The next morning, they sat out on the deck watching the sun rise over the water. Chance was surprised how well he’d slept. He’d thought he might toss and turn all night, thinking about Chloe, but he hadn’t. He hadn’t really thought about her much at all since they arrived. He was more concerned with making sure that Hope enjoyed herself, that she was okay. It seemed he’d been right when he said he needed to let go of the pain. He’d clung to it all these years, but now he had happiness and he wanted to cling to that instead.

Hope sipped her coffee and smiled over at him. “What are you thinking?”

“That I want to hold on to Hope.”

“Aww, and I want to grab hold of my Chance with both hands and never let go.”

He chuckled. “Do think after a couple of years we’ll finally give up on all the word plays?”

“I hope not.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Don’t look so grumpy, Chancey bear.” That made him laugh in spite of himself. “What do you want to do today?”

He met her gaze. “I want to go see Renée, and I want to go to the cemetery. What I don’t want to do is leave you by yourself.”

“I’m a big girl, and I’m looking forward to a bit of time to myself. I want to get to know this place on my own terms, not just see it through your eyes.”

“Okay, how do you want to work it, then?”

She shrugged. “Do you want to go do your thing and call me when you’re ready to meet back here or somewhere else?”

“I can do, but do you want to do something together first? It’ll only take me a couple of hours, and I figured, if you’re going to have lunch with Miss, then I’ll go and see Renée about then.”

“Okay. How would you feel about going for a ride?”

He smirked. “Any time.”

She wagged her finger at him. “Not that kind of ride. I mean horseback riding. I was looking through the literature on the coffee table and there’s a riding stables that’s part of the resort.”

Chance nodded. “That’s Lily. She’s another one I went to school with.”

“Wow, they’re not joking when they say everyone knows everyone in a small town, are they?”

“Nope, they’re deadly serious. You can see why I couldn’t stay.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No, I was just thinking how idyllic life in a town like this must be, but it isn’t really, is it? I was thinking that it’d be nice to live in a place where the press doesn’t ever come. But even though there aren’t reporters around every corner, everyone still gets to know your story and the details of your life.”

“Yeah. The small-town grapevine might not reach as many people as the newspapers do, but it’s maybe even more intrusive, because the people it does reach are the ones you run into every day.”

Hope smiled brightly. “It doesn’t matter though, does it? We don’t live here, we’re just visiting.”

“We are.” He smiled back. “And there’s no press here and the people who know our business are all happy for us. So, come on, let’s take a walk up to the barn and see if Lily’s around. She might be busy with it being Saturday morning, but maybe she’ll have a couple of horses to spare and let us take them out.”

~ ~ ~

Hope smiled as they walked up the leafy lane that led to the riding stables. “I love this place.”

“Me too. Lily’s got a great setup here. I think you’ll like her.” He pursed his lips. “In fact, I think the two of you might find you have a lot in common. She comes from money. Not as much as you, but her family is very well-off. They lived here through her high school years, but then they moved back to Southern California somewhere. Malibu, I think. She went with them and tried to fit in to that world, but she hated it. She decided she’d rather do what she loved in a place she loves, so she came back here and set up the stables.”

Hope smiled. “Now I really can’t wait to meet her.”

When they reached the big barn, Hope looked around, taking everything in. The place was well cared for and busy. It had the air of a successful happy place, and she had a feeling that was the result of Lily being successful and happy in what she was doing.

“Chance!” They both turned to see a petite, dark-haired woman standing in the doorway of a camper parked off to one side under the trees.

Chance grinned and went to greet her. “Hey, Lil. How’s it going?”

“It’s going great, Chance. Things couldn’t be better.” She smiled at Hope. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been so excited to meet you.”

Hope smiled back. “Don’t be sorry. I feel the same way about you. Chance told me how you left the SoCal life to come back here and do what you love. I’m impressed. I’m trying to make the same kind of move myself.”

Lily’s eyes lit up. “You’re going to move to Montana?”

“I already have.”

Lily hugged herself and did a little dance. “Oh, that’s awesome, guys! I’m so happy for you.”

Chance chuckled and nodded. “Thanks, Lil.”

She nodded, looking at little embarrassed. “Sorry, you’ll have to forgive my enthusiasm. It’s just I, well, we all love this guy,” she told Hope. “It’s been so hard to know he was unhappy all these years.” She shrugged. “So, to know that you’re happy now,” she nodded at Chance, “it’s just awesome. Anyway, how about I stop embarrassing us all? Are you here to ride?”

Chance shrugged. “We’d like to, if you can fit us in? I wanted to come see you and introduce you to Hope, but yeah, we’d love to ride out, if it’s possible.”

Lily nodded and beckoned for them to come into the camper with her. “Of course. We’ll figure something out. We’re busy with weekend lessons, but it’s mostly kids, so some of the bigger horses are free. I just need to check who’s available. “I’m teaching a class in half an hour, so I can’t take you out, but it’s not as if you need me, is it?”

