Page 37 of More Than Falling in Love

“Convincing myself to zip it.”He glances out the back window.“Come on.They’re pulling up.”

“Please don’t say anything about chatting every night.I’m not sure who knows about that.”

“If Mason knows, then I’m guessing it isn’t much of a secret.”He shakes his head.“But don’t worry.I’m not bringing that up withanyone.”

“Thanks, Parker.”

“Anytime.And not that my opinion matters, but Kent is a great guy.”

I look over Parker’s shoulder and see Mason holding his dad’s hand, and then Kent looks up and meets my gaze.“That’s what I’m discovering.”

Parker slides open the barn door.“Y’all ready for a lesson?”

Mason and I nod.

“First, we’ll go over the rules.Then you’ll get up on the horses.”

Parker strokes a horse’s nose.“This is Bonny, my horse.Mason, you’ll be riding her.And in that stall is Calliope.You’ll be riding her, Poppy.”

“What a pretty name.”I walk over and pat her.“Hello, Calliope.”

“Gather up.Lesson time.”Parker goes over the rules and gives us instructions on how to mount the horse and to steer.Then he motions outside.“Head out the side door.I’ll bring the horses.”

Mason’s impatience shows as we learn how to saddle the horse.He’s ready to hop up and ride away.I’m just praying I don’t fall off.

“Any questions?”Parker looks from me to Mason.

Mason scratches his head.“When do we get to ride?”

“Now.”Parker picks up a mounting block.“You’re with me, bud.And, Kent, you can help Poppy onto her horse.We can split up and ride separate trails.”

Kent drops a second block next to Calliope.“This okay?I can work with Mason if you’d rather have Parker help you.”

I scan the corral, then point to the trough.“Let’s just make sure we aren’t anywhere near that because given my record, we’d both end up in there.”Standing at the top of the mounting block, I’m close to eye level with Kent, and I pat his chest.“And you wouldn’t fit.”I turn to face the horse.“Okay, how do I do this?”

“Need me to have Parker repeateverything?”The tease in Kent’s voice has the same effect as his touch.And now, my brain is tingling.

The lesson was informative but long.“Please, no.”I slide my foot into the stirrup, then swing the other over.“I made it up.”

He swings up onto another.“And now we ride.”

Calliope follows right behind Kent, and I barely have to even nudge this horse.She knows exactly what to do.

Kent shifts his horse and falls into step beside me.“How do you feel?”

“It feels like cheating because this horse is so easy to ride.”

“You’re doing great.”

Rarely is it just the two of us, and I want to make the most of the conversation.“Have you always wanted to be a cowboy?”

“Nah, but during high school, a guy offered me a job helping out on his ranch.It seems silly calling it that now because the place was less than a hundred acres.Not big at all.After I graduated, I continued working there and a few other odd jobs to make ends meet.Then I snagged a job on a big ranch in the same area.Long hours, hard work, and I loved it.”

“Where was that?”

“West Texas.Near the New Mexico border.”He looks back as he moves out ahead of me.“But then stuff happened, and I found this job.Best one yet.”

There’s a whole lot buried in thestuff happenedpart, and I know not to ask.Maybe one day, he’ll open up and tell me.

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