Page 6

KYLE

I stepped inside the first barn and immediately slumped against the wall outside Gavin’s office, rubbing at my chest. My heart continued to pound its unsteady rhythm that started the second I saw Chloe. I’d been afraid she could hear it the entire time I was with her.

Chloe . Even thinking her name caused butterflies to erupt in my stomach. I had no idea I’d react so strongly to the gorgeous blonde, the same woman Hunter had been talking about for months.

Seeing her for the first time was like a bolt of lightning, electrifying my every nerve-ending. My senses went haywire. Sounds were louder, scents were stronger, and I went weak in the knees just by catching a glimpse of her.

It was a good thing she needed help with the saddle; it created the perfect distraction and reason to speak with her. Otherwise, I was pretty sure she would’ve found me standing in the doorway staring, which was not the impression I was going for.

Thankfully, I’d remembered some of Hunter’s tips on talking to women. More than once, I thought I’d swallowed my tongue. I just hoped she didn’t notice. Even now, I couldn’t shake the anxiety that gnawed at me as I wondered if I completely ruined everything with our first interaction.

Hunter and I had agreed that one day we would share a woman. We hadn’t been best friends growing up or brothers like a lot of the other couples on the ranch. We joined the team at different times but grew close. Honestly, it had been quite intimidating with the other cowboys here. I didn’t feel like I fit in. Thomas had taken me under his wing and entrusted me with his favorite horse. Hunter and I bonded over horses and being on the team together, and we looked up to Thomas and Declan. Their Cosland ways may not have been conventional in the States, but we believed wholeheartedly in their custom that women came first and should be the center of our worlds.

Except… Matt had also found her. And that made things complicated.

I knocked my head against the wall over and over. The thumping calmed my nerves, but I groaned as I replayed the meeting in my head. Why couldn’t I have been smoother? Did she think I was weird? Should I have talked more? Asked her more questions about herself?

I hated second-guessing everything.

“What’s eating you?” a deep voice rumbled nearby.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Gavin had popped out of his office and leaned against the doorframe. My location wasn’t exactly the best for a meltdown, but I didn’t have many places to go. Plus, I’d been headed here in the first place when I decided to walk through the second barn. Blake was expecting me. We were going to go over my performance at the show and create a plan for what to focus on during training.

“I met Chloe.” No use hiding the truth. Everyone around here knew.

“Chloe?” Gavin’s eyebrows knitted together before rocketing up his forehead. “Oh, Chloe.”

“Yep.” I let the p pop at the end.

“How did it go?” Gavin asked, crossing his arms. I knocked my head against the wall a few more times, and Gavin chuckled. “It couldn’t have been that bad. What happened?”

I went over our encounter, and I could see Gavin’s mouth twitching as he fought not to smile. “It’s not funny.”

“Kyle, what part of that did you think was bad?”

I shrugged. “I’m not good around women like Hunter is. Plus, she’s gorgeous. Way out of my league.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself. I’ll agree she’s out of your league, but that’s for her to decide. I’ve seen the guys she used to date. I would much rather you being with her than them. That’s including Hunter.”

I felt my eyebrows brush against my too long hair. “Really?”

“Really.” He clamped his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about being smooth. It’s overrated. Also, don’t try to be like Hunter. Just be yourself. If a relationship like ours is going to work, you each have to bring someone different to the table. She doesn’t need two of the same. Think about the twins. Their appearance may be the same, but they have two completely different personalities.”

I nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Don’t let anyone know I said this, but you are way more sensitive and caring than most of these guys around here.”

I groaned.

“It’s a good thing. Especially if what I heard was right and Matt and Hunter are clashing. She’s going to need someone like you. Someone she can talk to. Use it to your advantage.”

“Thanks. I needed that.”

“Now, I hope it goes without saying, but if you break her heart, I’ll break your legs. She’s family, and you don’t get to mess with my family.” His hand squeezed my shoulder.

It didn’t hurt, but I winced, thinking about any possible future pain. “Got it.”

Retreating to his office, Gavin left me in the aisle to my thoughts. Zeus poked his head out of his stall and nickered. It wasn’t that long ago that his owner, Liam, met his woman, Abbey.

Just then, the door to the barn burst open, and Hunter stepped through. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he spotted me. I gave my head one last tap on the wall before pushing off. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this conversation.

