Page 21 of Finding Chloe

“Deep clean on my tack.” I sighed. It wasn’t my favorite thing, but it needed to be done.

“Ugh. Why do you talk me into doing the things I don’t want to do?”

“I didn’t talk you into anything,” I laughed, hopping from the fence. “Let’s clean first, and then I’ll help you pick out a better bonnet. Maybe one that’s a nicer color.”

Hunter flipped me off, smiling as we made our way to the barn. My stomach twisted as my mind drifted to dinner. I really wanted Chloe to like me. I was thankful that the chore of cleaning tack was one that kept me busy and focused.

And hopefully it would distract me enough that my nerves didn’t eat me alive.

CHLOE

Sweat dripped over my cheek as the sun beat down on me. The wind whipped across my face, giving a brief reprieve. Matt rode alongside me on his horse, Willow, while Ryder and Jason, with their horses, were on my other side.

“What are we looking for again, Chlo?” Ryder asked.

I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. I knew they were just trying to help. “The perfect location to have the ceremony,” I repeated for the umpteenth time.

Even after three meetings, I still didn’t think the bride and grooms were officially set on a location. The closest we’d come to an agreement was that it should be on the ranch. The far paddocks would disrupt one thing, the close paddocks would disrupt another. They didn’t want the main part of the ranch used so that left us at square one.

It wasn’t like any of us knew exactly what we were searching for, but I had a feeling that when I saw it, I would feel the connection to the place. Thankfully, the spring heat wasn’t as bad as the summer heat, or I would have called it quits over an hour ago.

Scanning the field, I shook my head. It still wasn’t it. The trees were great, but it was too hilly. We need a flatter area, so wecould put up a huge tent. Plus, we couldn’t expect Alex to walk up a hill for herdown the aislepart of the ceremony.

Sighing, I nudged Bear into a lope and moved forward, hoping the next field yielded better results. I jumped as a hawk swooped in front of us and flew across the road. His wingspan was impressive as I watched him fly into the distance. As he got farther away, I took notice of the neighboring land. It was untamed and wild in all its beautiful glory. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere, and I couldn’t stop the grin that stretched across my face. King’s Ranch was a sight to see, but it was orderly and clean. The land on the other side of the fence wastrueTexas.

“Do the Kingstons own that plot over there?” I pointed to the field.

“No. They never went across the main road.” Jason shielded his eyes, peering at the land in question.

“Hey, Matt, isn’t that Blake’s property?” Ryder’s question snagged my attention.

“What do you mean Blake’s property? Like Blake the trainer?”

“I think you’re right, Ry.” Matt stopped Willow beside me. “Gavin and Travis bought Blake that plot of land when they thought she was going to leave them.”

“Leave them? No way. She and the guys are mad about each other. They just had a baby.”

“It wasn’t always like that. Blake was here for a different job. When her assignment was over, she was going to leave, but the guys bought her the land to convince her to stay and start her own training location,” Matt explained.

“But Thomas offered her the trainer position, and she took it. So the land has remained untouched,” Jason finished.

“Can we go check it out?” My eyes darted around the field, trying to find the closest break in the fence.

“Sure. The field over has a gate we can use.” Matt pointed to the left, and we headed in that direction. I could only see so much from this side of the road, but the fluttering in my stomach had me excited.

Ryder led us through the gate and over the dusty road. When we reached the property, I scanned the land. I led Bear around to the entrance and stopped. The view from the gate left much to the imagination, but I could picture it.

I’d need to walk the ground to understand it better, but I could visualize the area set up for a wedding. The ceremony would be on the right side, facing northwest so the sunset could paint a beautiful backdrop. The tent could be on the left, with the row of trees behind it.

My mind raced with the possibilities and superimposed the structures in my head. I turned and grinned at the boys behind me. They couldn’t see it yet, but I could. We’d trim some of the flowers but keep their wildness. The beauty of the space was in the imperfections and colors—a perfect complement to Alex’s chosen palette.

“I need to find Blake.” I brought Bear around and headed to the main road. The main gate was somewhere farther to the left. “How far is King’s Ranch from here?”

“About a mile.” Matt stopped next to me as I peered around at the landscape. I could work with that. It wasn’t super close, so we’d need accommodations to get ready here. Or at least a place for touch-ups.

I looked at the guys. “We did it!”

They shrugged. I didn’t mind that they didn’t understand my vision; they soon would. I nudged Bear, and all four of us set off down the road.

---