Page 56 of Someone to Hold

“Do you want riding lessons?” he asks, his voice low and full of suggestion.

I laugh. “I don’t think that came out the way you wanted it to.”

He grins. “It came out exactly the way I meant.”

“Really? Because you’re blushing.”

“I am not.” He takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair. “Cowboys don’t blush.”

“The tips of your ears are pink.”

“They’re sunburned. From all my hard work in the field.” He holds up a hand. “I even got a new callus today.”

“Impressive,” I murmur. “Thank you, Chase, for everything.” When I’m close enough, I take his hand and press a kiss to his palm. “Even the riding lessons,” I add with a wink.

He groans. “Just to be clear, that was beginner level. We’ve got a lot more ground to cover if you want to make it to advanced lessons.”

I do, more than I’m willing to admit. Fancy snorts and shifts like she’s not thrilled with me getting so close to her man. Honestly? I don’t blame her.

“Want to give her a treat?” Chase gestures to a bag of carrots sitting on a hay bale nearby.

“Are you joking? You know she has teeth, right?”

He considers that, lips twitching. “Most animals do. Maybe all animals. I’d have to look that one up, but she’s not going to bite you.”

“She looks like she wants to bite me, knock me flat, then stomp me for getting too close to you.”

“Fancy’s not the jealous type.” He scratches behind the horse’s ears. “Except for that one buckle bunny up in Cody a couple of summers ago. But those days are long gone.”

And stupid, sentimental me wants to believe that.

“Come on,” he urges. “Give her a carrot. If Luke can be brave, his mom can, too. Kid needs a role model, right?”

The words hit harder than they should. I try not to let it show, but Chase sees right through me.

He gently cups my face in his rough hands. “It was a joke, Molly. You’re a damn good role model.”

I shake my head. “I haven’t been. But I’m trying.”

“The twins are lucky to have you.”

I rest my hands over his and broach the subject that’s been on my mind. “Do you want to talk about what happened with your mom today?”

“Not even a little,” he says.

I feel the tension coil through him, but I can’t help pushing a bit. I hate how he looked earlier, all that hurt simmering just under the surface.

“She didn’t know it was you.”

Chase exhales sharply and scrubs a hand down his face.

“It just about killed me that she thought I was the man who hurt her.”

“That was the disease talking,” I say gently. “Not your mom. I know you’d never hurt her. And somewhere deep down, she knows, too.”

“He’s still alive.” His jaw tightens, and he takes a half step back. Like he’s trying to put distance between himself and the memory. “He lives here in Skylark. He was at the rodeo when I got hurt, but only came to the hospital one time. Mainly to give me shit for getting hurt.”

“He’s a jerk,” I say, moving closer to Fancy’s stall.