Read Online And Then You Fall (Crested Butte Series) by Heather A Buchman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather A Buchman
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herself. She doubted Liv would even go out if she and Mark didn’t always push her to. They’d invite Liv out, Liv would refuse, and between her and Mark, they wouldn’t let up on her until she finally gave in.
Even this trip to Las Vegas, Liv wouldn’t have gone if Paige hadn’t pushed her to go. There needed to come a time when Liv decided for herself that she wanted back in the game of life, it shouldn’t be up to Paige to force the issue.
Paige decided it would be best if she kept her mouth shut the rest of the flight. Liv didn’t seem to feel the need to fill the silence. They were walking up the ramp from the plane to the terminal before Liv spoke.
“I’m sorry. I know you mean well.”
Paige sighed, wishing there was something she could say that would make a difference. She hated to think Liv would spend the rest of her life alone. It was up to Ben now. If he cared about Liv the way he said h e did, Liv would hear from him.
***
Liv didn’t want to tell Paige that when she’d turned her cell back on after the flight, there was a text from Ben, with a photo. And a voicemail from him, which she didn’t intend to listen to until she got home and was alone.
The picture was of him on the plane, pouting. And he wrote, I’m not letting go of this Liv.
She doubted their little fling amounted to much more than a blip on his radar. He probably kept a string of girls on the hook, one in every city—his hookup girls. She had no intention of being one of them. She just wouldn’t answer him, he’d lose interest, and go away.
Her phone beeped again, another text from him. Hey baby, how was your flight? Miss you already. Oh God, what was he doing? She powered down her phone and put it in her bag.
“Hear from him?”
“Nope and I don’t expect to.” She’d just lied to Paige, and she didn’t have any idea why.
She dropped her bags inside the back door and went straight to the barn. Mark had been taking care of her horses along with the others that boarded with her, but right then all she could think about was riding as hard and as fast and as far as Micah would take her.
“Hey sweet boy,” she said as she walked into the stall. “Let’s ride, what do you say?” Micah, lover boy that he was, nuzzled up against her. “Did you miss me? I missed you.” She scratched down his nose and led him out of the stall.
Ten minutes later he was saddled up and they were out on the trail. From her hundred-acre ranch out County Line Road, she had a perfect view of Pikes Peak and the rest of the Front Range. There was nothing like the wide open spaces and blue skies of Colorado.
When her father retired he bought this ranch, knowing how much Liv had always wanted a horse of her own. He had promised her that one day they would live in a place where she could. Being an Air Force family meant they moved every two or three years. Having a horse, or even a dog, had been out of the question given the life they led. Liv’s mother hadn’t been keen on the idea of living so far outside of town, but the Black Forest community was a tight-knit one, and the loneliness she’d expected from their secluded location never materialized.
They made friends with the other ranchers and just about every weekend there was a social function either with them or with other retired Air Force families.
Liv was a freshman in high school when they moved here twenty-six years ago. She’d left briefly when she and Scott were married. Now she considered it home and never planned to leave.
Micah wound his way through the heavily-treed trail without much coaxing from Liv. Once they reached the top of the short incline they would come to a clearing and a wide-open meadow where he could run fast and hard.
“Ready boy?” she said, giving him a little kick, and Micah took off like a rocket. This was freedom. No worries, just her and her horse. She was thankful every day that her father bought this ranch.
Her parents died within a couple
Even this trip to Las Vegas, Liv wouldn’t have gone if Paige hadn’t pushed her to go. There needed to come a time when Liv decided for herself that she wanted back in the game of life, it shouldn’t be up to Paige to force the issue.
Paige decided it would be best if she kept her mouth shut the rest of the flight. Liv didn’t seem to feel the need to fill the silence. They were walking up the ramp from the plane to the terminal before Liv spoke.
“I’m sorry. I know you mean well.”
Paige sighed, wishing there was something she could say that would make a difference. She hated to think Liv would spend the rest of her life alone. It was up to Ben now. If he cared about Liv the way he said h e did, Liv would hear from him.
***
Liv didn’t want to tell Paige that when she’d turned her cell back on after the flight, there was a text from Ben, with a photo. And a voicemail from him, which she didn’t intend to listen to until she got home and was alone.
The picture was of him on the plane, pouting. And he wrote, I’m not letting go of this Liv.
She doubted their little fling amounted to much more than a blip on his radar. He probably kept a string of girls on the hook, one in every city—his hookup girls. She had no intention of being one of them. She just wouldn’t answer him, he’d lose interest, and go away.
Her phone beeped again, another text from him. Hey baby, how was your flight? Miss you already. Oh God, what was he doing? She powered down her phone and put it in her bag.
“Hear from him?”
“Nope and I don’t expect to.” She’d just lied to Paige, and she didn’t have any idea why.
She dropped her bags inside the back door and went straight to the barn. Mark had been taking care of her horses along with the others that boarded with her, but right then all she could think about was riding as hard and as fast and as far as Micah would take her.
“Hey sweet boy,” she said as she walked into the stall. “Let’s ride, what do you say?” Micah, lover boy that he was, nuzzled up against her. “Did you miss me? I missed you.” She scratched down his nose and led him out of the stall.
Ten minutes later he was saddled up and they were out on the trail. From her hundred-acre ranch out County Line Road, she had a perfect view of Pikes Peak and the rest of the Front Range. There was nothing like the wide open spaces and blue skies of Colorado.
When her father retired he bought this ranch, knowing how much Liv had always wanted a horse of her own. He had promised her that one day they would live in a place where she could. Being an Air Force family meant they moved every two or three years. Having a horse, or even a dog, had been out of the question given the life they led. Liv’s mother hadn’t been keen on the idea of living so far outside of town, but the Black Forest community was a tight-knit one, and the loneliness she’d expected from their secluded location never materialized.
They made friends with the other ranchers and just about every weekend there was a social function either with them or with other retired Air Force families.
Liv was a freshman in high school when they moved here twenty-six years ago. She’d left briefly when she and Scott were married. Now she considered it home and never planned to leave.
Micah wound his way through the heavily-treed trail without much coaxing from Liv. Once they reached the top of the short incline they would come to a clearing and a wide-open meadow where he could run fast and hard.
“Ready boy?” she said, giving him a little kick, and Micah took off like a rocket. This was freedom. No worries, just her and her horse. She was thankful every day that her father bought this ranch.
Her parents died within a couple
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