Page 78 of Elusive Promise

"He should. He named them," a man said, coming into the barn.

For a moment, her heart leapt into her throat, and she almost reached for her gun, but Jared was walking forward, his arms extended, as he gave the older man a bear hug.

"It's good to see you, Carl. And I only named Barnabas and Honey. It was your wife who named Colette. How is Pam?"

"She's fine. She's out shopping with her sister. Wish I'd known you were stopping by a little earlier. Pam would have liked to see you."

"Sorry about the short notice. I want you to meet my friend, Parisa. This is Carl."

"Nice to meet you." Carl shook her hand with rough fingers. He had a curious glint in his gaze as he added, "About time Jared introduced me to one of his girlfriends."

"I'm not his girlfriend," she said quickly.

"Well, that's a pity." Carl gave Jared a pointed look. "What's wrong with you?"

"Hey, I'm working on it. But I might need some help from Honey and Barnabas."

"They're all ready to go," Carl replied. "You ever ridden before, Parisa?"

"A few times," she admitted, inwardly thrilled that Jared's plan involved horseback riding. "But not in the last ten years."

"It's just like riding a bike," Jared told her.

"We're really going riding?" she asked him, as Carl pulled Honey out of her stall.

"It's the best way I know to clear my head. I know you want to get back to everything, but we have some thinking to do, and there's a path that winds through the hills and around a small pond."

"It sounds perfect."

Jared helped her onto Honey's back, and then hopped on to Barnabas with an easiness that suggested he'd spent a lot of hours in the saddle. They walked the horses away from the barn, and she was happy to have a few minutes to get used to riding again.

When they hit the broader path, and Jared urged the horses into a trot, then a gallop, she was ready for a faster speed. With the wind in her face and the powerful animal beneath her, she felt like she was flying, like she was invincible, and it was a glorious feeling after the past few days of feeling helpless and out of control. Reality would eventually catch up, but for now, she was just going to enjoy the moment.

They didn't talk as they rode, but every now and then, Jared flung her a smile that made her stomach clench, and she realized she was falling for him, which was a really bad idea. She just didn't know how to stop it from happening. They kept getting closer, and the more she knew about him, the more she liked him.

There was a chemistry between them that felt like it was going to blow her mind if she ever gave in to it. But as much as she liked adrenaline, getting closer to Jared seemed a little too dangerous.

It wasn't like it had to go somewhere, but it felt like there was nowhere it could go.

They worked for competing agencies. They traveled the world. They lived their lives in the shadows, and they were almost always alone. They might be together now, but it wouldn't last.

They were truly two ships passing in the night, sharing the same space for just a very short time. It would be better if they didn't get any closer. It would be safer…

On the other hand, since when did she ever choose safe?

Sighing as her mind spun around once more, she told herself to stop thinking and just enjoy the moment.

When they got to the large pond, they circled it once, then Jared motioned for her to stop. He hopped off his horse and helped her down.

"That was amazing," she told him.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. You ride well."

"I actually learned to ride in Bezikstan with Anika and Jasmine. Isn't that ironic?"

"It is. We'll let the horses graze."

"They won't run away?"

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