Chance shook his head. “Not if you’re cool with turning us loose.”

Lily laughed. “Not a problem at all. I know you’re more capable of taking care of Hope and the horses than anyone else—even me. And I’m sure you’d rather go by yourselves.” She ran her finger down the page of a big diary on the desk, then looked up at Hope. “How much riding have you done?”

“Some. I grew up riding, but it’s been a while.”

Chance nodded. “She’s good enough in the saddle.”

“Okay.” Lily looked back at the list. “I know exactly who I can put you on, Chance. Archie, he’s new around here and he’s a bit of a handful, but only because he’s young and willful. I’d love for you to take him out and let me know what you think.”

Chance smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

“And for you, Hope, I’m not sure. We have Bessie, who will take very good care of you, but is very steady.”

Chance chuckled. “You mean a plod along?”

Lily smiled. “Yes. She’s a great teacher, but it won’t be a thrill ride. Or we have another mare who’s a real sweetie. She’s sweet and kind, but she runs like the wind.”

Hope looked at Chance. She liked the sound of that, but wanted to know what he thought.

“Is she easy enough to stop?”

“Absolutely,” said Lily. “I wouldn’t offer her if she had any vices. She’s great, as long as you can handle a good gallop?”

Hope nodded. “I think I can, but I’ll defer to the master. What do you think?”

Chance nodded. “You’ll probably enjoy yourself more than you would with a plod along.”

“Okay,” said Lily. “Faith it is.”

Hope raised an eyebrow, not understanding. “Excuse me?”

“That’s her name, Faith.”

Chance groaned. “Seriously?”

Hope laughed. “I guess I’ll just have to call you, love.”

Chance shook his head with a sigh and looked at Lily. “Can you imagine what it’s like to be called Chance and Hope?”

“I think it’s awesome. It’s like you were meant to be. And now you have Faith as well.”

“Yeah, yeah, all right.”

Hope liked Lily. She worked quickly and efficiently, and the stables seemed to run like clockwork. There were two lessons going on, and Lily glanced over occasionally to check on them. It seemed that all the kids were having fun and the instructors were great. It wasn’t long before Archie and Faith were standing in the yard, saddled up and ready to go.

Lily checked her watch. “I’m going to have to get ready for my lesson in a minute. Are you good with everything?” she asked Chance. “Do you remember the trails? Have any questions for me?”

“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s all good. I’ll take care of Faith, Hope, and Archie,” he said with a rueful smile.

Lily laughed. “Okay then. Just one more thing. Get your phone out and save my number. You can call me if you need anything.”

Once that was done, she stood back and smiled at Hope. “Have fun out there. You’ve got the best trail leader and probably the best horse.”

Hope smiled back. “Thanks so much for this. When do you need us back?”

Lily shrugged. “Whenever you like. Two hours is the usual trail ride. You can follow the loop out by Jackson Creek, but it’s up to you. Just do me a favor and call if you’re going to be more than two hours so I don’t start worrying?”

“I’ll tell you now, we’ll be back in two hours, but we’re going to take the Hidden Valley trail.”

Lily smiled. “Of course, you are. I should have known. In that case I’ll see you around eleven-thirty.”

Hope stroked Faith’s neck as they set out following Chance and Archie up a narrow trail that led away from the barn and up into the hills. “It’s nice to meet you, Faith.” She spoke quietly to the horse and watched her ears flick back and forth to listen. “I’m Hope, and I’ll be the one up here trying not to interfere, too much, okay?”

Faith nodded her head as if she understood, and Hope chuckled to herself.

Chance turned in his saddle as Archie pranced ahead. “Are you two okay back there?”

“We’re great. We’re just getting to know each other.”

He smiled and turned back around as Archie lunged to one side. Hope knew she would have fallen off if Faith made a move like that, but Chance moved with Archie as if they were one. She could hear him talking, though she couldn’t make out the words, just a low comforting sound that seemed to calm Archie down.

The trail widened after a while, and Hope urged Faith forward so she could ride alongside Chance. He smiled at her. “How are you doing?”

She nodded. “Great. I like her, and I think she likes me.”

“How could she not?” he asked with a grin.

“How about you; is he okay?” Archie seemed like a handful to her, though Chance didn’t seem worried.

He nodded. “He’s a good kid, he’s just a youngster and he wants to play. Lily’s going to have her hands full if she wants to turn him into a riding school horse.”

“I like him, but I wish Hercules were here.”

Chance raised an eyebrow. “You do?”

“I do, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking that all morning. There was just something special about that guy.”

“You really liked him, didn’t you?”

“I did. I even thought about going back to get him, but it wouldn’t be right.”

“Why not?”

