Chapter Five
Thirty minutes later in the corral, with a borrowed cowboy hat on her head, Brooke sat atop Cassie as Trent adjusted her stirrups. She released a shallow breath to keep calm, but this horse was really big. Looking down, she discovered she was also far from the ground. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.
Trent glanced up at her from under the brim of his cowboy hat. “How does that feel?”
“Okay, I guess.”
“Stand up,” he instructed, then did another adjustment before he handed her the reins. When she held the leather straps in a death grip, his gloved hand covered hers. “Relax. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Oddly, his calming voice made her want to believe him. “Easy for you to say,” she tried to tease and the animal under her shifted. She gasped.
“Whoa there, darlin’,” he crooned to the horse.
“I thought you said she was gentle.”
“Cassie’s just happy she’s getting out of the barn. I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Bucking Q with the cabin construction.”
After a quick pat on the mare’s neck, he walked to a rust-colored gelding named Rango. Taking the reins, he grabbed the horn, jammed his boot into the stirrup, then swung his leg over the horse and sat down in the saddle. He wheeled the horse around and rode him around the pen, and began showing her different commands.
She wasn’t sure she could remember any of them because she was too distracted by the man on the horse. Trent Landry was impressive.
“Just stay close to me,” he said as he rode up to her. “Cassie won’t run off.”
Run off? Brooke swallowed hard and felt the horse shift under her again. She tensed.
“Relax, Brooke. This is supposed to be fun.”
Fun? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d just had fun. She nodded. “If you say so.”
He grinned. “You’re going to do fine.” He covered her hands with his. “Remember, relax your hold.”
She did as he asked.
“That’s better. Come on, let’s go and see some of Colorado up close.” He walked his horse toward the gate.
“Okay, girl,” Brooke began, “It’s time to go.” Cassie didn’t move right away. Instead, the seasoned mare swung her large head around, then finally gave a nod. Brooke couldn’t help smiling as Cassie started off.
After a while Brooke began relax into the rhythm of the animal as the trail wandered through a grove of white birch trees. The sun streamed through the foliage, dotting the landscape with light as they made their way toward the foothills.
Drawing in a breath of the mountain air, she let the scent of pine and damp earth fill her nostrils. She looked toward the pasture to see cattle grazing. Some of the bovines raised their heads as if to say hi, then went back to feeding. There was a cute white-faced calf running around the herd as if trying to get someone to play.
Brooke couldn’t stop looking at the striking scenery, or comparing it to the desert where she’d grown up. Such a contrast. Suddenly she realized she was enjoying herself and got a silly grin on her face. She barely refrained from shouting, “Hey, look at me, I’m riding a horse.”
When the trail widened, Trent dropped back and rode beside her. He smiled. “Like some company?”
She tried not to tense up, but this man looked good on a horse, decked out in his Stetson hat and boots. Who was she kidding? Trent Landry would look good even without the cowboy props.
“Sure,” she managed.
They rode along in silence, then he began pointing out some landmarks. What she really wanted was to ask questions about Laurel, also Rory. Yet she didn’t want to give herself away. If Trent discovered her secret, he might not be so willing to let her stay and meet the man she’d never gotten a chance to call father.
Laurel’s childhood had been so different from hers. Brooke couldn’t help wondering if they could ever find common ground, maybe become friends...even sisters. She felt a rush of emotion, thinking about her lonely years growing up.
“You’re looking pretty serious again,” Trent said.
She blinked, feeling the blush rise to her cheeks. “Sorry, I guess I get a little intense sometimes. It’s hard to turn it off. My job is pretty stressful.”
Trent held the reins loosely in his hand and the horses walked slowly along the grassy trail. The easy rocking in the saddle was soothing. She could get used to this.
“And taking care of your mother can’t be easy, either.”
Brooke quickly came back to reality. “She has her good days.”
“She’s probably happy to have you there with her.”
Was she? Brooke had never been sure how Coralee felt. They’d never had the typical mother-daughter relationship. And now with the disease destroying her mother’s mind, she would never know. “I think she’s worried about seeing Laurel.”
He nodded. “Well, it can’t be easy to give up a child.”
And not tell the father that there were two babies. “No, it probably wasn’t, but I guess Coralee had her reasons. I just didn’t know them.”
Trent gave a sideways glance toward Brooke. He was still trying to figure her out. Why did she call her mother Coralee sometimes? His instincts told him there was something she wasn’t telling him. As much as Rory seemed to distrust Coralee, Trent couldn’t help thinking there might be something else going on.
He stole another glance at the pretty blonde’s profile, seeing more and more of a resemblance to Laurel. Although unlike Laurel, he didn’t feel toward Brooke.
About fifteen minutes later, they came up on a creek, and Cassie quickly veered off the trail, heading in the direction of the water.
“Hey, whoa.” Brooke tugged on the reins and looked back at Trent. “Why isn’t she stopping?”
He followed after them. “It’s okay. Just let her go, she’s thirsty. I think we all could use something to drink.”
Trent could see Brooke put slack in the reins and let the horse take her through the trees to the rocky edge. He was impressed with the way she sat in the saddle. It had taken a little while, but she’d finally let the tension ease and sat back to enjoy the ride. He wished he could say the same of himself. He felt the awareness in full alert whenever he got close to her.
Once beside the creek under a large shade tree, the horses began to drink at the rocky edge. Trent went to Brooke, instructing her how to dismount. She managed to swing her leg over the saddle, but he didn’t think she realized the long distance to the ground, or that her legs wouldn’t hold her up. With her sudden cry, Trent gripped her by the waist.
“I
