felt the tingle of his touch roll up her leg, making the heat settle deep inside her. Watching his eyes travel across her bare shoulders, she gripped the reins tighter. He blatantly let his eyes linger on her body for a few more seconds, and then pulled his attention back to her face. The passion in his eyes slowly died away and he took her hand that was holding the reins in his own calloused hand. He gently laid the rein against the horses left side and the horse took a step to the right. He did the same to the other side. “See how easy it is to steer him?” he asked in a gravelly voice. “It’s all about keeping your hands gentle but firm.”

  His rugged voice was soft, making his words slide all the way down to her core. Still holding on to her hands, he gently pulled them back towards her stomach, making the horse take
two steps back. “Reverse,” he said with a smile.

  Letting go, he took a step back, standing catty corner to the horse’s head with his hands on his hips as he looked up at Paige expectantly. “Well, get him walking.”

  Feeling more confident than before, she gently nudged the horse with her legs like Tyler had instructed, and jumped when the horse took off walking around the arena on command.

  “Wow,” she exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she grabbed the saddle horn tightly with her free hand. “I didn’t expect it to be this easy.”

  “He’s a good horse. You’re doing great, Paige,” Tyler yelled as he stood in the middle of the arena and watched her.

  After doing several laps, she felt that she was ready to go on a short trail ride, and after Tyler got his horse ready, they headed out onto the wooded trails that circled his property.

  Chapter 20

  The trails surrounded her with a mix of trees, fields, and flowers, portraying a beauty she had been missing her whole life living in the city. It was quiet, peaceful and relaxing as they casually rode on the worn down trail, and as she sank farther back in the saddle, the leather squeaked against her movement.

  Her horse was behaving so far and Paige hadn’t yet needed to lay one finger on the reins, he just followed Tyler’s horse obediently, which helped to make her nerves settle down a bit. Leaving the comfort of the arena was a little intimidating but riding side by side with Tyler was one of the best dates she’d ever been on. She had been terrified of his surprise at first, but now, she was beyond excited to explore the trails on horseback.

  Even through the thick trees the sun was beating down on them, making her body sticky from the encompassing heat. July was always a scorching hot month in Sweet Haven, usually topping out in the high 90s most days with high humidity. She had dust and horse hair covering her clothes, making her feel completely filthy, but she wouldn’t trade this moment for anything in the world, not even a cold shower.

  She eyed Tyler to her left. He was resting his hands on the saddle horn, the reins draped casually on the horse’s neck, looking comfortable and at ease on the horse as he kept his eyes forward. His horse, which was light brown with a large, white stripe down the front of its face and four white socks, was walking down the trail without Tyler needing to hold onto the reins. Paige, on the other hand, was still gripping the reins tightly with both hands and trying to hold onto the saddle horn at the same time. She was becoming more relaxed, but she still wanted to be prepared if the horse decided to spook at anything.

  She let her eyes wander around the partially wooded landscape. There were birds chirping in the distance, leaves rustling as the wind barely escaped through the thick trees and large boulders nestled against a few of the small hills that surrounded the woods.

  “Beautiful out here, isn’t it?” Tyler asked as he turned his head in her direction. As he looked at her, he had to squint his eyes from the rays of sun that would seep through every once in a while.

  “Yes, it’s gorgeous,” Paige said smiling at him. He grinned back, showing off his boyish dimples, and Paige felt her heart melt at the sight. His smile made him look young but his demeanor showed her he was mature and hard working.

  “It’s gotta be more beautiful than that stuffy city you live in,” Tyler stated, giving her a sly smile.

  Leaning back farther in the saddle, Paige shrugged her shoulders, “I have to admit, that it definitely is. All this open space is definitely growing on me, but you know, Sweet Haven isn’t that huge of a city, not compared to most.”

  “Yeah, but it’s still a city and before long this place will feel like home to you,” Tyler said as he nudged his horse with his legs, making it pick up to a trot.

  Before Paige could let his words sink in, her horse followed suit and took off trotting after Tyler’s horse, making her shriek. She gripped the horn to help keep her balance, not even thinking about pulling back on the reins as her legs bounced helplessly in the stirrups.

  “Tyler I’m going to kill you!” she yelled, as laughter poured out of her. Her heart was racing as adrenaline pumped through her, but she had never felt so alive in her life. The wind blew against her face as the horse quickly trotted to catch up and she had to duck to dodge a few small branches. After a few seconds, she finally regained her balance enough that she was able to enjoy the rest of the ride. She had never experienced anything like this in her life. Riding on the back of a horse made her feel free.