“He’s not a cow horse. He’s a fun horse. Most of my saddle time is work. I don’t get to ride just for fun. It wouldn’t be fair to him, he’s better off where he is.”

“I was kind of hoping that you might find time to ride for fun more now.”

His head jerked up and he met her gaze. “Shit! Of course. I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t gotten used to the fact that you’re there now. I’m not saying I don’t want to ride out with you. I just didn’t think.”

“That’s okay, I know.”

They rode on in silence. Chance looked thoughtful and she wondered if he was reconsidering about Hercules.

The trail opened into a wide meadow and Archie started to prance. “Do you want to let them go?”

Hope nodded. “I’m looking forward to finding out what Lily meant about her running like the wind.”

Chance pressed his lips together. “How about we find out what cantering in circles is like first?”

Hope laughed. “You don’t trust me in the saddle yet, do you?”

He shook his head. “It’s Faith I don’t trust.”

“Aww.” Hope patted her neck. “She’s a sweetheart.”

“She sure seems it, but when it comes to horses, trust needs to be earned, not just given. Let me watch you canter her around up there.” He pointed to a big, flat grassy area.

“Yes, boss.” She saluted him then trotted Faith away and put her through her paces. She was a great ride. She had a long floaty stride that made Hope feel like she was riding on air. She responded immediately to everything Hope asked of her.

“Okay, I’m a believer,” called Chance. “Just let me do a little work with this guy?”

He urged Archie forward and Hope watched what seemed to be a power struggle between them with Archie prancing and lunging and Chance keeping him under a tight rein. After a few minutes, Hope laughed when Archie seemed to accept who was in charge. He dropped his head and arched his neck and trotted forward. “Do you think that’s why he’s called Archie?”

Chance smiled. “Knowing Lily, it probably is.” He rode back to join her. “Okay, now we know what we’re dealing with, do you want to go up to the top of the meadow?”

Hope nodded eagerly. “Can we gallop?”

“Not this first time. I want to get a feel for the land. I don’t want to go tearing up there and have one of them loose their leg in a hole.”

“Okay.” She loved that he was cautious when it came to the horses. She didn’t think of him as a cautious man, but he certainly looked out for the horses—and for her. She wondered if he’d have just galloped on if she weren’t with him.

He urged Archie forward and Faith followed, catching Hope unaware. She shifted in the saddle and righted herself and asked Faith to slow. Hope relaxed when she did; she’d been a little concerned that she might not be able to stop her. Feeling more confident, she gave Faith her head and cantered on after Chance. She loved riding out with him and she loved even more that this was going to be a part of her life now. A part of their life.

When they rode back into the yard at the stables, Lily came out of the camper and greeted them with a smile. “How did it go?”

Chance nodded. “Great. This guy,” he slid down from Archie and patted his neck, “is going to turn out to be a fine horse, but I’m not sure he’s ever going to be a school horse.”

Lily nodded. “I had a feeling you might say that. He’s a sweetie, but I’ve been thinking it’d almost be a shame to keep him here. He’s not quite the right temperament, is he? I think he’d be bored in this life. I don’t suppose you’d have any use for him, would you?”

Chance shook his head sadly. “He’s not right for my kind of work.” He pursed his lips. “He could be, maybe. I dunno. Let me think about it?”

“Of course.”

“What about Faith?” asked Chance as Hope dismounted and rubbed the mare’s nose.

“What about her?” asked Lily.

“She’s one I could find a use for.”

Hope turned around to look at him. She hadn’t thought Faith was like the horses he used to work the herd. He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled.

Lily mulled it over. “I’d hate to lose her.”

“She’s a good un,” agreed Chance. “But we both know she’d be happier in Montana.”

Lily laughed. “That’s not fair. You’re going to ask me to sell her so she’ll be happier?”

Chance nodded. “Of course, I am. I drive a hard a bargain and appealing to your better nature isn’t going to hurt my bargaining power.”

Lily sighed. “Then I’ll say the same as you did. Let me think about it?”

“Sure.”

Hope rubbed Faith’s nose, hoping that Lily would say yes, and Faith would end up in Montana. She was a beautiful horse and Hope was already attached to her

“What are you two doing this afternoon?” asked Lily.

Hope’s heart sank. Chance had been relaxed and happy, but she sensed a change in him at the question. Would he tell Lily that he was going to the cemetery?

“We need to get going,” he said. “You can imagine how many people we have to catch up with.”

Lily smiled, seeming to sense that she shouldn’t have asked. “I’ll bet. Well, if I don’t see you before you leave, at least give me a call? Let me know what you’re thinking about Archie and Faith?”

“Sure, and thanks again, Lil.”

“Nate and I are going to the Boathouse tonight. Everyone’s meeting up. Do you think you might drop in?”

Chance nodded. “Maybe.”

“You, too.”