Page 34 of Luke

"You don't run the kitchen, do you?" he challenged.

"I help out," she said defensively. "I came down here to check on Kaitlyn. She's supposed to be helping Tom clean out the stalls as punishment for lying to me last night." She looked around the barn. "I don't see her, but she's not in her room."

"She's out back," Tom said. "She's brushing down Chestnut."

"Hopefully with not too much attitude," Lizzie said.

"She's different with the horses," Tom replied. "They speak her language."

"I wish I did," Lizzie muttered. "But I guess I'll leave her alone."

"Great, then you're coming with me," Luke said. "You want me to see everything the resort has to offer, so let's take a ride."

She hesitated, obviously torn between wanting to keep her distance and wanting to get him on her side.

"I'll get Daisy and Vixen ready," Tom said with a knowing smile. "You two can figure out the rest."

* * *

"I think you sold Vixen short," Luke told Liz as they made their way down a shady trail a half hour later. "She seems more than happy to lead the way whereas Daisy seems half asleep. Can we go any slower?"

Liz flung him a smile. "Don't worry. Daisy can run. She just needs a little space, a wider trail; she doesn't like to force anything."

"You know a lot about your horses."

"I've spent some time riding. The horses are the only thing Kaitlyn likes about the resort, so I've actually gotten her to go riding a few times."

"So mucking out stalls might not have been much of a punishment," he said.

"Well, she hates getting up early, so I thought that might be worth something."

"I don't remember you getting up this early back in the day." He thought about all the lazy mornings they'd spent in bed together, usually because Lizzie just hadn't been ready to get up yet. Sometimes he'd hold a cup of coffee hostage just so he could fool around with her a bit more. He smiled at the memory.

"My sleepy mornings were one of the things you didn't like about me," she said lightly.

"I'm sure I never said I wanted you out of my bed."

"You know what I mean. You were usually impatient to get on with the day. When we weren't going to class, you had something planned: a hike, a run, a surfing lesson, bike riding down the coast…you never sat still."

"That's called living, Lizzie."

"You can relax and enjoy life, too. You don't have to take everything at a dead sprint."

"Only way I know how to do it." He paused. "Are you still a caffeine addict?"

"Guilty. I love coffee. I can't deny it. My brain doesn't work until I have my first cup."

"How many cups have you had today?"

"Only one. I try to pace myself." She glanced at him, then waved her hand at the trees surrounding them. "It is beautiful here, don't you think?"

He nodded. "You don't have to sell me on one of the most beautiful valleys in the world."

"What do I need to sell you on?"

Her question made him think for a moment. "I don't really know."

"Your dad must have had a reason for leaving you this particular piece of property. What do you think that was?"

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