by Alicia Rae
“Yeah?” I glanced up at him, still stuck in his hypnotic trance.
“I can admire your fine ass whenever I want to,” he drawled. His eyes darkened with heat as he grabbed my behind and pulled my hips into his. “I own this ass.”
I had every intention of playfully rebuffing him, but in my moment of weakness, Colton’s lips sealed over mine, fusing us together. I had no choice but to surrender to his demanding kiss as his tongue seized and conquered my own, making long sweeping motions back and forth.
I clung to him for dear life. The urgency and need in his kiss had butterflies taking flight in my belly. Desire for him spread throughout me, like a raging wild fire not to be reckoned with.
He drew back. “And these lips are mine, too.” He dragged his thumb across my lower lip.
Since he had left me hanging, my wit returned in full swing. I picked up one hand and playfully slapped it on the center of his sternum. “Whatever,” I retorted, making him laugh. “Now, quit distracting me. Where is this place you want to show me?”
“Come on.” He grabbed my hand and began to lead me out of the brush and away from the river. “This way. It isn’t far.”
Once back near the open field, Colton and I headed several yards down the stream. We had to dodge many large rocks, broken tree limbs, and thick patches of cockleburs.
We walked in silence with only the sounds of nature filling the air. The wind rustled the leaves, and birds chirped all around us. Even a few woodpeckers were beating against tree trunks.
As we neared an expansive cluster of trees, Colton’s demeanor transpired. His hand slightly tensed in mine. I inquisitively glanced over at him and observed the rigid pose of his shoulders.
I wordlessly pleaded with him to look at me, but he seemed like he was lost in his own thoughts and not ready to make eye contact with me.
We reached the other side. Colton’s steps came to a halt, and he stared down at me. Thousands of emotions appeared to skirt across his eyes, some of pain and suffering while others shimmered with dreams of hope. Each reflection was almost enough to bring me to my knees.
Without a sound, he tipped his head in the direction of the river.
I followed his gaze, and my eyes took in an oak sign hanging from a metal post. The words inscribed in the wood made my heart stop beating.
MISSY’S BRIDGE
This was not just any bridge. It was vast and elegant. The base of it had to be at least four feet wide. The posts and railings were shaped with meticulous detail and patterns.
I didn’t even have the words to describe its true beauty. Just when I’d thought I had no more tears left for today, new ones came rushing forward.
I glanced at Colton and inhaled a deliberate low breath. “You did this…for me?”
I already knew the answer, but I just couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around it. His goodness had no bounds or barriers.
“Yes.” He looped his arm around my center to bring me into an embrace, so we were facing one another. “This is where I finally reached you in the water and pulled you to the side.” One hand came to my cheek, and he ran his knuckles downward. “I wanted to build the bridge where I’d saved you, not back at the crossing where I’d almost lost you. That way, someday, we could make light of the positive.” He tipped his head toward the sign, not releasing his hold on my hip. “The wood was cut from the very tree stump that I’d managed to grasp a hold of that day. I thought it was fitting to engrave Missy’s name on it.”
In that moment, I was able to put aside my own feelings and see just how deeply Colton had been affected by that awful day, too. I had been so wrapped up in myself over the last nine months, and even though I had thanked him profusely for saving me, I hadn’t thought about what he’d lost—me.
I cupped the sides of his face. I let my hands trail across his stubble, back and forth, and then along the base of his jaw. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch.
“I’m so very sorry, Colton.” I cried remorsefully. “I haven’t been here for you this whole time, not the way you have been for me. Please forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Paige.” He shook his head. “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
I was home, but I still had decisions to make. Now was not the time though. Instead, I wanted to cling on to this moment.
“Thank you,” I whispered before reaching up on my toes to kiss him. “Thank you for making this bridge so that Missy’s death wasn’t in vain.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed my forehead and then smiled. This time, his eyes glowed, giving me a sense of peace. He slipped his hand into mine. “We should get back before the sun falls.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
As we retraced our earlier steps, all that went through my mind was, Where do we go from here?
