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She stopped petting the horse and extended a hesitant hand toward the blue woven lead rope.

“I’m scared, Eli,” she said softly. “This is getting real now.”

On how many levels did that ring true? She could be talking about the horse, the whatever he and she were becoming, or even what it might mean if riding was yet another thing her injury would keep her from doing. All three scared the hell out of him too, but they had to push forward because he was so damned tired of being stuck.

“I’m here,” he assured her. “Every step of the way.”

Her fingers brushed his as she took hold of the lead and he let it go. A fleeting warmth passed through him but was gone as quickly as it came.

“Come on, girl,” Beth cooed softly to the mare, putting slight pressure on the lead.

Midnight still didn’t budge.

“Seriously?” Beth blew out an exasperated breath. “This was supposed to be our big moment,” she told the horse. “We were going to wow the cowboy over there who thinks we’re clueless…” She stage-whispered to the mare: “Spoiler alert…I am clueless. But come on, girl. Show me this thing going on between us isn’t all in my head, that we’re actually connecting here.” She pressed both hands to the sides of Midnight’s nose and kissed her right on top of it. “Now let’s go.” Beth spoke with an unexpected yet confident authority. “It’s a beautiful morning, and you’re missing it.”

She turned toward the opened stall door, applied pressure to the lead, and took a step forward past where Eli stood. Then another. And then one more.

Midnight followed. When Beth paused, the mare paused.

Holy shit.

Beth turned back toward Eli, her green eyes glistening with tears. Happy tears.

“Did I really do it?” she asked, voice breaking even as a smile bloomed across her face.

“You did it, Mighty.” He nodded, then tipped his cattleman before placing it back on his head.

He watched as she continued down the row of empty stalls until she passed Cirrus. The stallion merely stuck his nose over his own gate to sniff the mare, but he paid her no mind, and Midnight did the same, seemingly spellbound by the woman leading her out of the barn.

Eli knew the feeling. He stood frozen in place, waiting for that spell to wear off. He waited for the agony as his chest would tighten. He waited for his brain to kick into gear to remind him of all the things that could go wrong. He waited for the crippling fear.

None of it came. Instead, he felt himself following Beth and Midnight’s path, the anticipation building as a feeling he hadn’t expected snuck up and socked him right in the gut.

Joy.

When he made it out to the sunlit arena, the two women—one human, one equine—were slowly making a loop, Beth slowed by her cast and Midnight by her own healing leg.

The way Midnight followed without so much as a shake against her lead showed the animal was not only content but also trusting of the woman in front of her.

Eli leaned against the arena fence, arms crossed and hat tilted down over his eyebrows to block the glare of the sun. He could have stood there for hours watching them, Beth smiling from ear to ear in as much awe of herself as Eli was of her. But today he would play the part of teacher, though he was pretty sure Beth and Midnight might teach him a thing or two along the way.

“Can you believe what we just did?” Beth asked as she and Midnight finally approached. “I mean, I know we’re a little slow, but she let me lead her the whole way around. No questions asked. Me.” She pressed a palm to her chest with her free hand, the other still holding the lead.

Eli nodded, pushed himself off the fence, and picked up the grooming kit he’d set out earlier before checking on the baby chicks.

“Okay,” he began. “Lesson number one is grooming your horse.”

Beth’s expression faltered, but then her smile returned.

“Sure,” she said. “So, what? I, like, brush her and then hop on? Are you going to grab the saddle while I make her all pretty?”

Eli set the grooming kit down at the fence post next to where Beth and Midnight stood.

“May I?” he asked, gesturing for the lead.

Beth handed it over, suspicion in her narrow gaze.

Eli tied off the lead around the post and gave Midnight a quick rub between the eyes. Surprisingly, she nuzzled her nose against his palm, and for a second he forgot what he was going to say.