Page 52 of Rusty

Tears shimmered in Janice's eyes, but she blinked them back, determined to focus on the happiness of the moment. "I think I can trust you, Rusty," she whispered, her voice steady. "We've both made mistakes, but that doesn't mean we can't learn from them and build something even more beautiful together."

"Ready for our ride into the sunset?" Rusty asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"More than ready," Janice replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Will Snickers be okay with it?”

“Why don’t you see?” Rusty asked.

Janice approached the beautiful earth-colored mare, and she looked closer at the shiny new saddle she was wearing. It was made of red leather, and it had Janice’s name etched into it in beautiful lettering.

“Snickers is yours now,” Rusty told her. “Thought it was only right that we get your name on the saddle.”

"This is so amazing, Rusty. I can't believe you did this."

As Rusty helped her onto Snickers, Janice felt a thrill course through her body. Snickers trusted her. And she trusted Snickers. Given time, she would learn to fully trust Rusty, too. She would just have to take it one day at a time.

"Feels like coming home, doesn't it?" Rusty asked, expertly reading her thoughts.

"It does," she agreed softly, her heart swelling with gratitude and affection. "Thank you, Rusty."

They set off at a leisurely pace, the horses' hooves crunching softly on the trail beneath them. Janice breathed in the fresh air, the scent of wildflowers and sagebrush filling her senses.

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked. “Your cabin is that way.”

"We’re making a detour," Rusty answered cryptically, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You'll see."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Rusty

Rusty and Janice rodeout toward the hilltop. The setting sun cast long shadows over the landscape, painting the sky with hues of fireweed and wild prairie blooms.

"Alright, Midnight," Rusty said to his midnight-black stallion. "Let's stop here."

He dismounted from his horse and helped Janice off her mare.

She was beaming with happiness, and she gave Snickers a huge stroke and a cuddle when she got down from her.

“Well done, girl,” she said, nuzzling her. “You did perfect.”

Snickers looked perfectly content, and the sight warmed Rusty’s heart beyond measure.

After securing the horses, Rusty turned to Janice. “Now, babygirl,” he said. “This is your very first exercise in trusting me. I’m going to blindfold you now, okay?”

Janice looked around at the rocky hill surrounding them. It was steep and would be easy to fall and hurt herself, but even so, she nodded. “I trust you, Daddy.”

Damn, it felt good to hear her calling him that. He would never, ever let her down again. He knew that now. And if he ever made a mistake, he’d talk to Janice about it. Let her make the decisions alongside him.

He tied a silky black blindfold around Janice’s eyes, breathing in the scent of her as his lips grazed her cheek. “I’m going to put my arms around you and guide you now, darlin’. Okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” said Janice bravely. “Sure thing, Daddy.”

Rusty stood behind Janice, sliding his hands around her waist, and then he carefully guided her up the hill, letting her know when she needed to step over something, and if she needed a change of direction. His voice was soft and confident, and she did everything just as he said.

When they reached the right spot, Rusty checked the scene before him, making sure everything was just so. Then, with a smile, he undid the blindfold.

“Oh, wow,” breathed Janice. “This looks so good!”

Rusty had spent hours meticulously planning every detail of the scene, from the soft, plush pillows scattered about the blanket to the flickering battery-operated string lights that would illuminate their reunion. Rusty knew how important it was to make everything perfect for Janice, to show her how much she truly meant to him.

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