She had been on one of the drives before and the atmosphere was fun, even exciting. After the past two years of visiting Michelle, Marissa felt comfortable on a horse and wasn’t afraid of the big cattle that were used for the mock cattle drive.
“Hey you,” Trace called as Marissa walked toward the waiting horses. “You look like you’re ready to ride.”
Marissa smiled but just shook her head as Trace turned to move the big-wheeled mounting block to the other side of the barn doors so that people could mount up easily.
“Why don’t you take a seat inside the barn,” Trace said nodding toward the door and a chair that sat in the shade of the big barn, “I’ll get everyone set then you and I can fall in at the back of the herd,” he finished with a grin.
Marissa nodded gratefully. She was glad she didn’t have to stand around waiting while all of the guests mounted up.
“Ready Trace,” the man called Hunter from earlier in the day called as he checked stock then turned a smiling face to guests leaving the big house.
It took nearly twenty minutes for the guests to get ready for the ride, while a handful of wranglers were kept busy leading horses to three different mounting blocks and helping people into the saddle.
Marissa peeked out of the barn grinning when Kade swung up onto one of his big red mules and started leading the crowd toward the small group of cows that he had gathered earlier that day.
Several wranglers flanked the guests, and in the distance, Marissa could see the teens from outlying ranches working the herd and watching the guests as the cattle drive got underway.
“You ready?” Trace asked walking over and offering his hand before leading her to a stocky spotted horse near his sturdy bay.
Marissa smiled letting him help her into the saddle and adjust her stirrups. At the end of the line of riders, a group of teenage girls shot her dirty looks over their shoulder, and it was all she could do not to laugh.
“I see what you mean about needing some help,” she teased. “I don’t think your fan club is too happy with me at the moment.”
Trace cast a glance over his shoulder to where the girls were whispering as they held their horses to a slow walk.
Looking up at Marissa where she sat on the big appaloosa’s back, he dropped his hand to her leg and grinned. “I think I’ll be forever in your debt,” he said.
Marissa rolled her eyes. “Mount up cowboy,” she said. “I don’t want to miss the fun.”
Trace pushed his hat tighter onto his head and picked up the reins of his horse before swinging into the saddle in one smooth motion.
Marissa clicked to her mount and started to catch up with the rest of the crowd. “What’s my horse’s name?” she asked as Trace rode up beside her.
“That’s Pebbles,” the cowboy replied. “She’s one of the horses that Chase bought to fill out the herd while he waits for the others to grow up a bit.”
Marissa stroked the horse’s glossy mane. “I like her.”
In front of them, Trace caught one of the girls toss her long dark hair over a shoulder as she flashed him a smile, and he cringed inside. Without thinking he reached over and took Marissa’s hand in his, feeling a deep warmth race through him like a blast of steam.
Marissa looked over at the cowboy and shook her head but didn’t take her hand from his. Her hand was warm and safe in his, and she liked the sense of confidence and freedom it gave her. For a moment, she wondered what it would have been like if she had met Trace a few short months ago. Things were far more complicated than they could have been then.
“Are you still serious about what we talked about the other night?” she asked looking down at his fingers wound around hers.
“I am,” Trace agreed, his eyes scanning the people ahead of them.
“What if I change my mind?” the young woman asked still feeling the fear and doubt of her future quiver in the pit of her stomach.
“That’s up to you,” Trace said softly, “but I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“You know I’ll have to go back to work this fall right?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“I’ll take off when the time comes though. They give us sixteen weeks of leave time.”
“Do you want me to come out to you?”
Marissa looked at Trace, not sure what to say. What she wanted was for her perfect plan to have worked out. For everything to have gone the way it was supposed to, but now it was different, and she was on her own.
“Would you?” she asked.
“Yes,” Trace’s voice was soft but firm and she knew he was telling the truth.
“How does this all work?” Marissa said turning her eyes to the small group of cattle that was moving down the trail. Around her, she could see excited guests trotting along toward the herd, and quiet cowboys unobtrusively slipping in to make sure that everything ran smooth.
In the distance, she spotted Kade turning the lead cow with his oversized mule and grinned. She wondered what it must have been like in the early days of the ranch with men working cows regularly. A real round-up must have been a sight to see.
“You decide,” Trace said. “In the end the decision is yours, and by the time the baby comes, you might feel like you want to be a mother.”
“So you’re saying I might grow into it?” Marissa offered as a lame attempt at humor.
“Something like that,” Trace agreed, giving her hand a light squeeze.
“Trace I want you to know something,” Marissa turned slightly in her saddle to look at the man. “I have always wanted this baby. I just didn’t know how I was going to do this
