Page 64 of Her Saltwater Cowboy

Now, Rafael and Bella were riding ahead, their horses trotting parallel to each other, their laughter floating back on the breeze.

“Tell me again why we don’t do this every day?” Bella called back over her shoulder, twisting slightly in the saddle. Her dark hair fluttered beneath her hat, and she looked so utterly at home that Willow felt a flutter of FOMO, aka fear of missing out.

Bella’s life held the promise of more rides like this, but all her future held was … uncertainty.

“Because some of us have to fix fences,” Rafael replied to his wife, adjusting his reins. “And some of us can’t afford to get sand in our boots every morning.”

Bella waved him off. “Practicality is boring. Romance, sweet man. That’s what this beach is for.”

Chance, riding just beside Willow, chuckled under his breath.

Bella turned back toward them. “Did you know I fell in love with him right here?”

Rafael groaned good-naturedly. “Don’t start.”

“It’s true,” Bella said, undeterred. “Right there by the rocks. He let me braid wildflowers into his stirrups …”

“She did not!” Rafael shouted into the air.

Willow smiled as the pair nudged their horses into a slow canter, heading farther up the beach, their silhouettes growing smaller against the sunlit curve of shoreline.

The sound of the surf filled the quiet as Chance slowed his gelding just slightly.

Willow sent him a questioning look.

“Just thought we could take our time.”

Willow gently pulled back on her reins, too, letting her mare fall into pace beside his. The tide was low, leaving a long swath of packed sand for them to ride along. Gulls wheeled overhead, the water lapping rhythmically beside them.

They rode side-by-side for a while, silent except for the creak of leather and the occasional soft snort from the horses.

Then Chance spoke, voice low but firm. “I’ve been thinkin’.”

“Dangerous,” Willow teased gently, trying to keep it light.

He didn’t smile, not right away. His jaw flexed, like he was choosing his words carefully.

“I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out where I belong. Who I’m supposed to be. This ranch, this family ... it’s always been complicated.”

Willow nodded, letting the rhythm of the ride keep her grounded.

“But these last few weeks …” He paused, glancing at her. “With you. Working with you. Riding with you. Watching you coax life out of a grove most folks had given up on. It’s changed things.”

Willow’s breath caught, but she said nothing.

Chance turned in his saddle to face her more fully. His voice dropped to just above a whisper. “I don’t want to go back to the way things were before you showed up.”

Her pulse stuttered.

“I don’t want to imagine this place—my life—without you in it.”

Willow swallowed. “Chance …”

“I know you’ve got your past that you’re worried about,” he said softly. “And I’ve got mine, to tell you the truth. But what’s happening between us is worth fighting for.”

The horses slowed to a natural stop, no doubt sensing the shift in the air.

Willow took in the tautness of his shoulders, and the stillness of his grip. But there was hopefulness in his eyes too. A wanting that she had noticed before, but not fully acknowledged. Until now.

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