Page 27 of Ties That Bind Us

A little ways up the road the barn came into view. Its large wooden doors were open so we could get a small glimpse inside. The closer we got, the more of the grounds we could see. Endless white fences and lush, green pastures rolled around us. Some horses grazed on the grass while others were being ridden in the huge outdoor arena. The ring inside was state of the art, but when the weather was nice on days like today, the outdoor arena was most popular. Then the training track appeared.

When we stepped out of the car, the unmistakable aroma of horse poop hit us. That was the only downside of this place.

“What is this place?” Ava looked around, soaking everything in.

“My family’s stables. One of my father’s big moneymakers is horse racing. He’s got some of the best athletes in the sport here,” I explained, leading her inside the barn.

“This is amazing. I love horses!” Her excitement was contagious.

“Good, because we’re going for a little ride.” I smiled, completely thrilled with myself.

“Seriously? We get to ride them?” Her eyes opened wide and she looked at me like I had just offered her the keys to the kingdom.

“Once Dad’s horses retire from racing, they become leisure horses. There are ten of them here just for days like today, when one of us can get out and ride. Come on, I’ll show you.” I grasped her hand and led her down the row of stalls. A few horses peeked their heads out.

“This is Onyx. He’s one of the top horses right now. He’s young, but in a year he’ll be nearly impossible to beat.” I pointed inside one of the stalls, where a tall, white horse stood eating some hay out of a feeder.

“He’s beautiful.” Ava’s entire face lit up as she reached to rub his nose. Onyx ate up every bit of her attention.

We made our way down a little farther.

“This is Pain, and this is Panic. The two we’ll take out today.” I ruffled the mane of Panic, who had been my horse for several years now.

“Interesting names.” Ava smirked, petting Pain.

“Have you ever seen Hercules? My brother and I named them.” I chuckled.

“I didn’t take you for a Disney fan,” she teased, the tension she normally carried melting right off her.

“I was seven, give me a break.” I defended myself, then moved closer to her. “Have you ever ridden before?”

She nodded. “My mom’s sister has a ranch out in Colorado.”

“Great.” I smiled. “I’m going to go get our saddles and I’ll be right back.”

I left Ava standing in front of the stalls, in awe of the horses around her, and went to grab all the tack we would need. When I returned, she had moved down the row a little bit and was peering into the stall of Cassio.

“Careful with that one,” I warned. “He’s meaner than a junkyard dog. Fast as lightning, but nearly impossible to get a saddle on. The guy who rides him is about the only one in the world who can touch him.”

“Maybe he’s just misunderstood,” she suggested, a glint of sarcasm in her eyes.

“Try to pet him,” I suggested, knowing full well how this was going to end. It was cute she thought she had the magic touch with him, but Cassio was a different kind of horse. He didn’t like interaction in the slightest. His poor jockey had to fight tooth and nail just to get him ready for a race.

Ava stuck her hand through the bars slowly, trying to give him time to warm up. Instead, he reared back, shrieking and neighing like someone was trying to kill him. Ava jumped backward, startled, and bumped right into me.

My expression said I told you so without actually saying the words. Ava seemed content, and we walked back to the front of the barn to get Pain and Panic ready for our ride.

“Have you ever tacked a horse up before?” I asked, slinging a saddle over Pain’s back.

Ava shook her head. “I’m surprised you do. Don’t you have stable hands to do this kind of thing?”

I chuckled. “We do, but my dad always insisted that if you’re going to ride the animal you should know how to take care of it. And that includes getting them ready.”

“Well, I guess I better pay close attention then.” She smirked, stepping closer to me. Damn her tempting personality and no touch rules.

I did my best to ignore the way her body grazed mine as I showed her how to tighten the straps and then put on the bridle. We flew through the process so that I could keep my cool. Within just a few minutes, we were on our way. The scenery was exquisite, sandy beaches to one side of us and a thick forest on the other. It was all part of my dad’s property, and just off in the distance, you could see some beach houses in the Hamptons. We rode for about a half an hour before I led her into a clearing.

“This is so beautiful,” she said, looking around as I secured the horses to a tree.

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