IN THE HORSE BARN, I brushed down Rusty, a five-year-old stallion, who had officially completed his training in the previous weeks. A horseman, Hank Ulrich, had put in his bid to purchase Rusty, and Hank was already on his way to pick up the horse today.
It always killed me to sell a horse I had put my heart and soul into teaching, but it was my job to give others a good sound horse. Though the money was good, it was never easy to say good-bye to an animal. But training a horse from the beginning until completion was a business as much as it was a passion, and I had bills to pay like everyone else.
Regrettably, I couldn’t keep them all. Rusty was going to be a hell of a horse for his new owner. His spirit was lively, but his eagerness to please his rider and to learn new things set him aside from many others.
Finished with grooming Rusty, I set down my brush and came to stand in front of the stallion. His staggering seventeen hands put his head way above my own. Sheer muscles ran down the length of his neck to the front of his chest and shoulders, and his golden coat shined brilliantly. He was a stud, and he knew it.
I tipped my head up at him while scratching his favorite spot under his chin. “I’m going to miss you, bud.” My hand stopped as I smiled at him.
Apparently, Rusty wasn’t ready for me to stop showing him the love because he nudged his big nose at my chest, pleading for more.
“You like that, huh?” I crooned as I began moving my hand again.
Rusty’s eyes closed halfway, and he snorted in content, drooping his head lower in satisfaction.
“Yeah, you do.” I chuckled.
I heard the sound of tires spinning on my gravel driveway, and I knew my time with this guy was up. “I have high hopes for you, bud, so you treat Mr. Ulrich good, you hear?” I bent forward to kiss Rusty’s nose while giving him a pat on the neck. “Make me proud.”
I unsecured Rusty’s lead rope from the post and led him out of the barn. His metal horseshoes hit the pavement with a clinking noise.
Hank and I met in front of his truck. His brand-new red Dodge Ram had a long horse trailer attached at the rear. He wore an expensive cream-colored suit and orange tie, looking out of place on my ranch. It was accompanied by a fancy white cowboy hat, one that had never seen a day of hard work in its life.
I was just about to laugh at my inside joke when Rusty stopped abruptly. The unexpected rapid movement yanked on my arm. I caught myself and rotated to face the stallion. Rusty had his eyes locked on Hank in front of us, looking apprehensive, with his ears standing tall in full alert.
I believed horses had a sixth sense about people and their surroundings, and Rusty definitely knew something was different about today. Horses weren’t fond of a change in scenery, so this would take some getting used to for him.
Just as I was about to reassure Rusty, Hank snapped, “Come on, boy,” from behind me, impatiently tapping the heel of his boot in the loose gravel.
From the corner of my eye, I watched him whip his head to the right before he spit in my front lawn.
Hank looked back at me. “I ain’t got all day.”
His comments did not sit well with me, but I was willing to give th
e guy one free pass, making the assumption that he’d had a shit-tastic day just like I had. One pass was it though—period. I was unwilling to allow someone to rush my horse because that was when people could get hurt.
“With all due respect, sir”—I cocked my head at Hank so that he could see my stern glare from underneath the rim of my hat and know that he needed to cut the bullshit—“this will take as long as it needs to and not a second less. Rusty has only been in a trailer twice before, so be patient.”
Hank mumbled something under his breath, but the words were out of my hearing range.
“Sorry?” I challenged.
“No horse likes to be sold and moved to a new place.” He flippantly waved his hand in the air. “I’ll let you get back to it though.”
I redirected my attention to Rusty. His ears were pinned flat against his head, and his neck was jutted out at the guy, like he wanted to take a nip at Hank. His legs were in a stiff wide stance, braced for a fight.
I unleashed an exasperated sigh at where this situation was going. I forced myself to chill, knowing Rusty would feed off my negative energy.
