Page 56 of Her Athlete's Wedding Secret

Chapter 13

Benson helped Tessa into her saddle before he mounted his horse. They were going on a ride through the jungle and then a gallop across the beach. Lush foliage surrounded them, and exotic birds perched on the branches overhead. Monkeys swung from tree to tree, and Benson enjoyed watching Tessa’s reaction to it all. It warmed his heart to see her so happy.

He felt bad about the way the conversation in their pool had gone last night. He hadn’t wanted to upset Tessa, but she was digging around at his deepest, most tender spot. He didn’t want to admit to her that he still had feelings for Megan. He didn’t know if he could ever make those go away. He was embarrassed to admit that he longed for a woman who so clearly didn’t want him.

He would give anything to make his feelings for Megan disappear. Tessa deserved better. She should be able to have his whole heart.

Megan had moved on. She’d eventually gotten married to some other guy, and she was expecting their first child. He wished he’d had the freedom to do the same. Instead, he found himself pining for another man’s wife. He hated himself for it. He was grateful that Tessa hadn’t seemed to recognize that he was still hung up on Megan, but it was only a matter of time before she figured it out. Tessa was too inquisitive to let it go.

He understood that it was in her nature as a reporter to get to the bottom of a story, but he wished he weren’t on the receiving end of her nosiness. Not on the topic of Megan, anyway. He didn’t mind opening up to her on other subjects like food or entertainment. He could talk about that all day.

Their horses burst through the jungle, and they rode harder as they got out onto the beach. Tessa’s hair flew out behind her, and she squealed in delight. He loved seeing her so happy. If horseback riding brought her this much joy, then he’d buy her a farm, complete with stables. He’d even get her riding lessons if she wanted them. He didn’t care all that much about spending the money on himself, but he wanted very much to bring a smile to his wife’s face.

He might not be able to do that with his heart, but he could at least do it with his money. They galloped down the beach, eventually looping back into the jungle to where the stables were located.

“That was incredible!” Tessa turned around in her saddle to face him. Her cheeks were tinged pink with delight. “We have to do this again sometime.”

“I agree. I’d love to do this again.”

They dismounted at the stables, and Tessa stroked her horse on the nose. She looked completely enamored with the animal. “Goodbye, friend.”

They walked back toward the car, and Tessa threw her arms around Benson.

“What was that for?” he asked when she’d stepped away.

“It was for paying attention to me enough to know I wanted to go horseback riding and then make it happen. That means a lot to me.”

“I’m so glad you enjoyed it.”

“Too bad they don’t have horse farms in New York City.”

“They have them if you’re willing to drive out of the city a bit.”

“Oh, that’s true.”

“What would you say to buying some property where we could have horses?” Benson asked.

“Are you serious?” Tessa squealed.

“Yes.”

“I would love that!”

Seeing Tessa happy like this made him want to take her in his arms and kiss her. He couldn’t get enough of the joy on her face. He wanted to find every way he could to bring that light into her eyes.

“So what’s next?” she asked as they climbed into their rental car.

“Hiking. You brought your swimsuit, right?” Benson buckled his seat belt.

“Yep. It’s in my bag in the back seat.”

“Awesome. We can go grab some lunch, and we can change in the restaurant bathroom.” He put the car into reverse.

Tessa smiled at him. “That works for me.”

Benson drove her to a burger place. They changed in the bathrooms before ordering their food. Tessa came out of the bathroom in a pair of tiny tan shorts and an army green tank top. He could see the straps of a black swimsuit beneath her shirt. Her legs looked amazing in those shorts. He really did have one hot wife.

When their food was ready, Benson carried the tray to the seating area.

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