Chapter Twenty-Two

Saying goodbye to my best friend was almost as hard the second time as it was the first.

"Don't you let his cute face keep you from remembering where you belong. Do you hear me? I expect you in Cali within the month, Shelby."

She was walking in through the door of the airport, screaming all of this at the top of her lungs.

I shouted back, "I promise!", but wasn't sure she heard me before the automatic door closed behind her, but she already knew. I wasn't giving up on everything I had worked so hard for, and after the night before with Jase, I knew I didn't have to.

Later that day, I swung by my sister's to visit with her and the kids. Yeah, you know me better than that by now, I wanted to see Jase too.

First, I searched the house, hoping they had leftovers sitting out. When I didn't find any, I grabbed an apple and headed out to the barn. No one was there, either. Everyone's trucks were in the driveway so I knew they were out riding and the thought made my heart race. Having my boot still, I knew it wasn't the best idea, but the doctor didn't tell me I couldn't. No, I never asked, but seeing Nyah as I approached her stall and hearing her hoofs stomp the floor in excitement solidified my plan.

Lifting the latch, I entered, getting nudged immediately by her head.

"Hey, girl."

She nudged me again playfully, blowing air out her nostrils with the attempt to tell me how happy she was to see me. 

"You want to get out of here and have some fun?"

The second I took her halter in my hand, she knew. I think I was just as excited as she was if not more. 

Twenty minutes later, she was saddled and ready. It was strange mounting her using a fence to step on, but I didn't want to bear to much weight on my foot, and getting on from the other side meant I had to swing the weight of the boot. I didn't have that much faith in keeping my balance doing it that way.

Once I was solid in my seating, it was as if I was home again. I lifted the reins and there was no need to kick her—she was off and I was in pure bliss. Running through the open fields with the mountain peaks off in the distance while my hair flew in the wind took every thought away.

We ran for miles, through tree lines, coming out into another open range. It was probably twenty minutes or so before I saw Nyah's ears perk and I knew she heard them. 

"Let's go find them, girl."

As we rode, the sounds of laughter finally hit my ears as well. A few minutes later, we rounded a bend and there they were.

"Shelby McCormick! What were you thinking getting on her? Have you lost your mind?"

Arianna kicked her horse and started closing the space between us. I knew I was going to need a good reason, but I didn't have one. I just missed being able to ride. 

"Seriously, Shelby, why?"

Looking behind her, I only saw Canyon and Amelia. Where Gabriel was became apparent when he and Jase came racing over the bend. They were neck and neck until Jase pulled up abruptly bringing his horse to a stop. Gabriel kept his nose in the race and laughed at the top of his lungs, goading Jase that he had lost. Jase was no longer paying attention. His focus was dead set on me.

"Answer me! This had to be the dumbest thing you have done since you—"

I turned my attention back to my sister and cut her off. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to fix your foot if you happen to fall again!"

I heard the stomping of the ground as Jase rode quickly to my side, but the anger I expected to see wasn't there. Instead, he wore a smile that warmed my heart. 

"Hey, beautiful, it's good to see you riding again."

"Jase Jergensmeyer! Don't you egg her on like this idea is anything but a stupid one!"

Jase looked like he had been slapped. I'm not sure Arianna had ever yelled at him before. Luckily, Canyon came to the rescue when he called out to his wife, "Darlin', I don't see any harm in her getting out for a little bit. She's not a child anymore, and she knows how to handle Nyah better than anyone."

Arianna was still fuming, and when she looked at Canyon he knew it, too.

"Whew there, little lady. I didn't mean to cause any problems."

His hands went into the air in surrender which caused my sister to openly laugh.

"Holy crap these hormones are out of control. I think I'm the one who needs to apologize." She turned to me looking almost defeated. "I am so sorry, hun. This is stupid. Go, have fun. I'm sure you'll be fine, but just in case, Jase, I want you to stay with her. She doesn't need to be alone."

His eyes lit up. "It would be my pleasure, ma'am."

"Oh, don't you start with the ma’am crap. I'm not that old yet."

Canyon kicked his horse and came up on the other side of Arianna. "I think you could use some food. Let's go back, and I'll make you some lunch."

