Page 27 of A Sunny Sweetheart for the Cowboy

The man scowled at him. “Fine.”

“Good. I’ll just check on our pack string, and then we’ll mount up.” Weston checked his watch. “We’ll be heading up the trail in fifteen.”

Jude and Darrell were stowing the last few items on the packhorses. Jude gave him a lopsided grin. “You’re all set.”

“As if.”

“Looks like you’re going to have a lot of fun.” He snickered.

Weston leveled a glare at his brother. “You’re just jealous you don’t get to come. It’s not too late. Your mare would love the outing.”

“Pepper would love it far more than I would, I can guarantee you that.” Jude clapped Weston’s shoulder. “I’ll be praying for you, bro. I’m guessing you’ll need it.”

A sharp retort nearly came out, but Jude was right. “Thanks. I think.”

Jude leaned closer. “You’ll get to know what Paisley’s like under pressure.”

“I already know. Happy, happy, joy, joy.”

“You could try it, too.”

“Ha.” Weston skimmed his hands over the pack animal’s harness, checking the straps and load for himself. Not that he didn’t trust Jude or Darrell but, ultimately, if there was a problem, it would be up to him to fix. Harvey and Susanna would certainly be no help.

He turned back to the group waiting by the corral. The sooner they got going, the sooner they’d return. Not that it quite worked that way, but whatever.

Paisley met his gaze with uplifted eyebrows. He gave her a nod, and she clapped her hands to get the kids’ attention. Thankfully, she would be the face of their leadership. Fine by him. He’d rather lead from behind anyway. Give a boot in the rear of anyone lagging behind. With any luck, that would be Harvey Little.

“Okay, everyone, listen up. We are going to have the greatest time over the next few days. We met each other in yesterday’s meet-and-greet, but I may have forgotten some of your names. We’ll know each other really well by the time we return Friday afternoon, though.”

Yay. Weston stifled a groan. He’d blocked names yesterday, trying instead to focus on experience levels. The answer to that was mostly a zero-to-two out of ten, except for one know-it-all kid, Matthew, who was likely to challenge Weston every time he turned around. He ought to stick the kid with Harvey, but maybe that would be exhibiting poor leadership.

Paisley consulted her clipboard. “Here’s how it’s going to go. I’m going to lead on Enchantment. You girls will ride behind me, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Little. Then all the boys, and our cowboy, Weston, will bring up the rear with the packhorses. No exceptions. No one passes on the trail or tries to outsmart me. Got it?”

Weston smirked at her reference to passing on the trail. He didn’t guess he was going to have a chance to muck up her plans if he was leading four packhorses. Maybe she planned it that way.

“Darrell and Jude will help Weston and me get you all mounted up. We had a lesson yesterday. Don’t forget what you learned.” Paisley turned to the girl nearest her. “Which is your horse?”

The girl pointed at Mirage, and Paisley boosted her into the saddle.

Weston helped a few kids near him but kept his hands to himself, trying not to watch, as Harvey and Susanna struggled to clamber onto their own mounts. Maybe a small part of him had assumed the adult chaperones promised for this group would also have some outdoor experience if not equine, specifically. Next time he was going to insist upon it.

If there ever would be a next time for a nightmare like the one about to unfold. Not if he could help it.

By the time they stopped beside the river for lunch, Paisley had a series of cricks from her neck to her tailbone from riding half-turned in her saddle to keep an eye on her charges. A helmet with a rearview mirror might look dumb, but it would have saved her body. And they were only halfway there.

She slid off Enchantment perhaps a little less gracefully than usual, but there was no time to pamper herself with all those kids waiting for her help. A few muddled on their own — she noted who those were — but the rest depended on her. Susanna managed on her own, somehow. Paisley cringed at the awkwardness. Poor Cinnamon.

Aryana Little tugged at Paisley’s arm. “Where’s the restroom?”

Somehow, Paisley hadn’t thought through the stop along the way. The latrine she and Weston — okay, Weston — had dug at the lake wasn’t any help here. She clapped her hands. “Any girls who can’t wait to use the bathroom for another two hours, please come with me.”

Every single girl surged toward her, leaving their horses standing.

Weston was already on it, gathering up their reins. Probably rolling his eyes as he did so, but she couldn’t see that for sure.

She led the girls out of sight into the woods and explained the concept of simply peeing in the wild. A few shook their heads and backed away, looking horrified, but most of them gritted their teeth and followed directions.

Back at the river, everyone washed their hands in the icy water. Susanna Little pulled a bottle of sanitizer out and squirted some in all the girls’ hands as well as her own.

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