Page 56 of Kayla's Cowboy
“You can’t force a relationship,” Kayla reminded him. “And if you have the idea that Alex should automatically love you, or you him, then you’re wrong.” She held up a hand to stop Jackson’s denial. “Be honest, did you meet Alex and immediately think, ‘Wow, I love this kid’?”
“I... No.”
“Of course not. Look, when we got here this morning, I told Alex to treat you like one of his friends. You could give it a shot, too. Let things happen when they happen.”
A long minute passed before Jackson nodded. “All right, I’ll try.”
Idly Kayla noted that his eyes had changed over the years. As a teenager they’d sparked with energy and daring; now they were filled with grim determination. And they were so guarded. How could Alex get to know someone who never let anyone past the surface?
“Let’s go find them,” Jackson said, leading her toward the outbuildings.
They found the kids in the ranch’s large, airy horse barn. Alex was observing warily as Morgan saddled a powerful black stallion, while DeeDee kept dashing in to pat the animal on its neck, only to jump backward with an alarmed squeak whenever the horse moved.
“Looks as if the first lesson is already starting,” Jackson murmured.
Kayla’s attention was torn between her children as they learned the fundamentals of horseback riding. Not surprisingly, DeeDee was keener than her brother, who only seemed to be going along out of his friendship with Morgan. It was interesting, though—Jackson and his daughter seemed to communicate better when animals were involved.
“See if you can lift it,” Jackson suggested after showing DeeDee the different parts of a saddle.
“Jipes,” DeeDee yelped, almost staggering under the weight. She stuck out her bottom lip. “Poor horses.”
“You’d be amazed how strong they are. But don’t worry, the one you’ll be using is lighter.”
He put the saddle down and opened a large double stall. The mares inside had been curiously watching the proceedings and they walked out to stand quietly between Alex and DeeDee.
“These two ladies are Betty and Boop,” Jackson said.
Kayla nearly choked. “Betty and Boop?”
“Yeah, I let my younger brother choose the names. Josh has a wicked sense of humor, or at least he used to.”
“I wanna ride Boop,” DeeDee declared. She watched Jackson slip the bit into Boop’s mouth and adjust the bridle, so eager she was hopping from one foot to the other.
“DeeDee, I’m betting you’re a natural-born rider,” Jackson said when he’d finished saddling the horse. “Put your foot in the stirrup this way.”
Morgan was showing Alex how to mount as well, and Kayla gulped when she saw her kids so high off the ground.
“Can we go out on the ranch now?” DeeDee demanded after circling the paddock several times on Boop. “I don’t want to just ride in a circle.”
Jackson opened his mouth, hesitated and glanced at Kayla. She nodded slowly.
“Okay,” he agreed. “But don’t try going off alone at any time. Kayla, shall I saddle a horse for you?”
“Yikesylvania,” DeeDee exclaimed. “You know how to ride, Mom?”
“Of course she does! I taught her,” Jackson said. His words evoked memories of long-ago days, when he’d patiently taught her about horses while stealing kisses whenever his parents or a ranch hand couldn’t see them.
“I’d love to go,” Kayla affirmed.
Several minutes later, Jackson appeared leading two saddled horses—a black-and-white Appaloosa and a golden palomino that quickly nosed Kayla’s breast pocket, where she’d dropped a handful of sugar cubes.
“Hey, beautiful girl.” Kayla fed her the sugar. “What is she called, Daisy Mae?”
“No.” Jackson cleared his throat. “Madonna. It was my youngest sister’s idea—Madison is a fan.” He patted the Appaloosa’s neck. “And this is Thunder.”
Though she hadn’t gotten on a horse in sixteen years, Kayla avoided Jackson’s helpful hand while climbing onto Madonna. His eyebrows shot upward, but she didn’t care. There were too many memories involved, such as the way he used to run his fingers up her calf or put an intimate hand on her bottom while boosting her into the saddle. Funny, she hadn’t thought about those times in years, and now she could hardly stop thinking about them.
The five of them started out slowly at first, then as Alex and DeeDee became more comfortable, they urged the horses into a faster pace.
Mmm. Kayla had forgotten how enjoyable riding could be. No motors. No roads. No traffic. Just moving through the early-August morning and becoming part of the landscape. Jackson rode beside her. If it wasn’t for the kids ahead of them, she could have almost time-warped back to her teenage days when they’d ridden out on the range to find secluded places for kisses and fondling.