Page 90 of Unbreakable Love

“Good. Go get cleaned up and I’ll get everyone back inside. Happy birthday, Penny.”

I headed to the bathroom and realized Gavin had been right. Within thirty seconds of stepping foot in his house, I had no desire to run. Not anymore.

“You can do it, Miss Pesco!”

I grinned at Gavin. “We’re going to have to tell her to call me Miss Penny or something when we’re outside of school. I keep thinking I’m at work.”

Gavin chuckled and brushed his hand down the horse’s flank. I’d been excited all week at the thought of riding a horse, but now that it was here, I couldn’t bring myself to move any closer. Josie was atop Bryce’s horse, Missy Pissy, which alone made me nervous considering they said she got the name because she’d been difficult to train and was still moody. That a little girl could be on a large animal with no fear should have given me my own courage.

“All you have to do is put your foot here,” Gavin said for the tenth time, “and throw your leg over. I’ve got her reins, and trust me, Pickles here isn’t going anywhere.”

“You’re holding us all up, you big baby!”

I stuck my tongue out at Maize, astride her own horse like she’d been doing it for years.

“You got a head start on learning!” I shouted back.

After my breakdown, when I returned to the kitchen, Jenny welcomed everyone into the kitchen, where there was an island covered in charcuterie madness and a mimosa bar at one end.

She brought me a plate and a champagne glass. “Only orange juice,” she said, “enjoy your special day,” and then walked away like she hadn’t given me the greatest gift already.

I was certain it couldn’t get any better until Josie and Maize decided we had to go ride the horses, and I learned Maize had been out last night and earlier this morning practicing.

Probably to show me up, the little brat. Normally, I’d refuse to allow my sister to be better than me at something, but Pickles, while beautiful and patient and serene, was a whole lot larger up close than I anticipated.

“Josie’s been riding her since she was four, Penny. You can do this.”

There was no reproach or teasing in his eyes. Only simple facts and encouragement.

I shook out my hands and wiggled my fingers covered in riding gloves. The sun was out, and while there was still a nip in the air, I was plenty warm.

“Okay.” I nodded again. I faced Pickles and met her gaze, one of her enormous eyes glancing back at me. Pretty sure she was looking at me like she wasn’t going to wait all day and had places to be. “Be nice to me, okay?”

Behind me, Gavin’s chuckle was barely a whisper.

“She’s old and the sweetest horse we have. She doesn’t know anything but being nice at this point.”

“Right,” I whispered and reached for the pommel of the horse’s saddle. “Just launch up and throw a leg over. I can do this.”

I put my foot in the stirrup, then Gavin’s hands were at my waist. He practically threw me up and onto the horse, and I had no choice but to swing my leg over or vault right off to the other side. My leg flew, my hands gripped the saddle, and through it all, Pickles didn’t budge an inch.

“You could have warned me you were going to do that.” I gasped, now gaping down at Gavin. He chuckled and walked around the front of Pickles. Once my other foot was in the stirrup, he called his own horse, Domino. He was a gorgeous, shimmering chestnut-colored horse with a shock of white down his nose and between his eyes. He’d called him an Arabian and it made sense. The horse was majestic, looked like it’d be preferring to run free in the wind. The horse trotted right over to Gavin and nudged his outstretched hand.

“Good boy, Domino,” he crooned. He had the reins for Pickles in one hand, reached for Domino’s with his other, and in a flash of quick movement, was seated on his own horse, right next to me. Domino stomped his foot and Pickles looked the other way like she couldn’t be bothered by any of us.

“Now all you have to do is relax,” Gavin told me, with a wide, happy smile. “I’ll guide until you’re comfortable and we’ll do a few laps around here until you get the feel of her, okay? But she’ll feel your nerves, so don’t work against her, roll with her.”

Right. Relax. Roll with it. Had he met me?

Josie and Bryce pranced over, Josie happily bouncing along in the saddle in front of her uncle. “You did it, Miss Pesco. Pickles is really proud of you.”

I forced my hands to release their death grip on the pommel and stroked the side of the horse’s neck. “Thanks, Josie. Any tips?”

“Relax and have fun! That’s what my daddy always says.”

“All right then. Let’s do it.” I gave her a wink and nodded to Bryce, who pranced off in front of us around the ring. Caleb was riding next to Maize. Emily declined the ride, and Dalton had already left on his horse to do his own thing. The rest of us made several laps around the rings until I realized everyone was waiting for me to be comfortable.

And I was. My thighs were stretched over Pickles’ back, but my shoulders were loose. Every deep inhale filled me with fresh air and farm life, and while the scent of manure wasn’t particularly relaxing or comforting, it was endearing in its own way.

---