Read Online Somewhere Only We Know by Barbara Freethy - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Freethy
Tags: Romance
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filled with horses, but no designated riding area. "I don't see a ring."
"Well, that wouldn't be much fun would it? Just going around and around in circles? We're going to ride on the beach, watch the waves breaking over the rocks. It will be great."
"Yeah, sure—great." He tried not to let her see how much he didn't want to get on that horse.
Her narrowed, thoughtful gaze told him he wasn't succeeding.
"You're not afraid of horses, are you?" she asked.
"I wouldn't say I've ever had an opinion, one way or the other."
"So you've never been riding before?"
"When I was seven I rode a pony at the pumpkin festival. It went around in a small circle."
"Well, this is going to be a little different," she said with a laugh. "You're going to love it. Dani and I shared a horse when we were little. Her name was Lulu. She was the sweetest thing. She lived in the barn at my grandparents' property in Portola Valley, where my parents live now. We loved riding her, but we never got to leave the property. We always thought it would be fun to ride on the beach, feel the wind in our hair, taste the salt on our lips and feel as free as a bird. Unfortunately, Dani got sick and never made it to the beach. But it was on her bucket list. Today, I get to make that dream come true."
He was beginning to realize just how strong of an influence Dani had had on Maddie's life. "I'm surprised you haven't done it before now."
"Me, too. I've done pretty much everything else." She paused. "You know, I don't usually talk about Dani this much. I think it's because I'm in a stressful place. That's when the memories come back. Anyway, if you don't want to ride with me, you don't have to. I can do it another time."
"No, I'm good to go." He could see the need in her eyes to escape from reality for a little while, and he wanted to make that happen for her.
Relief moved through her eyes. "Great. We'll get you a good horse, I promise."
"Not that one." He tipped his head to the black stallion who was eyeing him like the enemy. "He doesn't like me."
She smiled. "I think you and he would make a great pair. He actually reminds me of you—tall, impatient, annoyed that he has to be here at all."
He grinned. "You think you have me pegged."
"Am I wrong?"
He couldn't say that she was, so he simply shrugged.
Maddie nodded, a knowing gleam in her eyes. "We'll get you a mare. You were always good with the ladies. You had a lot of girlfriends in high school."
"Every guy had a lot of girlfriends in high school. Relationships lasted three days," he said, as they walked toward the stable office to redeem Maddie's gift certificate.
"That might be true if your last name was Callaway. Some guys were not lucky enough to make out with Rebecca Mooney at lunch every day."
He laughed as Maddie's words took him back in time. Rebecca Mooney had been a busty blonde cheerleader who had certainly helped his reputation, not to mention what she'd done for his hormones. "I haven't thought about Rebecca in years."
"Too many girls to remember?"
"It was a long time ago. I'm sure you had your share of make-out sessions back then."
"Nope. I was not in the popular group."
"You had a lot of friends."
"Who were also not popular, except for your sister Nicole. She used to say that she was only popular because of you, Aiden and Drew. The girls wanted to hang out with her, hoping she'd invite them over to your parents' house so they could accidentally run into you or your brothers."
"There were a lot of people around our house. It was rare to sit down to dinner without a few extra bodies squeezing in at the already crowded table. But my parents were always happy to make room for one more."
"I know. I used to be a little jealous of your big family. You always seemed like you were having so much fun."
"It was fun, most of the time. It was certainly better when my dad and Lynda got together. After my mom died, the air in the house was dark and heavy for a few years."
She frowned. "I
"Well, that wouldn't be much fun would it? Just going around and around in circles? We're going to ride on the beach, watch the waves breaking over the rocks. It will be great."
"Yeah, sure—great." He tried not to let her see how much he didn't want to get on that horse.
Her narrowed, thoughtful gaze told him he wasn't succeeding.
"You're not afraid of horses, are you?" she asked.
"I wouldn't say I've ever had an opinion, one way or the other."
"So you've never been riding before?"
"When I was seven I rode a pony at the pumpkin festival. It went around in a small circle."
"Well, this is going to be a little different," she said with a laugh. "You're going to love it. Dani and I shared a horse when we were little. Her name was Lulu. She was the sweetest thing. She lived in the barn at my grandparents' property in Portola Valley, where my parents live now. We loved riding her, but we never got to leave the property. We always thought it would be fun to ride on the beach, feel the wind in our hair, taste the salt on our lips and feel as free as a bird. Unfortunately, Dani got sick and never made it to the beach. But it was on her bucket list. Today, I get to make that dream come true."
He was beginning to realize just how strong of an influence Dani had had on Maddie's life. "I'm surprised you haven't done it before now."
"Me, too. I've done pretty much everything else." She paused. "You know, I don't usually talk about Dani this much. I think it's because I'm in a stressful place. That's when the memories come back. Anyway, if you don't want to ride with me, you don't have to. I can do it another time."
"No, I'm good to go." He could see the need in her eyes to escape from reality for a little while, and he wanted to make that happen for her.
Relief moved through her eyes. "Great. We'll get you a good horse, I promise."
"Not that one." He tipped his head to the black stallion who was eyeing him like the enemy. "He doesn't like me."
She smiled. "I think you and he would make a great pair. He actually reminds me of you—tall, impatient, annoyed that he has to be here at all."
He grinned. "You think you have me pegged."
"Am I wrong?"
He couldn't say that she was, so he simply shrugged.
Maddie nodded, a knowing gleam in her eyes. "We'll get you a mare. You were always good with the ladies. You had a lot of girlfriends in high school."
"Every guy had a lot of girlfriends in high school. Relationships lasted three days," he said, as they walked toward the stable office to redeem Maddie's gift certificate.
"That might be true if your last name was Callaway. Some guys were not lucky enough to make out with Rebecca Mooney at lunch every day."
He laughed as Maddie's words took him back in time. Rebecca Mooney had been a busty blonde cheerleader who had certainly helped his reputation, not to mention what she'd done for his hormones. "I haven't thought about Rebecca in years."
"Too many girls to remember?"
"It was a long time ago. I'm sure you had your share of make-out sessions back then."
"Nope. I was not in the popular group."
"You had a lot of friends."
"Who were also not popular, except for your sister Nicole. She used to say that she was only popular because of you, Aiden and Drew. The girls wanted to hang out with her, hoping she'd invite them over to your parents' house so they could accidentally run into you or your brothers."
"There were a lot of people around our house. It was rare to sit down to dinner without a few extra bodies squeezing in at the already crowded table. But my parents were always happy to make room for one more."
"I know. I used to be a little jealous of your big family. You always seemed like you were having so much fun."
"It was fun, most of the time. It was certainly better when my dad and Lynda got together. After my mom died, the air in the house was dark and heavy for a few years."
She frowned. "I
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