Page 28 of Forever Enough
“When was the last time you rode?”
She sighed. “It’s been years. I take the horses on the farm out for short walks, but I don’t ride them. Once I started college, I had to leave the high school job I had at some local stables. I miss those horses.”
“You’re more than welcome to ride any of the horses, you know. I’m sure they would love to have the exercise.”
The road was flanked on both sides with pastures. Some dotted with cows, some with horses. The snow-covered fields were beautiful, especially with the sun shining down on the pure white landscape.
“Danny’s mentioned to me that I can ride if I want to. I just feel weird, saddling up a horse that isn’t mine and taking it out.”
“Don’t feel weird. You should ask my mother to go sometime. She loves to ride, and I know she’d love the company.” I could feel Mackenzie’s eyes on me, so I peeked her way.
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
We drove through the ranch, and Mackenzie’s eyes were everywhere. “I didn’t think anything could be more beautiful than your family’s ranch and the farm, but this place is just gorgeous.”
I nodded in agreement as I turned down the road that would take us toward Uncle Ty and Aunt Kaylee’s place on the ranch. “You should see the lake over on Uncle Tanner and Aunt Timberlynn’s property. It’s stunning. There’s also a trail you can take up to an overlook, where you can see the whole ranch. It’s like you’re so close to Heaven, you’re not sure if it’s up in the sky or down in the pastures below.”
Mackenzie turned and smiled at me. “I feel like all of Montana is like that.”
A few minutes later, I pulled up and parked at the indoor arena. A few other trucks were parked there as well.
“Looks like Blayze, Hunter, and Josh are here too.”
“Cousins?”
Turning off the truck, I smiled. “Cousins. You ready?”
She flashed me a nervous smile and nodded. “I think so.”
“Sit tight, let me come around and help you out.”
As I got out of the truck, Uncle Ty ambled out of the arena.
He looked at Mackenzie in the truck, then to me. With a slight laugh, he said, “I see why you’re trying to impress her. She’s way too pretty to be in your league.”
“Let’s not scare her away, okay?”
“Did you forget what family you’re part of?”
Laughing, I shook my head and opened the passenger door. My breath caught in my chest as Mackenzie looked down at me with a serious expression.
“You promise you won’t get hurt.”
Something inside of my chest burst open as warmth filled my entire body. She was worried about me. And not the kind of worrying that my mother does, but something else. I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her senseless.
I reached in and took her hand in mine. “I promise you, I won’t get hurt.”
A look of relief spread over her face, and I knew in that moment, everything was about to change.
Mackenzie Reeves had just stolen my heart.
Chapter Six
MACKENZIE
The moment I put my hand in his, I knew. I didn’t have words to describe the feeling, but I knew it was something I’d never felt before. I knew that Bradly Littlewood was the man my sixteen-year-old self would sit in the dark and dream about rescuing me from the hell I’d found myself in. I’d never felt my heart thunder in my chest like it had the moment he’d smiled at me in the barn last night. Or how my stomach tickled with imaginary butterflies as he took my hand now.