Page 23 of Headstrong Cowboy
She needed to talk to Sunny and reassure her that she would do everything to keep the farm, but she wasn’t going to think about that at this moment.She turned and faced Ryder.He was standing beside the big black horse he’d been riding the first time she’d seen him at the Telfords’ ranch.
How she hadn’t heard theclip-clopof the horse’s hooves as they approached where she and Ranger were standing shocked her.Then again, she was lost in her head, so her focus wasn’t on her surroundings.
“Hey, Ryder.I should practice...”Her voice trailed off, and her gaze narrowed in on his mouth, remembering the feel of it against hers.Because Sunny had been there, Chrissy hadn’t been able to indulge in her attraction to the man in front of her.She’d kept her interactions with Ryder purely platonic and he’d done the same, as if he’d received her unspoken message that she didn’t want Sunny to read more into him turning up unexpectedly.Which was ridiculous, considering he’d arrived with a picnic basket just for the two of them.
“You probably should, but it’s a beautiful day out and Midnight here is itching to go for a run.”
Indecision warred within Chrissy.She should do the right thing and practice.The money from the rodeo was going to be needed, and she wouldn’t get any if she didn’t place.But the temptation to let Ranger run free with Ryder right beside her was hard to ignore.
Ever since she’d found out about the farm’s woes, she’d thrown all her energy into saving it.She hadn’t done anything for herself.Again, she was putting other needs above her own.It was something she’d always done.She’d given up her rodeo dreams for Beau.Had worked in a job she didn’t quite like because it was stable and she and Beau needed the money to live.
For once, she wanted to do something for herself, and she really wanted to spend time with Ryder.“Okay, let’s do it.I’ll need to let Riley know that I’m not going to be doing some runs, though.She was going to time me.”
Ryder nodded.“We can always do a couple of runs when we get back.I can time you if you want.”
Chrissy would’ve believed he really wanted to do that if he hadn’t looked like he’d bitten into a peach and had found a worm inside.Was everything associated with rodeo hard for Ryder to cope with?It certainly looked like it.“You don’t have to do that.I’m sure Riley will still be around after we’re done.”
It looked like Ryder was going to argue with her, but instead, he tapped the edge of his cowboy hat.“Okay.How about we head out?”
Grabbing the saddle horn, she put her foot into the stirrup and then swung herself up onto Ranger’s back.“Lead the way.”
With a smile, Ryder got onto Midnight.It would’ve been a flawless mount if she hadn’t seen the way he winced as he settled into the saddle.Everything in her said the last thing he would want was for her to take it easy while they rode, because he wouldn’t want to show any sign of weakness in front of her.But that didn’t mean she was going to let him push himself so that he hurt even more.She would watch and, if there was even a hint of a grimace or wince, she’d change their pace.
Theyclip-cloppedtheir way out of the large barn and Chrissy squinted in the sunlight, pulling her hat a little lower to lessen the glare.It didn’t eliminate it, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been.
“Ready?”Ryder inquired.
“Always.”
With a click of his tongue, Ryder and Midnight shot off.Ranger didn’t need any encouragement to join them and, with her own click, they set off behind man and beast.
The wind whistled past her and the freedom of just letting the horse run swept over her.The more they raced over the land, dust kicking up behind them, the more the tension that had been Chrissy’s constant companion eased until it was so faint she let out a laugh of happiness.
This was what she’d needed.There was nothing like a horse ride to clear the cobwebs.Ranger wasn’t even breaking a sweat, but she didn’t want to push him too much and, with a slight tug on her reins, he slowed from a gallop to a canter and then to a walk.There was a large tree a few yards away and it looked like the perfect place to sit and let Ranger munch on some grass.
She hadn’t had to ask Ryder if he wanted to stop.He’d slowed his horse the moment he saw her backing off.
After sliding off Ranger, she led him to a lovely patch of grass and dropped the reins, allowing him the freedom to move around.Chrissy wasn’t worried that he would run off.He was a well-trained horse, not to mention she had some sugar cubes in her pocket and he had a sweet tooth, so he would definitely hang around until he got one or two.
Ryder joined her on the ground beneath the large tree.The trunk was wide and they both leaned against it, their shoulders brushing.“Thank you for suggesting a ride.I needed it.”
“You’re welcome.I always enjoy a good ride.There’s just something about being on the back of the horse that seems to make everything look not so daunting or stressful.”
What did he mean by that?Did he know something about her farm woes?Chrissy squashed that thought immediately.No one apart from Mom and Sunny knew about what was going on.Mom hadn’t mentioned selling the farm recently, but Chrissy still suspected that it was the only option in her mom’s mind, and she would be going to go forward with it.
She supposed she couldn’t blame her mom.If, and that was a big if, they did sell, then the proceeds from the sale would cover the debts and leave a nice little nest egg for Mom to get her own place and do what she wanted.
Sunny, though...Sunny would be lost.She may have said she could find something else to do, but would it be the same?With the family farm, she had the space and the freedom to do her own thing.If she couldn’t sleep, she could work in the greenhouses when she wanted.Create the new varieties that she was currently working on.It was possible to do it on a smaller scale if she could find the space somewhere else.But she couldn’t do all those things if she worked for someone else.
“Hey, where did you go?”Ryder’s soft touch on her cheek had her turning her face into his hand.
“Nowhere important,” she murmured, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.
The gold in his hazel eyes seemed a little brighter and, like it had been when he’d approached her in the barn, her attention fell to his lips.
She wanted to kiss him.
Wanted to lose herself in his embrace, like she had when they’d gone on their dinner date.
