Page 20 of Tough Love

“I’ll give you two choices. You can either tell me the story that has you this way around the animals you clearly adore, or you can get back on and I will count to twenty before you get off.”

I open my mouth to protest.

“I ain’t askin’, Howard.”

After a moment, I groan and walk back to Sergeant.

He raises a brow. Obviously, he thought telling my story would be easier. I disagree. I’ll take my chances with Sergeant. I grab the reins and slide my foot into the stirrup for the third time. Third time’s the charm, right?

This time, I don’t wait for him to be beside me. I swing up and into the saddle like I have done thousands of times before. And when fear starts clawing at my insides, I force air in and out of my lungs like my life depends on it.

Hudson’s face lights up with the most gorgeous smile. “There you go.”

“Are you counting?”

“Oh yeah. One . . .” he drawls.

“Not funny,” I growl.

He chuckles. “Two . . .”

Oh god, this is going to take forever.

“Relax. And how ’bout some love for Sergeant here? He has been nothin’ but patient.”

Running a hand over his mane, my hand shakes a little. I slap it back to the pommel. Hudson counts, ever so slowly, as he walks around the back of the horse, adjusting my feet in the stirrups like I don’t already know where they go. “You want to send him ’round the yard?”

“No, absolutely not.”

“Okay, guess that camping trip will have to wait.”

I go to take my foot from the stirrup and dismount and Sergeant moves. Hudson has his hand on the reins by the bit. He clucks his tongue and Sergeant walks on.

Fuck.

I grip the saddle. “Please, stop.” The words are so breathy, stars appear in my vision.

He halts the horse and turns back. “You sure?”

I nod.

“Alright, probably too much for you, anyhow.”

He moves to the other side of the horse and holds his hands up, as if he is going to help me down again.

“I can do it.”

“Yeah? Okay. I’ll get the gate then.”

He walks away.

“No wait, where are you going?”

“Gate.”

Shit. I grip the pommel and remove my foot from the stirrup and swing my leg back over, dismounting with a wobble. The ground under my feet feels like a luxury. I take the reins and move them over Sergeant’s head to lead him. Before I have the chance to walk him away, his muzzle nudges my arm. He chews on the bit, and I rub his face and loose a shaky breath.

“You two comin’?”

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