I needed to calm Rusty down before I had any chance of leading him into the trailer, so I stood right in front of him until our legs were toe-to-hoof.
I kept the lead rope in my arm while outstretching my hands. Going nice and easy, I rubbed the sides of Rusty’s shoulders and neck, hoping to loosen his nerves.
“Hey, bud. It’s all right,” I said in a calm, low tone.
My hands continued to make reassuring strokes, and Rusty began to relax.
“That’s it,” I cooed.
Rusty nuzzled his big nose against my forehead, and I knew that all was good.
I took a backward step and motioned Rusty toward the path of the horse trailer.
I heard Paige’s Gator closing in, and I turned my head to see her parking the utility vehicle. I was surprised that she was here this early—or maybe I was running late.
Paige started to near us with her arms crossed over her center, watching Rusty and me with questioning eyes. She stopped a safe distance away.
The trailer door was already open, so I proceeded onward.
Within seconds of getting Rusty to step into the trailer, Hank came around to the other side.
He yelled, “I’m on a tight time frame here. He-yah!” He slapped Rusty on his hindquarter.
Rusty neighed loudly as he kicked his rear legs out at Hank. The man barely stumbled out of the way before he fell to the ground.
I tightly gripped the lead rope in my hands. “Whoa! Whoa! Easy, boy,” I said, keeping my voice even as I tried to get Rusty to settle.
But it was too late.
A thousand pounds of terrified muscles pulled against me. With Rusty confined in a close-fitting space, I was unable to pull him in a circle to stop him and keep control. Rusty ripped the twined rope right out of my hands and hastily scurried backward out of the trailer, shaking it from his weight and rapid movements. Then, he took off in a gallop across the yard.
I darted my eyes over to Paige and sighed in relief when she was well out of the way.
Feeling nothing but mad rage, I whipped around to face Hank. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Paige walking away to give us privacy.
“Are you out of your mind?” I barked at Hank, hearing Rusty’s hooves speeding away. “You could have gotten someone hurt!”
Hank struggled to his feet, wiping at the dirt and grass on his slacks. His expression showed he was pissed off. Well, so was I.
“I don’t have time for this.” Hank threw his arm toward the path where Rusty had taken off. “Go get my horse!”
My gut twisted. I was angry at myself for taking so long to realize that something wasn’t right at all with this guy. He wasn’t having a shitty day. He was just an asshole.
“Deal’s off, Hank,” I stated in a voice not to be argued with while hoping to restrain my temper. “I won’t sell any of my horses to someone who doesn’t respect them.”
Hank’s eyes went red with fury. “Remember who’s paying who here, Kingston.” He lifted his chin in the air, challenging me. “A deal is a deal. Now, go get me my horse.”
“Keep your money, and I sure as hell will be keeping my horse.” At his astounded expression, I broke it down for him. “I put blood and sweat into training these horses before finding them good homes. They deserve it, and I won’t settle for anything less.”
He went toe-to-toe with me and sized me up. “Maybe the problem doesn’t lie with the horse but with the trainer.”
The guy was about two seconds away from getting a black shiner to go along with his ego.
I tipped my head at his truck and trailer. “Walk away, Hank—while you still can.”
Hank hastily righted his crooked hat, his mouth set in a straight line. He headed toward his vehicle but gave me one last glance over his shoulder. “Consider this the end of your career, Kingston. After I’m through with trashing your name, there won’t be a horseman in this state who will buy from you.”
“Uh-huh.” I blew off his threat, not the slightest bit concerned.
After the guy climbed into his truck, he started it and peeled out of my driveway, kicking small rocks up from the ground. I didn’t care about the marks it left behind. I was already searching for where Paige had disappeared to and which way Rusty had run.
Knowing I had to find Rusty first, I began to walk across the front lawn en route of where he had galloped off. Without seeing a trace of him, I continued around the house to head to the open field where I baled for hay.
I scanned my eyes up and down the tree line in hopes of seeing him, but he must have crossed the brush. I hiked to the other side of the clearing and made my way through the trees.
