Page 39 of My Billionaire Cowboy Protector

“Thanks,” Lane sighed.

He went in search of Taylor. Lane stopped dead in his tracks and stared at her and Diablo. She had saddled him and was leading him to the pond.

Diablo obviously wasn’t happy about going into the water, but he followed her in as she gently tugged on the bridle. When he was knee-deep, she mounted him.

Robert and Sam joined Lane as he watched the scene unfold in front of them.

“I can’t watch this,” Sam said.

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Robert said. “She’s great with horses and he loves her.”

Diablo bucked a couple of times and then settled down.

“I figured he’d have more in him that than,” Robert said.

“She isn’t done,” Lane replied.

The three men watched as she walked the horse out of the pond, dismounted, and then tried to mount again. Diablo side-stepped. Taylor led him back into the water and mounted him again. Lane, Robert, and Sam were fascinated as she repeated the process several times. They cheered when Diablo let her mount him on dry land and ride him around the corral without bucking or rubbing her against the fence.

“You’re such a good boy,” she said, kissing his nose.

He nudged her pocket.

“He’s saying, ‘I did what you asked so you’d better give me that darn treat,’” Sam laughed.

“I think you’re right,” Robert agreed.

Taylor fed the horse bits of apple and brushed him down. At one point, Diablo put his head on her shoulder as though he was giving her a hug.

“I think that horse has a thing for her,” Robert said.

Him and me both,Lane thought.

He followed her into the barn when she put up the bridle, saddle, and blanket.

“Look at this,” he said.

“Mmm, nice picture,” Taylor said. “What happens now?”

“I don’t know,” Lane said. “I guess I could call the paper and tell them that we decided to put the engagement on hold. Or we could just let it ride. People will forget about it in a day or two. What do you want to do?”

“Play with my horse,” Taylor said. “As for the engagement announcement, I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”

“You’re no help,” he said.

“You’re welcome.”

Lane playfully made a face at her. “We need to feed the range cattle.”

They agreed that it felt good to be out doing physical labor.

“I can only handle so much of sitting around looking pretty,” Taylor said.

“But you do such a good job of it,” he said.

“I know that we just got back, but what about my ranch?” Taylor asked.

“Willow is already working on it,” Lane said.

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