Page 18 of Finding Chloe

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”

He nodded.

“Do you like riding Sapphire?” I didn’t want to ask anything too personal, but I was curious.

He smiled affectionally. “She’s a dream. We had some bumps in the road, and it took a while for us to get in sync, but I couldn’t ask for a better horse.”

“I’m glad. A horse can be your best friend. Right, Bear?” I patted the gelding on the side, earning a nicker in reply. “I remember when Bear was born. Travis’s family had been breeding quarter horses for generations. Bear was Travis’s graduation present. He raised him and trained him. It was amazing to watch.”

“Do you have one at home?” Kyle asked.

“No. Sadly, I didn’t grow up on a ranch. My grandparents had one, which was where I learned to ride, but I never had a horse of my own.” The corner of my mouth hitched. As much as I loved being at my grandparents’ place, I wished we could’ve had a horse growing up at home.

“Do you think you’ll get one someday?”

“That all depends on where I end up. Right now, I’m living in New York City. Not really a horse kind of place.”

“True. Well, I hope one day you do have one of your own.” The door at the end opened, and I could make out a few people coming inside.

“Yo, Kyle,” Ryder yelled. “Nice job this weekend. I heard you scored the guys into second place.” Ryder clapped Kyle on the shoulder.

If I hadn’t turned back to Kyle in time, I would have missed the pink that tinted his cheeks before he shook it off. “Thanks. It was a team effort.”

Ryder turned to me. “You ready to go?”

“Just waiting on you guys.”

“Well, tack up. Let’s get going.” He poked me in the ribs and winked. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the saddle pad. Sliding it into place, I turned to grab the saddle, but Kyle already had it and swung it over.

“Thanks.” He was so close I smelled cedarwood.

“Do you need help with anything else?” He gave Bear’s shoulder a pat.

“I think I’ve got it from here.”

“Okay. Have a good ride.” He went into the tack room and emerged with a bottle of water, tucking it into the carrier on the saddle. “Don’t forget to hydrate.”

My chest squeezed. Kyle was so sweet. We’d just met, and he was already watching out for me. He took off toward the other end of the barn, and I admired his toned backside. He wore riding pants and not jeans, and I now had a new appreciation for them. Jeans could fit a guy really well, but riding pants left nothing to the imagination.

I turned to catch Matt watching me. His eyes narrowed, and his jaw ticked. Was he jealous of Kyle? I needed to sit down and talk to Matt about everything, but I literally just met Kyle.

I let out a sigh and finished tacking up. I had to get focused on the goal for today—find a location. Not the fact that I was attracted to three men on this ranch.

Matt came up beside me and stroked Bear’s face. “You ready?” His tone was rougher than usual.

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

KYLE

Istepped inside the first barn and immediately slumped against the wall outside Gavin’s office, rubbing at my chest. My heart continued to pound its unsteady rhythm that started the second I saw Chloe. I’d been afraid she could hear it the entire time I was with her.

Chloe. Even thinking her name caused butterflies to erupt in my stomach. I had no idea I’d react so strongly to the gorgeous blonde, the same woman Hunter had been talking about for months.

Seeing her for the first time was like a bolt of lightning, electrifying my every nerve-ending. My senses went haywire. Sounds were louder, scents were stronger, and I went weak in the knees just by catching a glimpse of her.

It was a good thing she needed help with the saddle; it created the perfect distraction and reason to speak with her. Otherwise, I was pretty sure she would’ve found me standing in the doorway staring, which was not the impression I was going for.

Thankfully, I’d remembered some of Hunter’s tips on talking to women. More than once, I thought I’d swallowed my tongue. I just hoped she didn’t notice. Even now, I couldn’t shake theanxiety that gnawed at me as I wondered if I completely ruined everything with our first interaction.

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