Page 88 of Hello Handsome
“Yes!” I said quickly. I couldn’t wait to ride and get a feel formyhorse. I reached for the reins tied to the hitching post and undid the knot. I was still too short to get on a horse myself, but now I was confident enough to guide her by the fence and climb up to get in the saddle.
And that’s when I noticed, the saddle was new, too. I looked down at the saddle horn, seeing AM stamped into the leather.
“Gray, you got me a saddle.” I twisted to look at him guiding Blister toward the gate. “I did,” he said. “I know we didn’t talk about your name after the wedding. Don’t feel like you have to change it if you don’t want to. But...” He reached the gate, moving the chain out of the way.
“I love it,” I said, smiling up at him despite the emotion clogging my throat. “Agatha Madigan has a nice ring to it.”
“It sure does.” He squeezed my thigh as I rode past him through the gate.
We started into the pasture to check the cows. They were all doing great with the fields full of lush grass. As we rode, I thought of dozens of different names for the mare, but nothing felt quite right.
I wanted the name to have meaning, but I also wanted it to be beautiful and strong, like the animal herself.
“Care for a dip?” Gray called to me, breaking my thoughts. “Might be nice to cool off in the stream.”
It was one of the last warm days of fall, so cooling off sounded like an amazing idea.
“Race you there,” I said. I nudged my horse’s sides, deciding to see what she could do. With all the strength and energy of her young age, she took off. Her hooves pounded the dirt trail beneath us. The wind rushed past, echoing the sound of her breaths. The leather saddle groaned slightly at the movements. My body shifted with each movement, maintaining my balance as we went.
It was the most beautiful melody.
We neared the stand of trees that lined the flowing stream, and I slowed down, realizing that was the perfect name. I would name her Melody.
I slowed at the edge of the tree line and slid off Melody’s back. Gray approached a few hoofbeats later. He swung his leg over the saddle and got off. My eyes traced each line of his body, amazed by his grace.
He gave me a smile before finding a tree where we could tie our horses. I followed along, tying up Melody with the knot he’d shown me. We walked in comfortable silence deeper into the shade of the trees. Before we reached the water’s edge, Gray tugged off his shirt.
“Hot?” I asked.
He chuckled as he unbuttoned his jeans. “Yeah, that’s why we’re going swimming.”
“I thought we were wading,” I said. We’d gone swimming in the creek before, but it was always planned. “I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”
He glanced my way with a wicked smirk. “Exactly.”
56
GRAY
I could feelAggie’s eyes on me as I undressed and walked to the creek. Knowing that I turned her on had my chest swelling with pride. Usually, I didn’t care much what people thought about me. But Aggie? She was a different story.
I stepped into the stream, the water crisp and refreshing. When it reached my knees, I turned to see Aggie was still standing on the water’s edge, arms folded over her chest. “That was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” She quirked her lips into an assessing smile. “Get me out here and get me naked?”
I held my hands up, feigning surrender. “I’m sorry, officer. You caught me red-handed.”
She tossed her head back and laughed, the sound blending with the rustling of fresh spring leaves.
“What are you going to do to me?” I asked, brow arched. “Punish me?”
Her laugh was so free and happy, I was swept up in gratitude I’d get to hear it for the rest of my days. But seeing as I wasn’t moving, she peeled off her shirt. I watched, enraptured, hands toying with the cool surface of the water.
I savored the sight of her lavish chest, the freeing of her soft waist from the band of her jeans. Then she slid them over herlush hips with her panties, giving me exactly what I craved—more of her.
She kicked the jeans aside and then carefully stepped over the sandy bank toward the stream of slow-moving water.
“Damn,” I breathed. I hadn’t realized I said it out loud until she looked at me with a sheepish smile.
She flinched as she stepped into the stream. “It’s cold.” Goosebumps rose on her skin, and her nipples peaked with the chill. But she walked in deep enough to lower herself and let the water cover her shoulders.
