Page 8 of Trusting a Cowgirl

Was he upset? His silence wasn’t expected. From what she’d experienced so far, Riley was usually quick with a retort about most things. Right now, he didn’t even wear that stone-faced expression.

He caught her staring and she offered a smile.

Just like that, his expression darkened and his jaw set tight. He didn’t say anything, but she could tell his fury rested just beneath the surface.

Chills swept through her body and she let out another sigh. She’d made another mistake somewhere along the way. In theory, she was ready to help him get past the hurdles he was dealing with.

Actually helping him in real life was another story altogether.

They rode in silence for a few more moments. At some point he’d pulled behind her, making it hard to observe him while he rode Dolly. With each passing minute, her muscles tightened. She could feel his eyes on her like he was surveying the situation and preparing something.

But their ninety-minute session ended up being uneventful. They made it back to the barn and she walked him through the steps to remove the saddle, brush down his horse, and give her a reward.

Those were the moments he seemed to let his guard down more. He continued to speak to the horse in quiet, calm tones. His touch was gentle and his features softened. Riley preferred the company of his animal more than he wanted to spend time with another human being.

Her heart continued aching for him. The lines on his face showed exhaustion and frustration. His experiences had hurt him. While he had a rough exterior, she had managed to catch glimpses of something that ran deeper.

Something sharp and festering flickered to life deep down. It was short-lived, but she’d felt it. She wasn’tangrywith him. That wasn’t what it was. It was something else. A helplessness, maybe? A yearning to be that thing that could break through the walls he’d built around himself? He treated that horse better than he treated the people around him, and there was just something depressing about that.

He glanced up at her, once again catching her staring at him.

Oh great. Why did that keep happening?

Grace tore her eyes away from him, attempting to shift her thoughts to something happier. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem likely. Riley’s face had been burned into her mind, a problem to be fixed. She knew if he would just open up to her, he’d feel so much better.

“Can I ask you something?” His curt voice ripped a hole in the serenity that had once surrounded her. He was right behind her, the stall wall the only thing that separated them.

She peeked at him over her shoulder. “You can ask me anything you’d like.”

“How old are you?”

This time she turned to face him. Her age was probably the only thing that she was insecure about. She was well aware that she was the youngest one out here working with the veterans. Shane had initially offered to let her work with the children, but she refused. Her eyes narrowed and she folded her arms. “When I said you could ask me anything, I didn’t mean something personal.”

“How is your age personal?”

She thought she saw a hint of a smile, but upon giving him a closer look, she realized that wasn’t possible. “Anything you might want to use against me, I would consider personal. This therapy is for you to do the talking.”

“Well, I’m talking now.”

“Yeah, about me.”

“Some people would consider that an improvement based on how much we talked while we were out riding,” he shot back.

She pressed her lips together tightly. “Tit for tat, Mr. Scott. You tell me something, and I’ll answer your question.”

This time one corner of his mouth lifted. “Fine. I’m thirty-two.”

Her brows creased and she moved closer to him so there were only about two feet between them. “But you’re a retired veteran.”

“Yes,” he drawled. “Is there a problem? Am I not allowed to be here if I’m not over the age of fifty?”

She shook her head. “I knew you were younger. I guess I just thought you had to work a certain amount before you could retire from the military.”

“I served my country for fifteen years. Is that not enough?” There was a bite to his tone, the humor completely disappearing.

Grace shook her head and moved forward another inch. “You must have really started young.”

“I was seventeen when I signed up for the US Army.” He said it like he was trying to defend himself for his life’s choices.

---