of the corral out of his head. The feeling of icy cold continued to seep into his veins no matter where he was. He could search the storm clouds building over the ridge, but the white pipe fence built itself piece by piece. The last thing he’d seen as he formed the last thought he should have while dying.
“You, um...okay?”
Beth had stopped her horse and his had stopped next to her. He hadn’t noticed. He’d gotten completely lost reliving the moment he’d been shot.
“Want to talk about it? You said you would, you know.”
Yeah, he’d promised. He searched the opposite horizon to avoid her concerned eyes. At the time he’d given his word, he’d meant it. This week had been okay. The nightmares had been replaced with dreams of tossing Beth into the hay—for different reasons than practicing self-defense.
“Nick?”
“Tomorrow. That’s when it happened.” He answered without wanting to.
“Right.”
“I couldn’t be there. Looking at the corral. Wondering... Thinking it would all happen again.” The slow motion fall to the frozen ground replayed in his mind. He couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t not see it. He felt his flesh tear. Felt the hot searing and ultimate pain—
“Nick!” Beth shook his shoulder.
How had she gotten so close? Damn. He was falling for real. Almost on top of her.
“Should we pull over for a while?”
“What?” He swallowed hard, almost choking, holding back a roar of laughter. “We don’t really pull over our horses.”
Potential anger or not, he couldn’t hold it in. He laughed at her mistake so hard he bent forward over his saddle horn, rubbing Rocket’s thick neck while he was there.
Beth dismounted. He couldn’t see her face and would probably need to smooth over his inconsiderate treatment of her ignorance. Oh, God, he could see her shoulders shaking. She leaned into the side of her saddle, crying.
Nick swung his leg and jumped off the right side, next to Beth. He dropped an arm around her shoulder thinking of something positive to say. Anything that could make up for belittling her. “I didn’t mean to laugh—”
Beth tipped her head back. There were tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. Tears of laughter. She drew in several deep breaths, slowing down to talk. “Oh, wow, that was so funny.”
“I thought you were upset.”
“Oh, no. Pull over a horse? Ha ha. I crack myself up.” She hobbled to the edge of the path, bending at the waist and stretching.
He took the reins of both horses, enjoying the view. He liked that about her. She’d apologized while admitting she knew nothing about riding, but then laughed at herself without a second thought.
Joining her near the slippery rock slope, he stuck his free hand in his front pocket while the other kept the horses just behind him. He tried to back up with no luck. There was plenty of open space around them, but it sure felt snug.
“We better get moving and get to high ground before this weather turns on us.” If they stayed there, he’d kiss those soft luscious lips that tasted like a Chapstick version of cherry that he couldn’t get enough of. Then he’d fall into her, letting every curve she had press next to him. Pulling her closer until it wasn’t close enough.
“Nick? You okay?”
Stumbling backward, he startled the horses while slipping on loose pebbles under his boots. What the hell was the matter with him today? He’d practically had Beth’s clothes off in his vision. He could feel the blood rushing, the anticipation of taking her was already killing him. He swiped at his sweating brow and knocked off his hat.
Applewine spooked as if a rattlesnake were striking. She reared up, pulling his arm with it.
Beth’s fear didn’t keep her from rushing forward, latching on to her horse’s bridle and yanking down. Shoulder to shoulder with Nick again, she rubbed Applewine’s light tan forehead with her knuckles.
“Don’t you dare bite me, you old nag.”
“I got
“You, um...okay?”
Beth had stopped her horse and his had stopped next to her. He hadn’t noticed. He’d gotten completely lost reliving the moment he’d been shot.
“Want to talk about it? You said you would, you know.”
Yeah, he’d promised. He searched the opposite horizon to avoid her concerned eyes. At the time he’d given his word, he’d meant it. This week had been okay. The nightmares had been replaced with dreams of tossing Beth into the hay—for different reasons than practicing self-defense.
“Nick?”
“Tomorrow. That’s when it happened.” He answered without wanting to.
“Right.”
“I couldn’t be there. Looking at the corral. Wondering... Thinking it would all happen again.” The slow motion fall to the frozen ground replayed in his mind. He couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t not see it. He felt his flesh tear. Felt the hot searing and ultimate pain—
“Nick!” Beth shook his shoulder.
How had she gotten so close? Damn. He was falling for real. Almost on top of her.
“Should we pull over for a while?”
“What?” He swallowed hard, almost choking, holding back a roar of laughter. “We don’t really pull over our horses.”
Potential anger or not, he couldn’t hold it in. He laughed at her mistake so hard he bent forward over his saddle horn, rubbing Rocket’s thick neck while he was there.
Beth dismounted. He couldn’t see her face and would probably need to smooth over his inconsiderate treatment of her ignorance. Oh, God, he could see her shoulders shaking. She leaned into the side of her saddle, crying.
Nick swung his leg and jumped off the right side, next to Beth. He dropped an arm around her shoulder thinking of something positive to say. Anything that could make up for belittling her. “I didn’t mean to laugh—”
Beth tipped her head back. There were tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. Tears of laughter. She drew in several deep breaths, slowing down to talk. “Oh, wow, that was so funny.”
“I thought you were upset.”
“Oh, no. Pull over a horse? Ha ha. I crack myself up.” She hobbled to the edge of the path, bending at the waist and stretching.
He took the reins of both horses, enjoying the view. He liked that about her. She’d apologized while admitting she knew nothing about riding, but then laughed at herself without a second thought.
Joining her near the slippery rock slope, he stuck his free hand in his front pocket while the other kept the horses just behind him. He tried to back up with no luck. There was plenty of open space around them, but it sure felt snug.
“We better get moving and get to high ground before this weather turns on us.” If they stayed there, he’d kiss those soft luscious lips that tasted like a Chapstick version of cherry that he couldn’t get enough of. Then he’d fall into her, letting every curve she had press next to him. Pulling her closer until it wasn’t close enough.
“Nick? You okay?”
Stumbling backward, he startled the horses while slipping on loose pebbles under his boots. What the hell was the matter with him today? He’d practically had Beth’s clothes off in his vision. He could feel the blood rushing, the anticipation of taking her was already killing him. He swiped at his sweating brow and knocked off his hat.
Applewine spooked as if a rattlesnake were striking. She reared up, pulling his arm with it.
Beth’s fear didn’t keep her from rushing forward, latching on to her horse’s bridle and yanking down. Shoulder to shoulder with Nick again, she rubbed Applewine’s light tan forehead with her knuckles.
“Don’t you dare bite me, you old nag.”
“I got
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