On the other end, there was another open field. This one was full of wild grass and some flowers as I hadn’t had the time to fence a pasture or make anything more of it yet. A row of thick pine trees lined the edges, and I began passing in between a few scattered trees.
I was rooted in my spot when Rusty finally came into sight. He was casually grazing on a green patch of grass. I wasn’t surprised that he’d found the thickest part and was going to town. What caught me off guard was that Paige was standing about ten feet away from him, zoning in on my stallion.
Wanting to see her intentions, I leaned against the tree and kicked one leg out before crossing it over the other. My eyes were glued on her, and I stood in awe because she was here, alone, standing so close to a horse after all this time.
Paige partially lowered down onto her haunches as far as she could go, and she turned her shoulder toward Rusty. I smiled, recalling a rule my father had taught me—when approaching an unfamiliar horse in an open field, you should slightly turn your body, making the horse feel less intimidated and frightened.
A soft kissing noise left the back of her throat. “Rusty,” she murmured.
I could hear the affection in her tone.
The stallion’s head spun to face her, and his ears went straight forward in curiosity.
“Hey there, sweet boy.” She smiled.
He momentarily studied her before returning to his grazing. He was not intimidated by her presence.
The minutes ticked by, and Paige stepped closer. When she was only a few feet away, Rusty snorted and did a short jog until he was several yards ahead of her, putting more space between them. I could tell he was watching her until he felt safe to return to eating.
More time passed, and Paige tried again. This round, she kept most of her back to him as she neared. Her movements were slow and tranquil. With each one completed, she released a little soft sigh, letting Rusty know it was okay.
Paige came to the center of his belly and made one last forward movement to his forequarter. Then, ever so sluggishly, she outstretched her hand and touched his shoulder. Rusty’s body flinched slightly, and he sidestepped once to the right, moving away from her.
Keeping her hand on him, never relinqui
shing her touch, she cooed, “Easy.” Her gesture proved she wouldn’t cave to him.
Rusty seemed to give up, and he visibly relaxed. Then, he went back to doing his own thing once again. Paige began to rub her hand in small circles on his shoulder before gradually making her way over to his neck. Her free hand grasped his lead rope that was hanging from the bottom of his halter.
The genuine smile she revealed on her face captivated me, and I couldn’t peel my eyes away. The sight of her, observing her pure and natural talent, mesmerized me. It was a gift that not everyone had. She might not be ready to admit that she still had an interest in horses, but her actions were proving otherwise. I could only hope this would mean that she could soon make the connection on her own.
“Hey there, sweet boy,” she said comfortingly, still stroking his fur. “Wait—you are a boy, right?” She laughed quietly and gingerly leaned back to peek under his belly, careful not to spook him. “Yep, all boy.” She continued laughing, righting her position.
Not wanting her to know I was there quite yet, I silently laughed, my chest rising and falling.
Rusty finally lifted his head and twisted his neck to Paige. She offered her hand to him as a peace offering, and he sniffed her fingers, intrigued by her presence. Once he was at ease, she gently repositioned her hand to the bridge of his nose and caressed her way up between his eyes.
“Well, now that we got all that cleared up,” Paige said, “how about we go for a walk?”
I followed Paige as she led him forward a few steps. A long branch was in plain view of Rusty. He lifted his mouth and snatched the leaves off the limb before continuing to accept Paige’s lead.
“Mmm…I bet those were tasty.” Paige playfully grinned over at him, ongoing with her strides.
I followed behind, still making sure there was distance between us. I was too interested to see where this was going with Paige and Rusty.
The two of them approached another clearing. This time, Paige let Rusty lower his head, and he ate from the ground, but he wasn’t chomping down on the grass.
“What kind of horse are you?” she admonished teasingly. She gave the lead rope a gentle tug, so he would lift his face. “You aren’t supposed to eat prickers and dandelions, silly boy. You’re supposed to eat grass.”