Page 37 of Save Me

Something other than the moment we’re sharing. I don’t like to think she’s thinking about anything other than being here with me.

“How long has it been since you’ve been on a horse?” I ask.

Her eyes flutter, and a wrinkle appears on her forehead.

“A couple of years.” She pushes out a harsh breath. “I hadn’t realized it’s been so long.” She leans down and strokes the side of her horse. The move is so full of tenderness and care that I want it to be my face that she’s stroking.

“Why so long?” I ask.

She shrugs, then gives me a sideways look. “Work. It takes me out of town a lot. A story I was working on at my last job had me in and out of the city two to three weeks out of a month for at least six months.”

I know.

The series of articles she wrote as a result were excellent.

“The investigation that exposed the insurance fraud committed by the Miller family, which owned a big pet services company?”

Her eyes widen slightly. “How do you know about that?”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my lips. “I read the article you wrote about it,” I admit.

“Oh.” She responds with a nod. “Yes, that’s the one.”

“Impressive,” I tell her, honestly. “How did you become involved in that investigation?”

“A tip from a disgruntled employee.” She grins. “That’s how a lot of fraud cases become uncovered. At some point, the leader of the scam tries to screw over their employee or partner, and that’s what gets them into trouble.”

I let her talk for the duration of our ride while the owner, who maintains a distance of a few feet ahead of us, occasionally gives us directions and information about the area.

“This place is beautiful,” Kennedy says in awe once we approach the overlook.

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” I dismount from my horse first and move to take her hand to help her down. Though she can do so all alone, a thrill rolls through me when she willingly allows me to assist her off her horse.

“This way.” I don’t release her hand once we tie up the horses, and I wave the owner away to lead her to the opposite side of the barn where our picnic lunch awaits us.

“Oh wow,” she exclaims, staring at the rolling hills before us. “It’s been so long since I’ve gotten outside of the city that I forget how beautiful it is out here.”

“We’ll have to do something about that,” I say, leading her to the red and white picnic blanket.

Our spread includes various fruits, chicken salad sandwiches, potato salad, cheese and crackers, and a chilled bottle of champagne.

“This is …” She trails off as she stares at the food.

“Exactly what we needed after riding for so long.”

I take her hand to help her sit.

“The horses are eating, too, right?” Concern wraps around her words.

“Of course. Mike keeps bags of apples in his barn for them to snack on while on rides,” I say of the owner. “Plenty of water, too.”

She nods. “I can tell they’re well cared for. I used to ride horses when I was younger. After years with them, I can tell how well or not well they’re being maintained.”

“This place is the highest rated when it comes to humane treatment of their horses,” I tell her. I made sure to do my research before bringing her here. The truth is, I’ve been coming to Mike’s Ranch for a few years, taking lessons and getting comfortable with horses, for this exact moment.

“I used to think horses were magical creatures when I was a kid.” She smiles at me. “I’ve loved them ever since. Even a fall off one, breaking my collarbone, didn’t stop me from loving them.”

“Little warrior,” I say without thinking as I stare at her.

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