Page 60 of Dashing for Love

“The horses,” I say honestly. “They werehugeto me! Plus, they were spinning and going up on their hind legs, and the riders were all kitted out in sparkles and fancy fringe. I was dazzled.”

“Tell the truth, now.” He slides a teasing glance at me. “Did you want to be a cowgirl after that?”

“Heck yeah, I did,” I laugh. “Sadly, there are precious few opportunities to be a cowgirl when you live in a small beach town. But I’m thrilled to be here today.”

“We’re happy to have you,” he responds, then tips his head toward the stables in the distance. “Ready to get started?”

Jack takes me to a bright red barn situated on a hill, the sky a flawless blue behind it. I snap some pictures as we go, already settling into the visit and tossing questions at him.

When we enter the building, I’m surrounded by the smells. Horse, hay, leather, and the always-present manure, despite an incredibly clean barn. I hear the soft snicker of horses beneath the raucous shouts of folks mucking out the stalls and grooming horses.

Jack waves me farther in. “Welcome to a horse stable, Miss Dash.”

“Call me Goldie, please.”

An hour passes, and then another, and soon it’s lunchtime. I join a huge group of people at a set of picnic tables behind the house, and we dig in to a simple meal of build-your-own sandwiches, fruit, chips, and chocolate chip cookies. With sweet tea and lemonade, obviously.

After lunch, Jack declares it’s time to get me on a horse, and I’m practically vibrating with excitement.

As we approach a different stable than the one we’d been at this morning, he looks over at me. “You been on a horse before, Goldie?”

“Does riding a pony at the fair count?”

He laughs. “It does not. Follow me. I’ve got the perfect horse for you.” He leads me into the building and to one of the farthest stalls. He waves me forward, and I gasp with pleasure. “This is Sweetie Pie. She’s as good as her name.”

Sweetie Pie clops forward a few steps and dips her dappled gray head out of the stall, sniffing at Jack’s pockets for the peppermints I’ve learned he keeps there. He produces one and she takes it, snorting softly.

Jack steps back and I take his place, reaching my hand up to pet Sweetie Pie’s velvety nose. She blinks at me and pushes her nose under my hand, an invitation to pet more. I do. “Aren’t you a sweetie?” I coo at her.

“Exactly,” Jack chuckles.

He gets her out of the stall and walks me through tacking her up. His horse is Biggie, a sleek black stallion with white on his hooves and a haughty attitude. Biggie is all ready to go, so we walk them outside. Jack puts a stool next to Sweetie Pie, then helps me up.

“Whoa,” I breathe. Sweetie Pie shifts beneath me, and I stroke her neck. “You gonna be good for me?”

Jack mounts Biggie in one swift movement, settling in the saddle and looking over at me. “Grab onto the reins and hold onto her with your thighs a bit. Nothing too crazy, but you can’t just hang there. Sweetie Pie will follow Biggie, so just hold onto her reins and don’t fall off.”

I laugh. “You make it sound so simple.”

He grins. “It is.”

We make our way over a hill and onto a well-worn trail through the woods that border the farm. It’s incredibly peaceful,the steady sound of the horses’ hooves against the packed dirt, the sound of birds calling to each other, the slight breeze rustling the late spring leaves. I take a deep breath and let it out, taking the moment to empty my mind and center myself. The last few weeks have been…alot…and I’m grateful for the silence that Jack’s given me. Riding a horse, it turns out, is incredibly therapeutic.

By the time we emerge from the trail and back into the sunlight, I’m more settled and content than I’ve been in weeks.

Which is good, because there, before my very eyes, is Cowboy Matty.

I blink. This is a mirage, right?

Matty is on a brown and white horse in the center of a paddock just to our right, wearing the very same black cowboy hat he had on at the masquerade ball, along with a thin white tee, faded jeans, and the cowboy boots I rarely see him without.

I blink again, then startle as Jack calls out, “Hey, Doc!”

Matty tips his hat, then smirks at me.

Smirks.

Then I realize my jaw has unhinged itself and is practically on Sweetie Pie’s head, so I snap it shut and try to get it together.

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