Page 51 of Perfectly Matched

Payson locked eyes with Hannah, and her sporadic breathing calmed a bit, and she closed her eyes.

“Okay, good,” Hannah said. “Now take four deep breaths, and on your fifth, I want you to tell me what you hear.”

Payson did as instructed, and on her fifth breath, she said, “I don’t hear anything.”

“Yes, you do,” Hannah said in a soft voice. “Listen again.”

Payson tilted her head from shoulder to shoulder, then let out a long, slow breath. “I hear…” She scrunched her face. “I hear birds.” She smiled. “Lots of birds and horses whinnying in the distance. I hear leaves rustling in the breeze and…” She cocked her head. “Is that water?”

“Mm-hmm,” Hannah softly answered. “Now, slowly open your eyes and tell me what you see? And take the time to look around.”

Payson opened her eyes. “I see…green hills, a thick forest, and clear blue skies.”

Hannah tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Do you see a place you think you could ever call home?”

“Seriously?” Payson said a bit sarcastically as she arched a brow, then pinched her wrist. “Ouch.”

“Why did you just do that?”

“Because everything in my life lately indicates that I’m either sleepwalking, delusional, or having a mental breakdown. By pinching myself, I keep ruling out the sleepwalking, so it must be one of the other two.”

“You really don’t believe me, do you?” Hannah’s shoulders dropped, and her heart sank.

“It’s true that I can’t explain what I’ve been seeing or why there’s a part of me that suddenly feels at home. I don’t understand any of this, and it’s scaring the shit out of me, so yeah, it’s hard for me to believe that I’mnotsitting at my desk right now and having some work-related, sleep-deprived mental slip in reality. It’s all just too—”

The sound of approaching hoofs made her turn.

“While you’re deciding if this is all real, there’s someone I want you to meet,” Hannah said as Bella came trotting over. “This is Bella.”

Payson stroked Bella’s neck when she lowered her head. “She’s beautiful. I’ve always wanted a horse,” she said in a faraway voice.

“I know. And I can already tell that the two of you will be good friends,” Hannah said. “Look, I know this is overwhelming, and there’s a part of you that is looking for the trickery or that thinks you’re in a delusional state. And I get that, but we really do have a queen, and we need to go see her. So for now, can you just go with it?” Hannah led her to her porch as Bella followed close behind. “Have you ridden at all?” she asked as she placed Tucker back inside the cabin.

“When I was a kid,” Payson replied.

Hannah positioned Bella so Payson could use the steps to help hop on her back. “Go ahead and jump on. We’ll double up.”

“You’re going to ride without reins?”

“Of course. I would never restrict her head like that. Besides, she understands enough to take me where I need to go. Or…close enough.” Hannah helped her up, then hopped on. “Scoot close to me and hold on tight.”

Hannah’s breath caught as Payson wrapped her arms around her waist. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Fate had not yet been sealed between them, much less in the stars, but if the warmth that surrounded her heart was any indication, there was no doubt where her destiny lay. “You, um…” She let out a breath. “You good?”

Payson rested her chin on Hannah’s shoulder. “Mm-hmm.”

“Bella, um…” The butterflies in Hannah’s stomach took a lap. “Bella has a smooth gait, but to the novice rider, it may seem a bit challenging.”

Hannah felt her squeeze a little tighter. “In that case…” She kissed the words on Hannah’s ear. “I guess I’ll have to hold you tight.”

“You do realize how much you’re turning me on right now.”

“Am I? Well, maybe this dream comes with some perks.”

Hannah smiled. She was so aroused that if Nikita was not expecting them, she would have had Payson on the ground, making love to her at this moment. She placed a protective arm over Payson’s and held tight to Bella’s mane with her other. The urge to lower Payson’s hand to take care of an itch building between her legs flashed in her mind but was quickly put to rest. The queen awaited, and they really needed to deal with the matter at hand. “To the castle,” she said. There would hopefully be time later to address the other pressing matter.

Bella started off in a gentle trot, then accelerated to a smooth gallop. Payson held on, and her balance never faltered. She even whooped and hollered several times, which caused Bella to pick up her gait. Fifteen minutes later, they approached the castle grounds.

“Twice in one day.” Sofia smiled as Hannah approached.

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