She rubbed her belly before she said, "I think you might be right. I hate how crabby I get when I need to eat."

"You can be crabby, Momma. It's okay. We know it's just the baby making you mean."

Amelia spoke and Arianna teared up, reaching out her hand to her only daughter. "This baby does nothing but bring love to this family, honey. Mommy just needs to eat is all. It's not his fault."

Gabriel pouted, "Does that mean I have to go back too? Jase and I were having fun."

Canyon looked at the both of us and then back at his son.

"You need to get some lunch. We can come back out later."

"Aww! I'm not hungry."

I was just about to tell Canyon he was fine to stay with us when Jase said, "I promise we will race again later after I finish the workouts."

"You won't have time if you and Aunt Shelby aren't going to be back for a while."

"How about I work out the horses so Jase can get that race in later?"

I am pretty sure Jase and I wore the same expression. Score!

"Thank you, Canyon!" I let out with the biggest smile ever. 

"Yeah, thanks, man. I will owe you one." Jase looked just as happy to get the break we both longed for.

"It's no problem. You guys go have fun."

Canyon kicked his horse, and Gabriel followed, but Arianna stayed back long enough to say, "Be careful!", before she rode off to meet up with her family. 

I turned back to Jase and taunted him, "You like racing, huh?"

"Oh, shit! What did I get myself into?"

"You're about to find out."

He and I had the best time running through the fields, and I was given the opportunity to show him parts of the property he never knew existed. My favorite place was one I found when I was seventeen. It was toward the back of the plot overlooking a large river. As we entered the clearing, I made sure to turn and watch his expression as he took it all in piece by piece. We were easily three hundred yards higher than the valley below but my favorite part was watching the water crash into the boulder rocks as it rushed downstream. Jase was stunned silent. 

"Welcome to paradise."

He climbed off his horse and walked to a tree to tie him off before making his way to the cliffs edge. I sat on Nyah taking in him experiencing it all for the first time wearing a smile I couldn't contain. When he glanced over his shoulder at me it was beautiful. The hard lines of his face captured perfectly in front of the best background the earth could offer. If only I had a camera, but I will never let that moment fade from my memory. 

I began to slide off of Nyah when he rushed to my side unexpectedly. 

"Let me help yout babe. Landing on your foot isn't the best idea."

He held my waist until I was almost to the ground and then he surprised me by scooping me up into his arms and spinning me around, bringing on a slight panic attack being so close to the edge. My scream must have been the giveaway when he set me down and rested his hands around my neck before he gazed into my eyes and said, "I will never hurt you." And in that moment, I knew I would never have to question him on that.

"I believe you." 

When I felt him pull his hands away, I missed them immediately. He turned and took Nyah's reins and walked her over to the tree line to tie her off as well. When he came back to me, I knew that look in his eye, and I had been longing since the night before to see it again.

"You are mind-blowingly perfect."

"You keep talking like that you're going to give me a big head."

"The way I look at it, you will never know how I see you, so I will tell you every chance I get for as long as I can."

I knew it hadn't been long since I'd gotten back for us to be as close as we were getting, but my heart argued with my mind because it was telling me something that was hard to grasp. I was falling in love with the one man I never even thought I could like.

"I know how you feel, Red, and the scared look on your face because you just realized it, makes me being here in this moment all the better. Unfortunately, I had to do it alone too many years ago."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

"It's a guess, but that look in your eyes, it's like a tunnel back to the day I knew you would be the only woman to ever make me feel everything."

Chills ran over my body with how accurately he could read me.

"What do you mean everything?  And how back then, if what you're saying is true, could you have loved me when we hated each other?" 

"Because feeling that strongly for anyone means in every way. Loving, hating, it's all the same. Not just anyone can get that close."

"I want to be that close to you."

He moved to me as if answering my call before I made it.

"Jase."

His name slid off my lips simultaneously with him bringing his to meet mine. As I got lost in him, I somewhat remembered him leading me backward until the hard, rock-covered ground under my feet became soft. He dropped his arm to the bend of my back and I allowed myself to let go, softly being placed on the grass with Jase coming down over me. What started out as us melting into each other became something completely different, only to be described as eagerness as we fed off each other and ignited a fire that burned so deeply until there was nothing left but smoldering ash.