Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Follow me,” the guy said and turned to leave.
I had to move or be left in here alone, unsure of where to go. I didn’t want to walk back into the ballroom. I was sure my face would tell them everything. My legs fell into line, and I walked out of the room and into the brightly lit hallway, following behind the guy. He didn’t look back at me or say anything. He didn’t even check to see if I was indeed following him.
It wasn’t until we reached the double doors leading to the outside that I recognized where we were. When we stepped into the night air, Trev was standing in front of a limousine. The guy who had led me here walked back inside without a word.
“The night is young! Where shall we take it?” he asked with a smile on his face.
Saxon appeared at my side. “Where do you want to go?” There was concern in his voice, unlike Trev’s.
“Anywhere but here,” I told him.
Saxon nodded. “Then, let’s get in the limo,” he replied.
Trev looked at me expectantly as I sat across from him in the limo. I knew he was waiting for me to tell him where I wanted to go, but I honestly didn’t care.
“What do you want to see?” Trev asked me.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“It’s not like she’s familiar with the area,” Saxon told him. “She’s barely seen anything other than your place and Moses Mile.”
Trev nodded slowly, as if he was just realizing that. “You’re right. Want to swim in the springs?”
I shook my head. “I can’t swim, remember?”
He frowned. “We have got to fix that. If you’re gonna live in Ocala, you’ve got to learn to swim and ride. We don’t have much else going on in this area.”
“I’m going to teach her how to ride,” Saxon said, and I turned to look at him. He gave me a reassuring smile. “You’re ready. You’ve got a bond with most of the horses. No point in continuing to put it off.”
When I had arrived here, I hadn’t been sure I’d ever be ready to get on a horse. However, I was getting comfortable around them. They intrigued me. I hadn’t expected them to be so intelligent. My daily talks with Firefoot, Rig, and Jinx were something I looked forward to each morning. Empire had started watching me, and when I was sure that Blaise wasn’t going to show up, I’d go over and talk to him some. He appeared to want me to give him attention, like the others.
“Okay,” I finally said, although the uncertainty in my voice was clear.
Trev nudged my leg with his foot. “I’m still available if you feel safer with me,” he said, then winked.
A small laugh escaped me. Trev was hard not to like. He was fun and charming. People were drawn to him and never felt uncomfortable around him. Nothing like his brother.
Yet Trev didn’t make my skin heat up or my heart race. Apparently, my body reserved that for his elitist, intimidating, and detached older brother. I had no business feeling anything for a Hughes. I wasn’t going to be here long enough for it to matter anyway.
“Which horse do you want me to start on?” I asked Saxon.
“Sunshine,” he said, grinning.
I sighed in relief. Sunshine was a sixteen-year-old quarter horse. She was the only horse I’d led out of the stables and the only one whose stall I would go in when she was in there.
Trev rolled his eyes. “When you’re ready to learn how to really ride, let me know. All you’re gonna do on Sunshine is sit. I doubt she’ll even trot for you.”
“She does just fine, and she’s perfect for beginners,” Saxon told him.
Feeling a tug of excitement about my future lessons, I smiled and leaned back in the seat, relaxing for the first time since Blaise had held me on the dance floor.
“Whatever. That’s not now. Where do you want to go?” Trev asked.
“Moses Mile,” I replied honestly. It had been a long night. I was ready to be alone so I could think about it all.
Trev groaned. “Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Can we at least get drunk first? The bar in here is loaded,” Trev said, leaning over and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.
I shrugged. “You two can drink all you want. I’ll enjoy the ride.”
Seventeen
Going to sleep last night, I’d been excited about the idea of learning how to ride today. However, my anxiety this morning made it difficult for me to eat breakfast. Melanie didn’t notice as she drank her coffee and chatted about how impressive I had been last night. I hadn’t felt very impressive, but if she was happy, then I was glad I hadn’t embarrassed her.
After forcing a few bites of bacon and eggs down, I excused myself from the table and headed out the back door toward the stables. Saxon had told me to meet him at Sunshine’s stall around eight. I still had about thirty minutes, so I made my rounds, visiting with Rig, Jinx, Firefoot, and Empire before turning to head down to the end stall where Sunshine was kept.