Page 12 of Spur of the Moment
“In the middle of a field?”
“What better place?”
I shook my head, falling back on my ass to sit next to her. She was crazy, always keeping me on my toes. I looked up at Redwho still stood there, not a care in the world. “You’ve got that horse wrapped around your little finger, you know that, right?”
She smiled again, her eyes closed. “I know.”
Nova grazed a few feet from us. You couldn’t guess the beast just ran full gallop across a field with his cool demeanor as he munched on grass. I dangled my arms across my knees as I looked back at Lettie.
I watched the rise of her chest as she breathed, oblivious to the fact that I thought she was injured, or worse. Growing up, scares like this were normal. With everyone treating her like a child incapable of taking care of herself, any wrong move made her brothers worry, which in turn, made me worry. But she was an adult now, no longer the little girl I used to tease, and that had to count for something. Even her dad wasn’t giving her a break, and I was concerned it would only scare her off and make her leave again.
My gaze moved to her neck when she swallowed, then up to her face to land on her lips. Her bottom lip was just a bit fuller than the top one, giving her a natural pouty look.
Shaking my head, I moved to lay down with my head next to hers, my body on the opposite side, causing me to see her upside down. I kept my eyes on her, noticing the way her nostrils flared slightly as she breathed, how her dark eyelashes laid against her skin with her eyes closed.
She was silent as she turned her head toward me, those baby blues making an appearance. “You watching me, Bailey Cooper?”
“Some sights deserve to be admired.”
Her eyes darted back and forth between mine before she pushed off the ground, standing up. I heard her boots shuffle through the grass as she walked over to Red.
I sat up, twisting to face her. “You’re leaving?”
I watched as she grabbed the reins, set her foot in the stirrup, and hefted herself into the saddle. Holding the reins in one hand, she turned Red to face me. “Nap time’s over.”
She clicked her tongue and Red took off in a relaxed lope, her wavy hair bouncing against her back as they rode toward the barn. I didn’t take my eyes off of them until she dismounted and led him into the barn. I sighed, standing up to grab Nova from where he’d wandered to.
Fisting the lead rope still looped around his neck, I positioned myself beside him, grabbing his mane before swinging my leg over his back. I patted his neck before turning him around to walk in the direction of the barn.
“She’s going to be the death of me, buddy.”
7
Lettie
Fourteen Years Earlier…
“Are you doing FFA again this year?” Lennon asked me from where he was perched on a chestnut horse to my left.
Lennon, Callan, Beckham, Reed, and I had gone on a long trail ride to savor the last bit of summer. Thirteen miles total, about six hours in the saddle. We’d taken turns racing each other on the trail, everything naturally turning into a competition for my brothers.
“I think so. Dad said I can do it with one of our calves again,” I replied. Last year, I had shown one of our calves in my school’s Future Farmers of America program.
“You gonna get all sad again at the end?” Beckham teased from ahead of us on his bay.
I shot a glare at his back. “No.”
Reed burst into laughter next to Beck. “She’s such a liar.”
“Am not!” I shouted. I was so tired of them trying to get a rise out of me. “Mom said I just have a big heart.”
Callan, who was on the other side of me riding a palomino, said, “It’s okay to have a big heart, Lettie.”
“I know! But Reed and Beck always make fun of me for it,” I complained.
Lennon reached over, patting my tiny knee. “Just ignore them. Brothers always make fun of each other, you just get caught in the crossfire sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” I huffed. “It feels like all the time.”
