them, despite the fact she’d hadn’t ridden before coming to Cobble Creek.
Rio frowned. She was afraid she’d like this too much, overriding her desire to leave.
Travis returned to the barn, headed straight to his daughter, and spoke to her in a low voice. Rio observed them together and took note of this other side of him. He lifted her chin when she refused to look at him. Though she resisted, she didn’t pull away. Still, he didn’t push her.
Rio fought the urge to tell the girl to smarten up. She had a dad who obviously loved her, and not every kid could be so lucky. Rio’s own mom sure didn’t care too much. Didn’t worry about how her kids felt, how they were doing. If they were happy. Travis obviously cared a lot about his daughter.
She gave her attention to the horse. Their relationship didn’t concern her. She didn’t know this kid’s situation. She was probably stewing in a normal teenage kind of mood. Somehow Rio doubted it. Jessa was heading down some path of rebellion. Her father had a hard road ahead of him. Maybe her mother would have better luck.
As Travis walked by, Rio tried not to pay any attention to him, yet she couldn’t help it. The uniform made her heart pound, maybe because he knew she’d been down at the cabin as surely as she suspected he’d been lying in wait for her.
This man was dangerous in a different way than her mother’s boyfriends. The kind of danger emanating from Travis gave a different kind of rush, one she hated to admit excited her.
When he glanced at her, his scrutiny sent prickles of ice crawling through her skin. Rio held her breath until he passed, and let it go in a rush when he walked out of the barn into the sunlight. She didn’t stop watching him until he climbed into his police SUV.
Luckily Sadie came into the barn and drew her thoughts from Travis.
“Okay, bring Dante to the ring and mount up. Walk him out and I’ll be there after I get Jessa started. Oh, by the way, have you two met?”
Travis’s daughter didn’t smile as she studied Rio. In fact, the suspicion in the girl’s stare mirrored Travis’s, with maybe less intensity or curiosity. Jessa merely studied her with bored disinterest.
“No, we haven’t.” Rio managed a smile.
“Rio, this is my grand-niece, Jessa Lithgow. Jessa, meet Rio Presley. You’ll be helping her out. While she’s exercising Dante, you can start filling the water buckets. We’ll bring in the kids in a bit so we have to prep their dinner.” She faced Rio. “You go on ahead, and I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
So, Rio wondered, what did Jessa do to end up with this duty? Plainly she didn’t want to be there. Could’ve been the hair, which obviously wasn’t Jessa’s natural color. Or some other infraction warranted her being put to work. Not your business. She had too much on her plate right now to worry about a sullen teenager.
She glanced at Dante. “You ready, big guy? Because I’m not.”
Rio led him out of the barn into the cool late afternoon air. Spots of sunlight filtered through thick gray clouds over Cobble Creek Farm. They walked side by side into the riding ring.
Facing the horse seemed daunting. God, he was tall, a lot bigger now she stood next to him, preparing to mount him. Luckily, Sadie had the sense to have a mounting block in the center of the ring.
Rio positioned the horse next to it, climbed the two steps and gathered the reins. She slipped a foot into the stirrup and swung her leg over the saddle. As she organized the reins, she couldn’t help but notice how far away the ground seemed.
This is no different than riding Fleur or Barnaby. Except for the fact that Dante possessed an enormous amount of energy. She felt it through the thin leather reins in her hands as she moved him to the rail.
It only took a few minutes to understand that riding Dante was nothing like riding either of the other two horses. She’d never been the type who went crazy over horses, so it was
Rio frowned. She was afraid she’d like this too much, overriding her desire to leave.
Travis returned to the barn, headed straight to his daughter, and spoke to her in a low voice. Rio observed them together and took note of this other side of him. He lifted her chin when she refused to look at him. Though she resisted, she didn’t pull away. Still, he didn’t push her.
Rio fought the urge to tell the girl to smarten up. She had a dad who obviously loved her, and not every kid could be so lucky. Rio’s own mom sure didn’t care too much. Didn’t worry about how her kids felt, how they were doing. If they were happy. Travis obviously cared a lot about his daughter.
She gave her attention to the horse. Their relationship didn’t concern her. She didn’t know this kid’s situation. She was probably stewing in a normal teenage kind of mood. Somehow Rio doubted it. Jessa was heading down some path of rebellion. Her father had a hard road ahead of him. Maybe her mother would have better luck.
As Travis walked by, Rio tried not to pay any attention to him, yet she couldn’t help it. The uniform made her heart pound, maybe because he knew she’d been down at the cabin as surely as she suspected he’d been lying in wait for her.
This man was dangerous in a different way than her mother’s boyfriends. The kind of danger emanating from Travis gave a different kind of rush, one she hated to admit excited her.
When he glanced at her, his scrutiny sent prickles of ice crawling through her skin. Rio held her breath until he passed, and let it go in a rush when he walked out of the barn into the sunlight. She didn’t stop watching him until he climbed into his police SUV.
Luckily Sadie came into the barn and drew her thoughts from Travis.
“Okay, bring Dante to the ring and mount up. Walk him out and I’ll be there after I get Jessa started. Oh, by the way, have you two met?”
Travis’s daughter didn’t smile as she studied Rio. In fact, the suspicion in the girl’s stare mirrored Travis’s, with maybe less intensity or curiosity. Jessa merely studied her with bored disinterest.
“No, we haven’t.” Rio managed a smile.
“Rio, this is my grand-niece, Jessa Lithgow. Jessa, meet Rio Presley. You’ll be helping her out. While she’s exercising Dante, you can start filling the water buckets. We’ll bring in the kids in a bit so we have to prep their dinner.” She faced Rio. “You go on ahead, and I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
So, Rio wondered, what did Jessa do to end up with this duty? Plainly she didn’t want to be there. Could’ve been the hair, which obviously wasn’t Jessa’s natural color. Or some other infraction warranted her being put to work. Not your business. She had too much on her plate right now to worry about a sullen teenager.
She glanced at Dante. “You ready, big guy? Because I’m not.”
Rio led him out of the barn into the cool late afternoon air. Spots of sunlight filtered through thick gray clouds over Cobble Creek Farm. They walked side by side into the riding ring.
Facing the horse seemed daunting. God, he was tall, a lot bigger now she stood next to him, preparing to mount him. Luckily, Sadie had the sense to have a mounting block in the center of the ring.
Rio positioned the horse next to it, climbed the two steps and gathered the reins. She slipped a foot into the stirrup and swung her leg over the saddle. As she organized the reins, she couldn’t help but notice how far away the ground seemed.
This is no different than riding Fleur or Barnaby. Except for the fact that Dante possessed an enormous amount of energy. She felt it through the thin leather reins in her hands as she moved him to the rail.
It only took a few minutes to understand that riding Dante was nothing like riding either of the other two horses. She’d never been the type who went crazy over horses, so it was
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