  They finally came to a stop along a small creek and Paige leaned forward, trying to catch her breath. She looked over at Tyler who was laughing. “Oh, my God, that was so crazy,” Paige said in between breaths. She retightened her ponytail with shaky hands as she tried to calm herself down.

  “Fun though, wasn’t it?” Tyler asked. She noticed he was completely calm, his breathing coming out as normal as ever, but she knew he was used to riding a horse. She’d never thought it would be so much of a workout. Staying on that horse had made her use every muscle in her body.

  “Yeah, it was fun, but I am still going to kill you for just taking off like that. I could have been lying on the ground right now.” She wasn’t really mad but she had to give him a hard time.

  Tyler jumped off his horse in one swift motion, draped the reins across a tree limb, and said, “I’d like to see you try.” He gave her a challenging smile and she quickly got off her horse, threw the reins over a small limb, and took off after Tyler who had already started running.

  After several seconds of running, she’d somehow lost sight of him. She figured it must have been the moment she glanced behind her to check on the horses. She decided to stop and wait for him to show himself because she wasn’t familiar with the woods, and she didn’t want to get lost.

  She heard leaves crackling behind her and yelped when arms latched around her waist, making her fall to the ground. Instead of landing on her back, she found herself lying on top of Tyler. He was now breathing hard and she felt the rise and fall of his chest as she looked into his face. He jerked his head slightly to get a few stray strands of hair out of his face and his lips curved into a mischievous grin as he said, “Did you actually think you could catch me?”

  Leaning down close to his mouth, she breathed, “I know I could have.” Tyler grabbed the back of her head and pulled her all the way down to where her mouth was within reach of his. He gave her one last look before he crushed his lips against hers, it was hard and he gave her no choice but to part her lips for him. She didn’t hesitate, and as he slid his tongue into her mouth she let out a soft moan as her tongue found his. He kissed her in a way that was rough and passionate as if he wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone, come between what he wanted at that moment. Grinning against her mouth, he slid his hands up the length of her body, up under her shirt, until his fingers fell across her breasts. He knew he was pushing the limits out here but he had to try. She nervously pushed his hands away as she scanned the woods. “Tyler we are out in broad daylight,” she protested.

  “It didn’t bother you the other night,” he noted as he gently nipped at her bottom lip, tugging it into his mouth. She didn’t pull back and, as she let him take her under, she felt herself drifting away into the heat of his touch. It made her forget everything except how he made her feel. On the verge of succumbing to his offer, she stopped abruptly when she heard a twig break in the distance. They both looked up, saw no one around except the horses, and without giving her a chance to get up, Tyler pulled her back down for another kiss.

  With the mood now faltering some, she broke away from his kiss and said, “Yes, but that was at nighttime and we were under a blanket and it was harder for anyone to see us,” to answer his earlier remark.

  Staring at her lips, he argued, “Yes, but we are in the middle of the woods that I own, alone. No one is close to me, unlike at your apartment.” He ran his hands up and down her arms and then let them rest on her hips as he said, “But I won’t push you into doing something you’
re uncomfortable with.” Giving her a wink, he grabbed her waist and brought them both up to a standing position in one swift movement.

  He couldn’t hide the smirk playing on his lips at the disappointment she was trying to conceal but failed at doing. He grabbed her hand and led her back to where their horses were patiently waiting.

  ♥♥♥

  The ride back was easier and less stressful and Paige felt that she was really getting a knack for horseback riding. As they rounded a line of trees, she saw his barn come into view and even though she was having fun, she was relieved because her legs were killing her.

  They tied the horses up and unsaddled them. Paige was proud of herself for managing to get everything off her horse without any trouble or asking for Tyler’s help. Once everything was put away and the horses turned back out in their field, they headed for the house.

  Tyler opened up the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea, giving Paige a look as he did so. He pointed to the tea and asked, “Do you want some of this redneck drink?”

  Laughing, she replied with an empty glass held out for him. “Yes, please.”

  Tyler shook his head and poured the tea and then leaned against the counter as he drank half the glass in one shot. He gave Paige a sideways glance, noticing the dirt and horse hair covering her pants and smiled to himself. Even filthy, she was beautiful. “I’m really glad you came out today, Paige,” he said as he sat his glass down. He’d had a lot of fun today and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone on a date and enjoyed himself so much by actually doing something other than having sex.

  “I’m glad, too. And I’m also glad that you made me try something different. I really had fun riding that horse. I’m actually shocked that I liked it.”