Total pages in book: 248
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236036 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1180(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 787(@300wpm)
That made sense to her, but she could tell by his tone that things had gone wrong. “You did go to college, so I’m guessing they got you to apply?”
He nodded, one short jerk of his head. His hands tightened on the reins, until she could see his knuckles whitening, so as much as she wanted to press him… she kept quiet until he was ready.
“I looked at a few schools, and they helped me apply for a bunch of scholarships. There were some dedicated to foster kids, orphans, and with their help … well, once I was accepted and my tuition was guaranteed … of course they pushed me to go.”
She hesitated and then, in a tentative voice, “That’s good, right?”
“Probably. I mean, as it turned out, yes. I got my degree. I met you. I started my own business. But at the time, I felt like they were pushing me out because they’d helped the poor orphan boy enough. I only saw it through the lens of someone who was used to…” He trailed off.
“Not being wanted?” She nudged her mount a little closer until their legs were touching. Her mare didn’t seem to mind, and Carter shot her a grateful look.
“Pretty much. Now, I’m wondering if I read the whole situation wrong. Something Pa said last night about expecting me to come back after school. I guess it doesn’t matter now,” he said, shrugging.
“It … feels like maybe it does matter though? I mean, there’s a difference between them doing things to give you the best life and doing them because they wanted you to go away. That must…” She paused, trying to find the right words. “Maybe it’s too late to affect your life, but it must make a difference in how you feel.”
His lips flattened into a line, and after a second, he nodded. That was the end of the conversation for a while. But the silence was calm, with both of them thinking their own thoughts.
Since it wasn’t a working ride, there were no chores waiting for them at the far end, but the giant loop they’d taken had them in the saddle for a few hours before they straggled back to the barn. It was the longest ride for all of them. Lydia wasn’t the only one wincing and walking funny; pretty much every guest was complaining, except Carter.
Allegra had been told she had a good seat, and she didn’t seem to be having as much pain as some of the others, but her inner thighs felt like they had been sanded. It was a feeling she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with, her husband did enjoy spanking more than just her ass. But the denim rubbing the raw skin as she walked did give her a bowlegged hobble that had Carter trying, and failing, to hide a grin.
Pa seemed to be expecting the aches and pains. “You all did great today!” he said, as he waved them over. The ranch hands were moving around, taking the reins and leading the horses off to the barn. It was a nice surprise; since they’d arrived, it had been their task to take care of the mounts.
“I know you’re all sore, so we’ll take care of the chores tonight. You can have some free time. Maybe hit the sauna, take a nap, or use the hot tub. You’ve got two hours until dinner, so go enjoy yourself.”
Ally shot Carter a look. “The hot tub is big, but not that big. I bet there’s going to be a mad rush to get there. You in?”
He broke out in a wide smile. “Hell yeah, I am. Meet you there in five?” He took off at a sprint toward his bunkhouse, leaving her to scowl at his back when he showed no sign of pain or slowness at all.
“Freaking cowboy,” she muttered, hurrying as fast as her stiff legs could take her.
Chapter Eleven
“Hey, Dalton, you ready?”
Carter rolled his shoulders, twisted at the hips to make sure everything was loose, and then stepped up. “Let’s do this.” He didn’t look at the other cowboys who sat or leaned against the split-rail fence. He tried to ignore them, and the guests, especially his wife, who had been kept on the outside of the fence for safety.
All of his attention and focus was fixed on the lone horse standing complacently in the center of the paddock. Quicksilver was kitted up with a trick saddle, and was pretending not to notice Carter as he searched the ground for a stray bit of grass. Phil, one of the few cowboys who’d been on the ranch since Carter’s time, grinned and stepped back, as he gave the horse a slap on the rump to get him trotting.
Carter had a few seconds to think. Did he really want to do this? It had been thirteen years, or close to it, since he’d tried a vaulting mount. He wasn’t a kid anymore, but he’d once been damn good at this sort of thing, and part of him wanted to see if he could still do it.