Page 26 of More than a Memory
“I want the wild one!” Annie said.
Laughing, Darcy said, “I want the dependable, slow one.”
“That just about sums us up!” Annie said, grinning.
“Hey, that’s not fair! I have enough adventure in my work life. I don’t need it to extend into my personal one.”
“That’s true. Your job is never dull, is it?”
Sam’s face lit up with a million-watt smile when he saw Darcy pull up to the barn. He and Gabe stood next to the split rail fence where four horses were tied, in various stages of getting tacked up. It was quite the eyeful. Two gorgeous cowboys in their element, relaxed, confident, and waiting there just for them. What more could one ask for, Darcy thought.
“Wow, who is that handsome hunk?” Annie asked.
“That’s Gabe, Sam’s farm manager and, if I’m not mistaken, he’s already taken,” Darcy replied.
“Of course he is,” Annie said dryly.
“Too bad, because he is one gorgeous guy!” Darcy replied.
“My luck just keeps getting better,” Annie said joking with her sister.
They both hopped out of the car and approached the two men and the horses. Gabe’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened when he looked up and saw Annie. He glanced over at Sam who, at that moment, only had eyes for Darcy.
“Well hello there,” Gabe said, a bit dazzled.
Annie wore her hair loose, and the mane of luxurious copper-red hair cascaded down and around her shoulders. Her large green eyes were shining with anticipation. She wore navy leggings with a white V-neck T-shirt and lace-up boots. Her jean jacket was the appropriate protection for the weather conditions that day. The outfit accentuated her feminine curves, and Gabe, no stranger to beautiful women, found himself feeling slightly tongue-tied, which was a rare occurrence for him.
“Hello back. They failed to tell me I’d be riding with a movie star or I would have taken more time with my appearance,” she teased.
“You can’t improve on perfection,” he said flirtatiously, finding his footing again. “Sam has been holding out on me. How did he find two such incredibly beautiful women to join us today? He’s such a mysterious dude. You think you know someone, then …” Laughing, he said, “Follow me. We’ll go get your saddle.”
As Gabe lead the way to the tack room, Annie admired his easy, confident stride in his lowrider jeans. His old, worn cowboy boots had apparently seen many days on the farm. He was tall, lean and muscular, and drop dead gorgeous. This was a pleasant turn of events for the day. Horses and eye candy, Annie thought, I will so enjoy this even if I can’t touch. Gabe still had his tan from summer and his light brown hair was streaked with blond highlights from the sun. He must have skipped the razor that morning because he had light stubble, which only made him sexier, as far as Annie was concerned. His light brown eyes were bright and alive and seemed to sparkle like he was in on a joke nobody else was aware of.
“Here you go, take this bridle and I’ll grab your saddle. You get to ride my palomino, Gil, today. Sam said you were an experienced rider?” he asked, while returning to the beautiful palomino tied to the rail.
“Yep, I can take whatever you dish out,” she said, deliberately using a double entendre.
Gabe cleared his throat and chuckled, “Well I’m going to ride one of my horses in training who is a bit of a scaredy-cat on the trail, so I’ll be schooling a bit while we are out and about. But Gil here is just about perfect. He’s spirited but has a good head on his shoulders. He’s brave and curious and not inclined to spook, but he does like to have fun. Kind of like me.” He winked at Annie as he placed the saddle on Gil’s back and began to tighten the cinch.
“I brought an apple and a couple of carrots for you, Gil, but you’ll have to wait until after our ride,” Annie crooned to her mount. “You’re such a gorgeous guy. We’ll make sure you get some action today, buddy.”
She scratched Gil behind his ear and he let out a relaxed sigh.
“I get to ride Whiskey today!” Darcy said excitedly, standing next to a beautiful chestnut with a white snip and a large blaze covering the whole bridge of his nose. “Isn’t he a beauty?” she asked, her green eyes animated.
Darcy had not felt this carefree in a very long time. Here she had wanted her sister to have a little therapy and, ironically, she was probably the one who needed it the most.
“You and your horse almost match!” Annie joked, referencing their similar hair color.
Sam couldn’t take his eyes off Darcy. She was radiant, relaxed, and lighthearted. It warmed him to his core and made him want to find a way to give this to her always. There was no hint of the sadness that often seemed to lurk just beneath the surface. If he had any say in it, there would be a lot more times like these.
“Is everyone ready?” Sam called out.
“Let the good times roll,” Gabe said, while giving Annie a leg up onto Gil’s back.
Sam assisted Darcy in mounting Whiskey, which he would most definitely had no complaints about, then held her reins until she felt settled in before jumping onto Cody’s back. The horses seemed as excited as the riders.
“Cody is our fearless leader. Nothing riles him. He’s practically bomb-proof. That, my friends, is what makes for a good leader,” Sam said while giving Cody a pat. “Darcy, you and Whiskey fall in behind me, and Annie, you ride behind Darcy. Gabe will watch out for us from behind. He is on a very green four-year-old, so after we get going a bit, we may need to put Domino in the middle to calm him down … all depends on how he does. Gabe’s been working with him in the ring not only riding but a lot of groundwork, but he hasn’t been out on the trail much.” He turned in his saddle to see that everyone was in line before facing forward again and clicking his tongue, signaling to Cody that it was time to take off.