Page 89 of Ride the Sky

But then he’s pulling back, clearing his throat. “C’mon. I have somethin’ that will cheer you up.”

I blink. “What about dinner?”

“Dinner can wait.” I watch as he stands, turning away from me to adjust himself. He grabs his Stetson from the counter, sets it on his head, then extends a hand. I take it, and he helps me up, holds on to me.

“Where are we going?”

He grins. “To burn everything down.”

“What is this?” My eyes take in the contraption set up in the backyard. A large barrel drum welded to long steel rods that elevate it four feet off the ground.

“Your horse.” Wyatt slaps the barrel, a hollow clang echoing around us. “For now.”

With my walker, I circle the barrel rig. Lawless and Lovely chuff in the barn, eager for their evening walk around the pasture. The July air is balmy and warm. The sun is a ball of brilliant fire as it sets.

“You built this for me?”

“Yeah. I did.”

My heart flutters. I don’t think I’ve ever been so turned on. Wyatt worked in his off-time to do this for me. To give me a shot. The way he’s instantly flipped my world from bad to good needs to be studied. Only he can do that.

Wyatt pulls the lever attached to the barrel rig, and it raises the barrel up and down to simulate bucking. “It ain’t gonna replace a live bull. And it’s no horse. But it will get you practice for the real thing. And we can see how you can ride with that hip of yours.”

Excitement flares inside me. I missed training with Wyatt. He’s never mean or cruel but always course corrects sternly. Ifyou fuck up, he tells you. But he’s honest. He matches the rider’s energy. That’s why he’s a damn good trainer.

Wyatt watches me closely. “You scared?”

I scoff. “Never.”

He grins. “That’s what I thought.”

I walk toward him, stopping inches from him, and stare up into his handsome face. “Why are you helping me?”

His expression reveals worry, concern. Jaw tightening, he drags a hand through his golden-brown hair. “Because I can’t stop you. With or without me, you’ll ride. I’ll always worry, but you have a dream, and that ain’t an easy thing to shake.” A chuckle shakes out of him. “I think by now, I know you can’t be roped.”

A small smile curls my lips.

“When can we start?” I ask.

He crosses his tan arms, biceps bulging. “Soon. I have rules.”

Rules.

By the smug smile on his face, I can tell it’s payback. Well, I already hate Wyatt’s rules. Although, I can think of one of my own I’d like to break. If the way he was in bed is any indication, one slow kiss would be the death of me.

I drag in a breath, nostrils flaring. “Fine.”

“One, you listen to me,” he says as he paces a circle around me. “No arguments. You do what I say when I say it.”

“Acceptable.”

“Two, you don’t get on an actual fucking horse until I say you’re ready. The first time you ride, we ride together.”

I lift a shoulder. “Sounds reasonable.” I love it when he gets into trainer mode. Barking orders. Sexy. Stern.

“Three, we keep this fucking quiet.” His bright-blue eyes are on mine. “Any of our family finds out, we’re dead.”

“No shit.” Davis and Dakota would kill us in our sleep. I tilt my chin. “Deal.”

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