Page 20 of Cowboy SEAL Homecoming

Becca watched the blaze of gold fall deeper behind the mountains. Bitter cold swept in fast, but she could feel spring in the air, the way the snow melted throughout the day. No more had fallen for a week. A good late-winter storm could swing through and bury them again, but spring was getting there. Rebirth and renewal were everywhere.

She’d needed that reminder last year, repeatedly. That new things and lives could come from death and grief and cold. She needed the reminder again this year as she started this new venture. And found her strength. The strength in herself.

She’d done a great job yesterday with Monica, and Becca was so excited to have a woman that passionate and skilled and invested on board.

Of course, Becca was more than a little curious about the way Alex had paled when the woman had thanked him for his service. It reminded her a little bit of his expression when she’d told him “welcome home” at the airport.

The man thought he was Mr. In Charge and In Control, but Becca was beginning to see a thread of something underneath that. She hoped Monica’s presence would help all three of the guys. They might not think they needed some therapy, but Becca was quite certain they did.

She nudged Pal to turn and head back to the ranch. Pal needed little encouragement to take off. She was a calm, steady horse, but she loved to gallop as much as Becca loved the freedom to enjoy it.

As a teenager, she’d been afraid. Afraid of testing her limits and the way any testing might hurt her mother. But Burt had encouraged her to take a few risks. To find her own way. Now, she couldn’t gallop across the ranch and not miss him.

The pain of missing him was starting to get to be an almost-good type of hurt. It still made her sad he wasn’t here, but it felt good to know he’d be proud of what she was doing. He’d be proud of her.

She wondered if Alex knew how proud Burt had been of his son the soldier, the SEAL.

Out of sheer habit, Becca pulled on her reins and slowed Pal down before she reached the view of the house. Mom wasn’t there to scold, but it wasn’t easy to break ten years of habit.

She nudged Pal to walk toward the stable, but she heard voices on the opposite side of the stable and rerouted Pal to go around instead of inside. They turned the corner of the building and found Alex, Jack, Gabe, and Hick standing around Magnolia, the horse Burt had bought for Mom.

A good horse, stable and calm. Used to nervous or finicky riders, which made Becca think this was some kind of lesson.

Hick was shaking his head and Alex looked stern and disapproving. Gabe was laughing. Considering Jack was leaning against the stable wall and scowling, Becca had a feeling he was being uncooperative.

“I’m not getting on the fucking horse. You never said getting on a horse was part of this.”

“You’ve stared down men with assault rifles, Jack. How the hell are you scared of a horse?” Gabe asked, clearly needling him.

“I’m not scared of the horse. I grew up on a damn farm,” Jack retorted. “I got a chunk blasted out of my leg. I’m not looking to break it trying to get on that thing.”

Becca urged Pal closer to the group, finally garnering the attention of the men. Gabe and Hick smiled and nodded their greeting, Jack cursed, and Alex looked at her with a focused intensity she didn’t understand. She didn’t think she’d ever understand him.

“Look, Becca’s not afraid of a horse, Jack.”

“Shut the fuck up, Gabe.”

“Why don’t you hop on, Gabe?” Becca offered, smiling sweetly.

Gabe grinned. “Touché. I like her.”

She rolled her eyes and dismounted, walking Pal over to the guys. So far, she’d heard them all swear at Jack and accuse him of being afraid, but she hadn’t heard anyone offer any kindness, especially considering he was worried about his injuries.

Maybe that would be her role here, with these three very different men—a little kindness.

“You know, when I moved here, I was intimidated by the size of the horses.”

“Okay, if she’s going to try and psychoanalyze me, I’m getting on the damn thing.” Jack finally moved off the wall and over to the horse. Though irritation and maybe anger radiated off him in waves, he approached the horse exactly as he should have. He used all the right holds, had all the right footing. Though his overall mount was a little bit clumsy, it was technically perfect.

“There. Happy?”

Becca grinned. Maybe it had been accidental—she hadn’t thought kindness would spur him on quite that way—but she had been the one to get him to do it. Still counted.

“Do you want me to teach you how to—”

“Fuck off,” he muttered. He very cautiously but correctly nudged the horse forward. He had the appropriate grip on the reins, best posture in the saddle.

“You’re doing an excellent job for a beginner,” she called.

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