“What’s with the face?” Hunter nodded as I stepped forward.

I took a deep breath. “I just met Chloe.”

Hunter’s face lit up. Of course he was excited. He wanted things to work out, but how did I tell him I didn’t think it was love at first sight for her like it was with them?

“How did it go?”

“About as good as I could expect. It was brief, but I got to meet her.”

“What do you think of her? Isn’t she fantastic? And beautiful? And sweet? And funny?” he asked, a silly grin spreading across his face. I’d never seen him like this.

“She is gorgeous, but it was a short conversation. I helped her with the saddle, and that was it. I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

“Well, at least the introduction is done. She’s meeting us for dinner tonight in the dining hall.”

“What?” That was news to me.

“We’re getting together for dinner, so she can meet you. She needs to know you and fall for you so we can have her as our woman.” His hand slapped my shoulder, then he turned and walked to the tack room.

“I worry about you sometimes.” I watched him walk away. Hunter’s optimism was a force of its own. Did he really think it would be that easy?

“I need you to have more confidence. She is going to love you,” he called over his shoulder.

“Confidence. Right,” I mumbled and followed him into the tack room, watching as he grabbed his grooming kit. His meeting with Blake was after mine, so he had time to work with Atlas. Sapphire was going to have to wait until after my appointment.

“Did you say that Chloe was going for a ride?” he asked as he entered Atlas’s stall.

“Yes. She was going with some of the other guys.”

“Maybe we can take her for a ride sometime. Show her some of the nicer spots.”

“Maybe.” I let myself into Sapphire’s stall and opened the turnout door. She nudged my back and followed me into the turnout area. I’d let her get some air while she waited for me.

The dapple-gray mare called out, and I looked over to see Chloe headed my way on Bear. I shielded my eyes as I watched her. She was poised in the saddle like she was born to ride.

Sapphire called out again, and this time the other horses answered, drawing Chloe’s attention to me. Shit . I squirmed in place and forced a very likely awkward smile.

“Thanks again, Kyle.” Chloe waved as she made her way past me and down the drive with Matt, Ryder, and Jason.

“Have a good ride,” I called back.

She smiled at me, and my heart did a little flip. Her curls caught in the breeze and the sun made her hair shine. I watched as she disappeared around the corner and into one of the paddocks.

“Kyle, you ready?” Blake called from inside the barn. I turned to see her and Hunter staring at me.

“Coming.” I pushed off the railing and made my way inside.

An hour later, Blake and I had reviewed every detail about the event and had a game plan for training over the next couple of weeks. The next show was after the wedding, and we needed to be at the top of our game.

“I’m going to put Sapphire out in the pasture for some fun time. You want me to grab Atlas too?” I asked Hunter as I exited Gavin’s office. He let us use it for our meetings every now and then. It wasn’t like Blake needed a full-time office when she was usually out in the arena all day.

“Sure. I’ll meet you after I finish.”

I led the mare and gelding to one of the pastures to turn them loose. Atlas took off like a rocket as soon as he was free, but Sapphire nudged me in the arm, wanting praise before she trotted off to join the other horses. It was almost mesmerizing watching the horses in the field. Prancing around, hopping without a care in the world. It wasn’t long before I heard the heavy steps of Hunter joining me.

“You ready for dinner tonight?” He leaned against the railing I was perched on.

“Define ready.”

“Just be yourself. She’ll love you. You even me out, other half.”

“I don’t want to mess this up. For me or for you. I know how much you want this to work out. You basically fell in love the second you met her.”

“Let’s get through dinner, and you can tell me how you feel after that.”

“Deal. What are you doing until then?”

“I need to order a few things for Atlas, so I was going to head to the room and relax. Atlas snagged his bonnet on something at the show and it’s ruined. You?”

“Deep clean on my tack.” I sighed. It wasn’t my favorite thing, but it needed to be done.

“Ugh. Why do you talk me into doing the things I don’t want to do?”

“I didn’t talk you into anything,” I laughed, hopping from the fence. “Let’s clean first, and then I’ll help you pick out a better bonnet. Maybe one that’s a nicer color.”

Hunter flipped me off, smiling as we made our way to the barn. My stomach twisted as my mind drifted to dinner. I really wanted Chloe to like me. I was thankful that the chore of cleaning tack was one that kept me busy and focused.

And hopefully it would distract me enough that my nerves didn’t eat me alive.