was boring. On the contrary, her seven-year-old daughter, Piper, had proclaimed Ouray, Colorado, the most beautiful place ever. Which was good, because returning to Denver before the end of the summer was not an option. Not if she wanted to save her son from following in his father’s footsteps.
She eyed her firstborn in the rearview mirror. With his sandy brown hair and green eyes, he favored her, though his blatant lies were a hallmark of his father. Something Lily found increasingly disconcerting. But learning of how he’d bullied another boy at school had spurred her into action. Because despite what Wade Davis might believe, the fact that they had money did not make them better than anyone else.
He’d agreed to let her take the kids away for the entire summer, instead of splitting the time the way they usually did. Whatever deal he was working must be big. She could only pray he wouldn’t change his mind before August 15, the date they’d agreed upon for the kids’ return.
Easing to a stop between another SUV and a sedan, she shifted into Park. Why couldn’t they have just gone on another Jeep tour?
The kids were out of the vehicle before Lily even turned off the engine.
“Hurry up, Mommy.” Piper’s excitement had her blonder-than-blond ponytail swishing to and fro. The perpetually cheerful child had always been eager to try new things. A trait Lily usually admired. Until she suggested horseback riding.
Too bad Lily hadn’t had the guts to say no.
Setting her booted feet onto the gravel, she rubbed her arms, eyeing the two chestnut-colored horses staring at her from the adjacent paddock. Did they know? Were they able to sense that another horse had once gotten the best of her?
“Aww...” Piper noted the pair. “Aren’t they cute?”
Lily cleared her throat. “Horses are some of God’s most beautiful creatures.” Not to mention frightening. Her kids didn’t see it that way, though, so she wasn’t about to pass her fears on to them.
She drew in a deep breath, the once-familiar odor of horse and hay tightening her stomach. How was she ever going to pull this off?
“This is boring.” Colton shuffled toward the entrance. “I want to ride them, not look at them.”
Lily’s gaze lifted to the mid-June sky. God, please help me. She glanced at her son. In every way.
Inside, the walls of the small but tidy lobby were lined with rustic wood planks. A couple with two boys who looked to be a little older than Colton sat on an old wooden church pew that hugged one wall.
“Mommy, look.” Piper pointed above the doorway of what appeared to be an office. “A horseshoe.”
“It’s a horse barn.” Arms crossed, Colton rolled his eyes. “They probably have, like, a million of those things.”
“I don’t care, Colton.” Hands on her hips, his sister glared at him. “I still like them.”
Before Lily could intervene, the sound of footsteps on concrete drew their attention.
She turned, feeling as though she’d suddenly stepped into a country music video. From his boots and Wranglers to the shiny belt buckle and straw Stetson perched on his head, this guy was all cowboy.
He stopped to address the other family. “If you all will head straight down this corridor—” he pointed to the long aisle behind him “—and to the right, Amber and Jackie are waiting with your horses.”
As the group departed, he turned his attention to Lily and her children. “Welcome to Abundant Blessings Ranch.” Tall and clean shaven, he tipped his hat back just enough to reveal dark brown hair and even darker eyes, like a rich espresso. He was older than she would have expected. Perhaps even older than her thirty-eight years, but not by much. And while his smile was pleasant enough, it did little to put her at ease. “I’m Noah Stephens. How can I help you folks today?”
Pressing one hand against her stomach, she fingered the silver chain around her neck with the other. “Um—”
“We want to ride horses.” Piper stared up at the man, looking very matter-of-fact.
“You do?” His smile grew wider, forming creases around his eyes. “Well, I guess you’ve come to the right place then.” He reached for one of a series of clipboards that hung on the wall. “I’ll just need your mother to sign these papers.” He handed the clipboard to her, along with a pen.
The knot in Lily’s stomach grew even bigger as she filled in the required information. Why was she putting herself through this? She should have simply said no in the first place.
But then Colton and Piper would have wanted to know why. She couldn’t bear the thought of telling them she was afraid. After all, she was their mother. The one who was supposed to be strong. And she was, most of the time. Right about now, though, she felt like that four-year-old girl who’d just been bucked off her first, and last, horse.
“How much riding have you kids done?” The cowboy looked from Colton to Piper.
“I’ve never been on a horse.” Piper’s blue eyes sparkled. “But I can’t wait.”
“That’s good to know, because I want to make sure I pair each of you with the correct horse for your level of experience.”
“What does it matter?” Colton shrugged. “It’s just a stupid horse.”
The cowboy straightened to his full six-foot-plus height, and Lily froze. What would he do? Everyone knew cowboys didn’t tolerate disrespect. And her son had plenty. Would he tell them they couldn’t ride?
Wishful thinking on her part.
Arms crossed, the man stared down at Colton, his expression stern. “Actually, horses are quite smart.” His deep voice left no room for question. “And they’re able to sense what kind of people are riding them.” His gaze narrowed. “So you might want to keep that in mind, young man.”
Under different circumstances, Lily might have chuckled. But by the time she handed the completed paperwork back to the cowboy, her stomach was churning.
His brow lifted. “Are you all right, ma’am?”
“Yes.” However, the more she tried to psych herself up for this endeavor, the worse things became.
She grabbed a white-water rafting brochure from the rack against the wall and fanned herself, wondering when it had gotten so warm. All the while, the tossing and turning in her belly intensified.
This was not good. Not good at—
Just as the cowboy turned to talk with Colton and Piper, Lily bolted out the door. She rushed to the side of the building, her stomach in full revolt. Not once, but twice.
Standing there, doubled over, she heard someone behind her. Oh, no. God please don’t let it be—
“You look like you could use a little help.” That deep voice definitely didn’t belong to Colton or Piper.
Mortified, she glanced at the cowboy and managed to eke out, “Don’t let my children see me,” before hurling again.
