“She’s going to see your new cook today,” Jane said with a small smile.
“Oh...” Colt glanced back toward the house as he pulled open the truck door for her. “I don’t get the problem.”
“She likes him, and I asked about it,” Jane said. “I think she’s just a bit nervous.”
“Huh. I think she’s wearing makeup,” Colt said, waiting as Jane buckled the girls into their car seats that were still in the back of the truck from their trip to church.
“And if you’re wise, you’ll never mention it,” Jane said with a laugh.
Colt slammed her door shut and Jane adjusted her position while she waited for him to get settled in the driver’s side.
“I’m looking forward to this,” Jane said. “I haven’t been on a horse since before the girls were born, and I miss riding.”
“How often did you ride before that?” Colt asked. He started the truck and backed out. Jane could see Peg watching them leave out the side window.
“Whenever I could,” Jane replied. “I had a friend from church who worked at a rescue ranch, and I used to come and ride with her, just to give the horses some attention and to keep them used to being ridden. I loved it.”
Colt shot her a smile. “Good. This is an easy ride, but I think you’ll like it, then.”
They arrived at the barn, and Colt parked the truck then nodded toward the corral. “I just need to saddle them up. You ready?”
Colt led the way into the barn, and while he saddled the horses, Jane got the girls into their riding helmets. In years past, riding had been her escape, and part of her was hoping for that feeling of momentary freedom again. That rescue ranch she used to ride at had rescued more than horses—it had been the place where she found some calm and happiness with her husband stationed overseas. It had rescued her, too.
When it was time to get into the saddle, Colt brought a chestnut mare to the mounting block. Jane picked up the twins, just to be safe, and went around to the horse’s head to say hello.
“She’s beautiful,” Jane said.
“She’s gentle,” Colt said. “I think you’ll like her.”
“I can mount on my own,” she said. “But could you hold the girls until I’m up there?”
Colt stood back while she swung into the saddle, then handed the toddlers up to her one at a time. She held them both while he mounted his horse, and then he leaned over and took Suzie out of her arms.
“Let’s see how this works,” he said.
Jane settled Micha in front of her on the saddle, and Colt did the same with Suzie. The girls squirmed a little at first, but they soon got the feel of riding and Jane smiled over at Colt and Suzie, who looked like they were enjoying themselves, too.
If she was looking for freedom, she might not find it. Motherhood changed what freedom was possible, although those tethers were welcome. She looked over at Suzie held so gently in front of Colt, and she felt a wave of maternal satisfaction.
“I think we’re ready,” Jane said, patting Micha’s little belly. Micha grabbed onto Jane’s hand, small fingers clutching hers in excitement.
“I think we are, too,” Colt replied, shooting her a grin. “Let’s ride.”
Colt set a gentle pace. They weren’t in a rush today, and with the girls along for this ride, he didn’t want to take any chances.
The day was cool, which made for a pleasant ride, and as he settled into the rhythm of the horse beneath him, he held Suzie comfortably in place. She looked around herself, babbling in half baby talk. He could only understand a few words of her chatter: horsey, bump-bump-bump, Mama... Whatever she was saying, she was having fun, and he felt his mood lighten in response to her babyish happiness.
The first few minutes of riding were noisy with toddler chatter, but as the ride wore on, both girls got quieter. The path he was taking was away from the pasture and through a rockier terrain. The grass was tougher and the trees were more plentiful—copses of trees spreading across the landscape. They were headed toward a patch of dark green—“the forest,” as he and Josh had called it back then. It wasn’t much of a forest, but there was a lot of denser growth out there and the trees grew tall and sturdy, unlike the bent, twisted trees they were passing here.
He turned, looking back at Jane, who was riding a couple of yards behind him, and he reined in slightly so that she could catch up.
“It’s beautiful out here,” Jane said.
“Yeah, I always did like this ride,” he agreed. “Josh and I used to come out here when we were kids—back when you could let your ten-year-old ride and tell him to be back by supper.”
Jane smiled sadly. “I can’t imagine doing that with my girls.”
He looked down at the toddler in front of him. “Well, they’re pretty small right now. A different time, I guess. Besides, my mom knew I’d be fine with Josh. We were pretty resourceful together.”
“You don’t talk about your mom too often,” she said.
“Not much to tell,” he said.
Jane eyed him for a moment.
“She wanted this,” he said at last. “Me to inherit. She thought after all the hard work I’d put in, I deserved it.”
Colt felt a knot settle in his stomach. He hated the way it sounded—like they’d planned this somehow. It hadn’t been that way, but his mom had mentioned it often enough that he had to wonder if she had suggested it to his uncle at some point.
“Your mom never did marry again after your dad left?” Jane asked.
“No, she stayed single,” he replied.
“And she managed by herself...” Jane’s voice was quiet and he glanced over at her. Was she looking for some sort of reassurance that it was possible to raise her children alone?
“It helped that Mom could
