Talia nodded in thought, then peered up at him. “Gotcha. Makes sense, and suddenly, I don’t hate this with quite the same passion.”
Caleb gave her a surprised look. “Seriously?”
“It still sucks,” Talia assured him without hesitation. “Not my preferred hobby of choice, but it doesn’t seem like a hazing ritual now.”
“You thought a retreat for broken hearts based out of a ranch would engage in hazing?” he asked flatly, expression unreadable.
Talia had known the man for all of three hours, but she took a chance. “Yep.”
Caleb stared, then he snorted a soft laugh, his face erupting into a smile. “Yeah, you’re right, we do. It’s not this, though, and we only do it to the ones who are in a good head space. We’re not messing anyone up. Usually, it happens before you go home, though, not new arrivals. I think Jessica leaves next week, and she’s doing good. Once I get the OK from the boss, we’ll set her up. You’ll see.”
“Jessica is the one with the dark, curly hair?” Talia asked, twirling her finger in an imitation of the tight curls on the woman in question. “Fantastic green eyes? Dimple?”
“Think so,” came the unconcerned reply. “When I see her, the hair is pulled back, and she’s mad at me for giving her a bad chore. But she always gets it done, and gets it done well.”
Talia smiled at the praise, which was probably the best it got from this hardworking rancher. “What’s the hazing ritual? Something traditional?”
“Nope, varies from person to person and depending on the season.” Caleb chuckled as he rested his wrists on his saddle horn. “Boy, I can’t wait to see what we cook up for you, Talia.”
“Good headspace, remember?” She pointed a finger at him, then shook it. “Not yet. Still broken, okay?”
His smile turned surprisingly gentle. “Hey, I know. But I got you smiling, didn’t I?”
He had a point there.
“Come on, I’ll give you a ride back to the homestead.” He held out a hand to help her up.
Talia blinked at it. “Uh, what about the field?”
“My kid loves clearing rocks,” Caleb assured her, “and my wife just texted me that he’s driving her up the wall, so they’ll be out here within the hour. Come on.”
She looked at the horse uncertainly. “That’s not a banana bike, Caleb. No second seat. How’s that supposed to work?”
“Simple. You get on, and we ride.” He shrugged, his hand steady. “I’m driving, you just have to hold on. Now hurry up, or I’m going to lose feeling in my hand.”
“I cannot believe I’m doing this …” Talia muttered, setting down her bucket and closing the distance between them to take his hand. “Okay, so on the count of three or …?”
Before she could finish the thought, the burly man had pulled her up and had her straddling the saddle just behind of him. “Right, ever ridden a horse before?”
Still out of breath, Talia shook her head. “Not even once.”
“Great. Just don’t scream. They hate that.” He clicked his tongue, and the horse moved beneath them, starting toward the gate of the pasture.
Her nerves faded fairly quickly, the skill of Caleb matching perfectly with the nature of the horse, and while they weren’t doing a wild gallop like she saw in the movies, they moved pretty fast. The wind blew across her face with a refreshing edge that was exhilarating, and she wondered what it would feel like to be on the horse alone, to feel the power of the animal she rode propelling her forward to whatever destination she had in mind, or to no destination in particular. To feel the complete freedom of the ride, fully embracing the wide-open land and sky. To let her mind be wiped clear of what bogged it down in the place she left behind …
This was magical.
She exhaled roughly, trying to find thought in the midst of her epiphany. “So it doesn’t bother the horse to have double the weight?” she asked Caleb over the sound of hooves.
“You think you double me?” She could feel him laugh more than hear it. “You’re a lightweight, Talia, so no, it doesn’t bother him.”
She hadn’t thought of that, and it made her laugh when she did think about it. What was more, she could learn how to ride while she was here, and maybe by the end of her time, she would be able to take rides to clear her head and find herself.
Would Kellie take that as a goal she wanted to get out of her time here?
Caleb reined the horse in when they reached the barn, the homestead house within easy walking distance. “You good from here?”
“Yep,” Talia answered, eyeing the ground and the distance it was from her position in the saddle. “Now if I could figure out getting down without breaking something …”
“Here, I’ve got it.”
She glanced up to see Ryan coming toward them, black T-shirt tucked into his jeans, well-worn cowboy hat atop his head, stripping off work gloves. “Where did you come from?”
He grinned up at her, shoving his gloves in a back pocket of his jeans. “Texas, ma’am.”
Caleb groaned behind her. “You sure you want to get off here, Miss Talia?”
Ryan ignored him and held up his hands, his fingers beckoning. “Come on. Easy peasy.”
Talia looked at his hands uncertainly. “Am I supposed to take your hands or …?”
Ryan laughed, the sound somehow holding the same soft twang his voice had. “Here, I’ll come closer. Put your hands on my shoulders, okay?”
“Okay …” She leaned over and did so, her hands flexing against the surprising amount of muscle there, considering how trim he was.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice low and warm, rippling down her spine despite the heat of the day.
She nodded, more out of instinct than answer.
Ryan’s hands went to the tops of her hips, his fingers hooking into her belt loops. Before she could even register that sensation, he had lifted her off the horse and settled her safely on the ground, giving her the same feeling of breathless exhilaration she’d had riding moments before.
“Oof,” she muttered as she tried to find the ability to swallow.
“What?” he said at once, stooping to look her over. “You okay?”
Talia hastily nodded, jitters suddenly running up and down her arms and legs. “Yep. Totally great. First time on a horse.”
Ryan made a clicking noise in his cheek. “Yeah, that’s a doozy. It gets easier.”
“Great.” She pinched the fabric of his shirt between her fingers, finally swallowing, then froze, realizing her hands still sat on his shoulders. She tugged them away and backed up two steps, hitting Caleb’s horse as she did so. “Sorry. Awkward.”
“Yeah, he is, but he’ll grow out of it,” Caleb chuckled above her. “I’m heading out to the west pasture to check the new fence. You good, boss?”
“Yep,” Ryan answered, tapping the bridge of his hat, his eyes still on Talia.
She twisted her lips, the toe of her left foot digging in the dirt. “Good morning.”
“Hey.” He grinned quickly. “Practically afternoon now, isn’t it? I’ve been up since five.”