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He pulled her in close and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Do you think I’d let you get hurt? Trust me, Kat. I’ll be right there with you, holding you. I’ll make sure you’re safe.” He turned to Hope, whoneighed and nodded her big head, as if confirming his idea was a good one. “I want to take you someplace special, and horseback is the only way to get there.”

“But…” She trapped her lower lip between her teeth, looking so damn cute he had to press his hands to her cheeks and kiss her.

“I’ll make you a deal. If we get up on the horse and you’re too scared, we’ll end this part of our date and go into town.”

She hooked her finger into the waist of his jeans. “You really won’t let me fall?”

“Never.”

“What if Hope takes off running and you can’t stop her?” The worry in her eyes was palpable.

He gathered her in his arms. “That won’t happen. Hope knows how to take care of her riders, and I know how to take care of you. Trust me?”

She swallowed hard and nodded.

He slid his hand to the nape of her neck and gazed into her blue eyes. God, he loved her eyes, and the way her neck fit perfectly into the curve of his hand.

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Kat. You’re as strong as you are vulnerable. I want to do dirty things to you and protect you at the same time.”

“Your filter is slipping again.” A rosy blush colored her cheeks.

“Yeah, that tends to happen around you.” He led Hope out of the barn.

“Where are we going, anyway?” She petted Hope’s side, and he could see her fingers were trembling a little.

“Let me help you up, and then I’ll tell you.” He hoisted her onto the horse, and she held on to Hope’s neck for dear life. A low laugh escaped Eric’s lungs, earning him a scowl from Kat. “I’m not laughing at you. It was just a loud smile at how cute you are.”

He grabbed a leather backpack he’d packed earlier and shrugged it on, then mounted Hope behind Kat. “Normally I’d have you sit behind me, but I don’t want you to feel unsafe, and besides, this way I can put my arms around you.” He circled her waist with one arm and hugged her close, then pressed his lips to her cheek. “And you can learn how to manage the reins. Okay?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“You sound a little nervous.”

“Uh-huh. Go, before I change my mind.”

He laughed and showed her how to hold the reins. “Okay. Put your hands on either side lightly so you can feel how I do this. You’re lucky. Hope practically has the entire mountain memorized, so she’s the perfect host for your first lesson.”

Kat leaned her head back against his chest and slid her hands along his forearms. “You’re the perfect host for my first lesson.”

Eric’s heart swelled in his chest. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and reveled in how right the moment felt. How right Kat felt, pressed up against him, putting her faith in him to take care of her.

Rex had long ago cleared the trail so that Jade could ride without worrying about her horse running over felled trees or large rocks, and he’d installed solar lights along the path for evening rides.

“This trail runs all the way to the river,” Eric explained as they entered the forest. The last rays of sunlight peeked through the trees, illuminating the dirt trail.

“When the sun goes down, won’t Hope have a hard time seeing?”

“When it gets a little darker, the solar lights that Rex installed will come on.” He pointed out lights attached to the trees. “Safety first, remember?”

They rode up the mountain, serenaded by the sounds of the breeze rustling through the trees and skittering along the ground. Eric felt Kat’s body relax against him. He hated not being able to see her face, but he was learning to take his cues from her body language and from changes in her breathing.

“Feeling more at ease?”

“Yes, thank you. Hope is so gentle, and you make me feel safe.”

“Thank you. Hope is a doll. Hal bought her for his wife, Adriana, when she first got sick. He swears he can communicate with Adriana through the horse.” He had never understood how a man could love a woman so much that he refused to let her go, even after death, and he’d never been one to believe in love at first sight, but every minute he spent with Kat made him question those beliefs.

“Hal’s heart belongs to Adriana,” Kat said. “He probably sees her in everything and everyone he loves, don’t you think?”