Page 22 of Her Cowboy Blind Date

Becky breathed in the crisp cattle country air and looked out at the paddocks. Birdsong wafted through the air. On Saturday afternoon, they’d finished cooking and storing meals. Lasagna, pasta sauces, stews, and soup were all stored in glass containers in the freezer.

Ranch life was different to what she’d imagined. There was always stuff happening, always people coming and going. Sam had spent Saturday working, and she’d seen him briefly at lunchtime. On Sunday morning, they’d traveled into town to attend a lovely service at a historic church. Becky appreciated the small town’s history and heritage.

Sunday at the ranch was a day of rest. They’d played board games during the afternoon and watched movies. It was years since her family had done anything similar. By the time she was thirteen, her older siblings were out all weekend and doing their own thing.

She stood and stretched out her back muscles. Her lower back and legs had mild aches from her short ride with Cindy on Saturday afternoon.

The ground crunched underfoot as she made her way to the stables. Sam walked toward her, leading two horses.

He smiled. “Right on time.”

“Of course. I’m looking forward to it.”

She stroked the neck of a beautiful chestnut mare. Caro was a sweet and gentle girl, who Becky had fallen in love with on Saturday. Sam needed to check a perimeter boundary fence, which was a longer ride than Saturday.

“Meet Beauty.” Sam’s smile widened, highlighting his dimple. “She’s one of my favorite horses.”

“She’s beautiful.” Becky gave the tall mare some attention, and Beauty whinnied her appreciation.

“Do you need help getting into the saddle?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m good.” She put her left foot in the stirrup, swung her right leg over the horse, and settled in the saddle. The western saddle was different to the smaller English-style saddle she’d ridden in Australia. She could wind rope around the saddle horn. One of the many differences she’d discovered during her online research after her ride with Cindy.

Sam handed her the reins and, in one fluid motion, he was in his saddle.

Smooth. The man knew his way around horses.

“We’ll take it easy and walk to the fence line.”

“Sure.” Her legs appreciated warm up time in the saddle. Tomorrow she’d feel like a long soak in a bath. At home, she’d have enjoyed indulging in the spa bath at her parent’s home.

His horse walked beside hers, and he turned toward her, cowboy hat and sunglasses hiding his gaze. “Where did you learn to ride?”

“At a horse stud.”

“In Sydney.”

“Nearby. Family friends lived in the Southern Highlands.” She had great memories of riding up and down the rolling hills on their beautiful property.

“That sounds fun. Was it a large land holding?”

She nodded. “A gorgeous historic homestead. Prime real estate.” Their old family friends were now a billionaire family. Smart investments over the years in green energy and other business ventures had paid off and elevated them into the uber-rich category. Mum had thought it hilarious that she had billionaire friends who lived like normal people. Although Mum’s definition of normal was debatable.

“Do you visit often?” he asked.

“Not anymore. Which is sad.”

“What happened?”

“My sister. Kelly. Something happened to her.” Her parents had decided it was best to stay away. They now visited their friends in Queensland at their beachfront mansion.

“Was she injured horse riding?”

“No. Nothing like that. A situation with a stable hand didn’t end well.” Becky had been away at a school camp and missed all the drama. Kelly had just turned sixteen and was caught using drugs with a nineteen-year-old guy.

“Oh. Was she okay?”

“Sort of. Mum was furious. Kelly had snuck out of the house to meet him. They were caught smoking weed and acting like they were on stronger stuff.”

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