Page 27 of Rescued By the Mountain Man

We had some beautiful trails out there, and I knew the summer attracted a flood of visitors, so if I got that off the ground, it would be another income source for the ranch.

How many irons do you have in the fire? The processing plant, the riding school, the town fair, the rodeo, and now teaching Zara to ride.

We walked briefly behind the massive stable, beyond the tool shed, and past the solar panels. I increased the pace to a slow canter, avoiding a trot whenever possible, due to the discomfort it caused the rider, especially a novice. The canter was a much easier gait.

With a quick look to the left, I saw that she was doing great, and even while I read the tension in her frame, she was not strangling the reins like any novice would. Her seat was good, and she moved with the horse as if she’d been riding for years.

She’s a quick study.

“What is that?” Zara asked.

“It’s an anaerobic digestion biomass power plant,” I explained. “It breaks down biodegradable material, and we use it to manage waste or produce fuels. See that solar panel over there? This plant and those solar panels power the ranch. I know it sucks up a large chunk of land but it is worth it to be resourceful and reduce our carbon footprint.”

“You don’t use fuel here?”

“Only in the ATVs and a backup generator if we do get a blackout from a storm,” I replied. “And we have power cells stored as a backup to the backup.”

“I see,” she nodded.

I headed down to the corrals, trying—and failing—to not dwell on how her body had felt against mine. She was so petite, I dwarfed her by a mile, but her body was so soft. She also had the curves I could enjoy—if I was an asshole and preyed on my employees.

Almost everything around us was nature; it was simple and peaceful. Occasionally, a bird singing high in a tree’s branches broke the silence, and it was not long before I reached the part of the hills where the trails began.

“Here, we have plenty of trails,” I said. “Some of the trails get higher than others, and it is a test to someone’s grit and their lungs to get so high.”

“Do you know the trails well here?” she asked.

“Every single one of the thirty-five we’ve got around here,” I replied. “I’ve been over this plot of land since I was a kid. I remember my father taking me on his lap to the highest point we call Eagle’s Crag. I couldn’t have been more than four back then.”

We turned around, and I checked on her, only to find her rubbing her thigh—the first sign of her legs getting numb.

Damn it.

Getting Silver to stop, I slid from the saddle and crossed over to her. Zara looked down, surprised. “What’s going on?”

“You’re losing feeling in your legs,” I said. “It's common, but let's get you down before you can’t walk.” I made a come-on motion. “C’mon then. Let’s get you down.”

Zara let go of the reins, grabbed the horn, and gently swung her right leg over—but she lost her balance. I grabbed her in time and eased her stuck boot out of the stirrup. As I got her on her feet, she crumpled.

“Shit,” she muttered. “I didn’t realize I’d gone numb.”

“Yeah, it happens,” I helped her hobble to my horse. “I’d tell you to walk it off, but we’ve got to get back to the house, and it’s a long way to go. We need to get you to lie down.”

“My legs feel like wet noodles,” she grumbled.

“It happens. Come on,” I said, lifting her up to my saddle before I swung up behind her and positioned her sideways across my legs so the blood would flow better.

Her bottom on my lap didn’t help the pressure on my cock, though; it was a herculean job not to let the friction and her rolling hips distract me or watch her breasts subtly bouncing from the front. It was impossible to ignore the way my body was reacting to her.

It was disarming and seductive all at once as we started riding. It was a little touch and go at first, but after a few minutes, I got into enough of a rhythm without anyone falling off. We got back to the house in record time, and I spotted no one to help her inside.

“I guess I have to get you inside,” I said while I descended from Silver’s back and helped her down. “We’ll get your horse legs ready in no time. How are you feeling now?”

“Not so bad,” Zara replied, as she hopped on one leg as we headed in. “How do you guys do this every day and not crumple every day?”

“We’re born into it,” I replied, stepping onto the stairs.

With my arms around her middle and my fingers unintentionally brushing her breast, I held her against me. She didn’t seem to notice or get offended by the accidental touch. I helped her into her room and remembered what my mother told me about women and crouched under her shoes.

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