Page 30 of Rancher’s Strength (Flying Diamond 5, #4)

Chapter Twenty-Five

LEXIE

“ A ll right, let’s head out,” Kipp yelled as he turned in his saddle to look back at everyone.

“Auntie Lexie, how often does this happen?” Ruby asked, leaning back against me.

Sawyer wanted to start the round-up with Ryder, while Ruby hoped to ride alongside Josie and Jake and Tayla’s daughters, Libby and Sky, on the ATV.

But riding on horseback held more appeal for her.

I promised Ruby she could ride with Josie anytime she wanted.

“Round-up only happens in the fall, when we bring the cows closer to feed through the winter. But we’ll have to trail some to spring pastures, so there’s always something happening,” I explained.

“Good, this is going to be fun.” I tightened my arm around her, hoping she was right. These days were long and often tense, but usually fun.

The Five rode side-by-side, nudging their horses as they made their way up the road. This round-up was officially underway.

Ruby chatted about everything we passed.

“Auntie Lex, did someone plant all these trees? Is that a lake? Can we go swimming there sometime? Wait, where’s Josie?

Oh, there she is.” Ruby waved to her friend.

“I want to ride with her now. Is that okay?” she asked.

I nodded, pulled on the reins to stop my horse, and dismounted before helping her down.

Wes stopped, and Ruby climbed in beside Josie after giving Gwen a hug.

Griff’s parents had tagged along for the day. They’d head back in the early afternoon, but we figured it would be easier on the kids to have somewhere for them to be other than the back of a horse. “Be good.”

“I will,” she giggled, and I headed back to Doc, who was patiently waiting to keep going. Settling myself in the saddle, I softly nudged his sides, and we were on our way again.

“Seriously, is there anything hotter than the Five leading the way?” Nora said as she rode up beside me, grinning like a lovestruck schoolgirl.

“They are something,” I laughed. To be honest, I was thinking the same thing.

“What’s so funny?” Elle asked, joining Nora and me.

The thing about this group—it wasn’t some organized trail ride.

In all the years I’d helped, we rarely rode in a line.

If someone wanted to let their horse run, they did, catching up later.

Today was going to be a long one, and conversations on horseback had always been one of my favorite parts.

“The Magnificent Five, up there. It’s hot,” Nora said, pointing ahead as she replied to Elle.

Elle burst out laughing, and for a second, I thought she might fall off her horse.

“Fallon, get up here!” she yelled over her shoulder.

Fallon rode up beside Elle, and just like that, she smiled. Not the forced kind either—the real thing. I hadn’t seen that in a while.

“Look at them, showing off, pretending they’re a posse. We need to show them how it’s done, I think.” Elle shifted her gaze between all of us.

“Go,” Fallon said, and we all kicked our horses into a run.

We were a good distance behind the guys, but they’d be able to hear us coming.

They all turned to watch us ride together, and we split apart as we got close to them.

Fallon and Elle went left, and Nora and I went right.

I caught Ryder’s eye and gave him a wink as I rode past.

Wind whipped through my hair, and I was glad I’d pushed my hat down low on my head before we moved, or Gwen would have had to pick it up on the way past. When we were around them, we formed a line again and slowed our horses.

The urge to turn and see what they were doing was strong, but none of us looked back; we just slowed and laughed with one another.

“You still ride better than I do, Lex,” Fallon laughed as she leaned ahead to look over at me.

We competed for years on the local rodeo circuit.

If it wasn’t her at the top of the leaderboard, it was me, but she had more passion to keep going.

Once I finished high school, I was done, and she continued because she was a few years younger than me.

“I highly doubt that. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden all out like that.” Hell, it’s been a long time since I rode, but I didn’t mention that.

“Lex, I owe you an apology,” Fallon said as she switched places with Elle and rode alongside me. “I had no right to say the things I did.” She held out her hand, and I took it. We didn’t stay like that long because the guys rode up behind us, and Ryder nudged his way between us.

“Everything good?” he asked quietly, and I nodded.

“Yeah, damn, Ryder, what did you think I was going to do? Pull her off her horse? Men are so dramatic,” she said, leaning forward and rolling her eyes.

“Are you going to have to work at the bar often?” Nora asked as we all shifted back to boys separated from the girls.

“I shouldn’t have to. I don’t love it, and Lydia respects that, so I’ll just help her out when she needs it.” I hated personal questions, but this one was an easy one.

“What about kids? Will you and Ryder have any of your own?” Elle asked.

She was so sweet, and from the tone of her voice, it was a completely innocent question.

Glancing over at Ryder, who was still behind me, I was sure he’d heard the question.

With a slight nod, which unless you were looking at him, you would have missed, he gave me the strength to answer her honestly.

“I can’t have kids. I’ve known it since I was sixteen.”

“Oh, Lexie, I’m sorry. I’m such an ass for even asking.” Her brows furrowed, and I wasn’t quite sure if she was going to start crying.

“It’s taken a bit, but I’ve come to terms with it.

” Nodding, I smiled as her worry eased slightly.

But I was a big liar. I hadn’t come to terms with anything.

Ryder was right, I really needed to talk to someone, but I wasn’t sure I had it in me.

I avoided looking back in Ryder’s direction because I didn’t want to see the pain in his eyes that I knew would be there.

The rest of our ride went well, and the tension finally eased after Elle’s question. Ryder finally stopped staring holes into my head as we got closer to the cattle.

While the guys took care of the horses, the girls and I set up camp and chased the kids all over the meadow. They’d been tired after a long day on the trail, so they were happy to be able to run around. Wes and Gwen headed back to their place. We’d see them in a few days before we headed back.

“I can’t believe how good Ruby and Sawyer are doing,” Nora said as she and I set up the area where we were keeping the coolers of food.

“It’s like they’ve been here their entire lives.

Cooper absolutely loves having Sawyer in his class.

He comes home and tells stories of their day, and I’m pretty sure that teacher is ready to pull her hair out at the end of the day. ”

“You couldn’t pay me enough to be in that classroom,” I agreed, because if there was mischief to get into, you could be sure Sawyer and Cooper would be leading it.

“I’m glad you’re here, Lexie. I don’t know what went on before, and I’m sorry that Kipp’s being such an ass, but I’m glad to have you as a friend.” Her warm, genuine smile made me take a deep breath before I smiled back at her.

“I appreciate your friendship, Nora, and as far as Kipp goes, he kind of has a right to be that way. There’s a lot of things I need to do before I earn back his trust.” I shrugged.

This was Ryder’s story, and maybe one day he’d be willing to tell it, but I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to share it with everyone.

And as angry as I’d been at Kipp, I can totally see his point.

If I had to witness the pain my best friend went through, I’d be pretty mad too, I think.