“Jesus, Gus, you’re going to unman me here pairi
ng me with all these princess-named horses. Isn’t there a Blade or a Goliath somewhere in this huge stable?”
Gus laughed. “Hey, you earn who you ride. I see you get some real horse riding skill back and a few worn spots in your fancy jeans and I’ll set you up with Pharaoh over there.” I glanced to my left where a beautiful Arabian horse stood being brushed by one of the groomers.
“You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Gus nodded, looking pleased. “Okay then.”
A few minutes later, Sugar Cube was saddled and I was riding into the yard where I spotted Isabelle taking a horse through one of the training courses. I fell in behind her, Sugar Cube trotting easily as she followed the turns and curves of the setup. I was itching to fly over the hurdles like I used to do, but I didn’t, taking Sugar Cube around the jumps, not willing to risk injuring her given I was so rusty.
Isabelle glanced behind her, spotting me. She tossed a smile over her shoulder before she sped up, increasing the distance between us. I clicked my heels against Sugar Cube’s belly, attempting to catch her. She looked back again and laughed, her braid streaming behind her, the pieces that had come loose falling wildly around her face. My heart slammed against my chest, the feeling made even more intense by the notion that I was pursuing her. The wild thrill of it surprised me, the primal response causing my blood to heat. I laughed, nudging Sugar Cube faster.
After a couple of runs around the course, Isabelle’s horse slowed and she came to a stop at the corner of the pen, smiling as I joined her. “Not bad,” she said. “For a buttoned-up blowhard.”
I laughed. “Not bad yourself.” For a moment we just smiled at each other, our horses shifting beneath us, the air growing heavy. Thick.
Isabelle finally broke eye contact. “I should get back. I’ve got some work to do before it’s time to pick up your father.”
“Okay.” I tilted my head, looking out to the pasture. “Can I show you something, first? It’s only about fifteen minutes away.”
Isabelle glanced in the direction I’d been looking. “I’ve been all over this land. What can you possibly have to show me?”
I squinted toward the place I had in mind again and then back at her. “No one knows the nooks and crannies of a place like an adventurous little boy. I’ve still got a few secrets I bet you don’t know about, Isabelle Farris.”
She paused for a heartbeat but then laughed. “All right. Show me what you’ve got.”
An excited sort of pride ran through me, and I gave her a lift of my chin, turning Sugar Cube and heading for the gate. I heard the hoofbeats of her horse as she followed me out of the pen and into the wide open pasture, and then we both picked up speed as we rode over slopes, down into valleys, the smells of grass and clover and the cleanest air I’d ever smelled filling my lungs.
When I caught sight of a copse of trees up ahead, I slowed down, coming to a standstill next to a tall cypress.
Isabelle stopped next to me, her hair more windblown, her cheeks flushed pink with exertion, her eyes bright with something that looked like happiness, though I wasn’t sure I knew her well enough to know. For a moment I forgot why we were there, completely captivated by her natural, untamed beauty. Longing rose inside me that I was completely unprepared for. I wanted to know her. Wanted to know the nuances of her expressions, the particular gestures that were hers and hers alone.
The sunlight filtered through the trees, moving shadows highlighting her pretty features one by one. God, she was stunning. She raised a brow, breaking whatever momentary spell I’d been under. “I’ve actually seen these trees before. They’re . . . sort of hard to miss.”
I laughed, dismounting and tying Sugar Cube’s reins loosely around a nearby tree. Isabelle did the same, joining me. “You think this is all I’ve got? Come on.” I grabbed her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. Her skin was warm and smooth, lightly calloused along her palms where she regularly gripped reins, those small, gentle hands bringing mighty creatures to bay. God, when was the last time I’d held a girl’s hand like this? I pulled her with me and we ran as she laughed and again I felt that crazy, thrilling sense of déjà vu.
I know you, Isabelle. Don’t I?
When we stopped, she glanced at me, her lips parted, eyes full of surprise, and I had the sudden crazy need to kiss her, to taste that sweet-looking mouth, to press her against a tree and enter her body—even if only my tongue. But I wanted more. Much more. I didn’t want to do it slowly. No practiced moves, or the skilled choreography sex had become for me. I wanted it quick and mindless, just to follow the dictates of my lust-filled body, because there was really no other choice. As wild and free—natural—as this land I’d once called home. It would be that way with her, wouldn’t it? Somehow I knew it would be, and something about that both fascinated me and brought forth a numbing terror. I let go of her hand, moving ahead. “This way.”
I walked beyond the outer trees where a smaller grouping of trees grew inside, a congregation of age-old sentinels guarding what had once been my sanctuary, my hideout and my own secret place in the big, wide world. An unchanging refuge formed by some ancient magic that would cause it to disappear if I showed it to the wrong person. I’d believed that once. Maybe a part of me still did. So why was I showing it to Isabelle? Why had I chosen to bring her here?
The trees and brush were close together so to find an opening, I had to push the branches aside, holding it as Isabelle followed me cautiously inside. When I let go of the branches, she sucked in a small, audible breath, her eyes wide as she looked around.
“Cool, right?” It was just as I remembered. The trees and brush formed an almost perfect circle, enclosing the empty space, the tops of the branches not quite meeting at the top. A fragment of silvery blue sky glowed brightly from above, a shaft of light illuminating the space. It was . . . almost unreal, an enchanted shelter. Strangely, my mind hadn’t wandered here for years and years. A lifetime it seemed. My heart sped as I watched Isabelle looking around, waiting for her reaction.
“It’s”—she turned her head, our eyes meeting, the look in hers, reverent—“magic.”
You’re magic. My breath came out on a loud exhale. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Mm,” she hummed, moving away from me, exploring the space. “You used to come here when you were a kid?”
I nodded but then realized she was looking away. I cleared my throat, feeling an unexpected vulnerability at sharing this space with anyone. I suddenly felt as if doing so was telling her things about me I hadn’t necessarily intended on revealing. As if I’d not only led her through a break in the trees, but I’d led her through a break in my soul. And now she was wandering around, her gaze lighting on all the particulars. Tread softly. “Yeah, this was my spot when I was a boy.”
Isabelle’s gaze lingered on me for a second before she looked away, her fingers trailing along the rough bark of a tree trunk. “What’d you do in here, Brant?”
I looked at the small portion of sky, my lips tipping into a smile. “I used to play pretend . . . all sorts of things.”