Chapter 10

Leah took in the open pastures with tracks worn into them. Long dirt roads, winding creeks, dusty grounds, and wildflowers surrounded the space. Noticing the rows of fences, round bales of hay, and the grazing livestock, she wrung her hands together.

Then she turned and eyed the Quarter Horse Buckskin. Was she taking this hiatus too far? She didn’t need to learn how to ride. She’d been to Lee’s Dude Ranch before but always stayed in the background to feed the chickens and the cows. Mounting a horse was a different story. Still, she wanted to be brave. It wasn’t so much riding the horse but facing a fear of hers. She didn’t want to cower, even with something as simple as riding a horse.

Lee’s son, Will, held the reins out to her, encouraging Leah to get familiar with the mare, stating that her name was Molly. Leah stiffened, swallowing the lump in her throat. Her booted feet planted on the hard-packed ground beneath her. With her arms dangling at her sides, she gawked at the horse.

Second thoughts plagued her mind. What if the horse bucked? What if all of this was a bad idea? Despite the thudding in her chest, she wanted to try.

“If you relax, Molly will too,” Will’s deep voice pointed out. “She’s friendly.” He adjusted the cowboy hat at his brow.

Leah met his crystal blue eyes. “I feel really… small.”

Will petted Molly. She neighed in response, causing Leah to jerk. She drooped her shoulders and leaned back on one foot. Her breathing steadied, though her palms remained sweaty. She pressed her lips together and accepted the reins from Will.

“Try backing up, she’ll follow you,” Will said.

Leah did and her eyes widened as Molly followed. Her mouth curved into a smile at the horse’s response. She then reached out her shaky hand to pet the side of Molly’s face.

Will grinned. “Try it again.”

Leah took a few steps back. Molly instinctively followed once more, her hooves clopping. “Wow, good girl.” She petted the horse again, only to feel the soft nuzzle of the horse’s lips to her face. Leah’s heart melted.

“You can walk her around. You don’t have to ride her yet if you don’t want to,” Will suggested.

Leah agreed. “I’ll walk her for now. I want to get used to her first.” She pivoted and walked in the opposite direction, being careful not to jerk the reins as Will had directed her earlier. Molly even nudged her shoulder at one time, and Leah’s grin grew wide as she connected with the horse.

“Great job,” Will complimented.

Leah cocked her head toward the horse. “I think…” She faced Will. “I think I want to ride her. We don’t have to go far, right?”

“No, I can teach you how to circle around.” Will brought over the mounting block to Molly, who stood already saddled.

Leah sighed as she waited for his instructions. At Will’s bidding, she walked up the mounting block while he kept Molly steady. Following his directions, Leah held onto the reins gently pressuring the bit in Molly’s mouth. She then put her left foot in the stirrup, pulled her body onto the horse, and sunk onto the saddle.

Will smiled. “Nice job, Leah. Now remember to keep your shoulders stacked over your hips.”

Leah straightened and held the reins with three fingers with both hands, as Will had mentioned before.

“Feel okay?” he asked.

She rocked in place. “If I’m relaxed, she’s relaxed?”

He gave her the okay sign. “You got it.”

Will guided Leah during her ride with Molly and taught her how to use her hips to steer. Leah learned how to stay strong and stable through her back. She kept her kept her chin up and gazed in the direction she wanted to steer the horse.

“You’re a natural at this, Leah,” he said.

A smile danced on Leah’s lips. A sense of calm spread through her. She felt free as the wind. Will continued to talk her through using her hips to lead Molly into the turns. By the time Leah dismounted the horse, joy bubbled up in her despite the twitching muscles in her quads.

She pressed her hand into her lower back and stretched. She gave the horse one final pat, gave Will a high-five, and planned to return for another lesson. As Leah sauntered back to her car, excitement raced through her. She could conquer the world if she wanted.

Why hadn’t she rode a horse before? What had held her back? Leah gripped the steering wheel as she coasted down the road. Was it fear alone? Did she lack courage? Whatever the reason, she conquered it. She rolled her shoulders back. When was the last time she felt that free? Connecting with Molly the horse had warmed her heart. Leah drew her bottom lip between her teeth, but her grin surfaced anyway.

Is this what her mother meant about taking time? Without the focus of a relationship, Leah’s attention centered on herself. It felt liberating. She wanted to explore and push her limits, eager with the same headlong zest of a hunter for his game.

What else could she try she never dared before? No one was there to talk her out of it. She could decide without the opinion of a boyfriend. Was there more she could add to her list? The adrenaline rush had her wanting to bulldoze through traffic. She bounced in her seat after coming to a stop at a red light.

On the way home, she stopped by the grocery store, retrieving her list from her purse. Leah walked up and down the aisles of cream-painted metal shelving and filled her cart. Passing the towering end displays of popular products, she listened to the easy music in the background playing from the speakers. The squeaky wheels of her cart also filled her ears while she inhaled the yeasty scent of warm bread from the bakery. She picked up a pound of salmon from the seafood counter and then journeyed to the dairy aisle for milk.

The curves of her mouth turned up. Joy danced through her heart. She was taking risks and having her own adventures. While it may not have been extravagant, it was out of the box for her. She did something on her own. She was working toward discovering herself.

Cole’s kind words to her played through her mind. Know who you are. It warmed her heart. She had so much fun with him during their shoot. Despite the heat that curled through her spine when they had danced, or the sensation in her fingers when he held her hand. He had caught her off guard when he held at her waist, and his eyes blazed with deep intensity when he stared at her. Did he notice her breathlessness or the sweat on her palms?

It repeated in her mind a hundred times since that day, but was it true? Her brain scrambled to find a logical reason. She hired him to do a job. How did the photos turn out? She licked her lips as she compared the prices of lactose-free milk.

“No almond milk?” a baritone voice asked.

Leah pivoted to find Seth Parsons smiling at her. She returned the gesture, taking in the sight of his deep brown skin, clean-shaven face, and his coffee brown eyes. They were the same eyes she had ogled along with the other girls at Piedmont High.

“No, no almond milk,” she replied.

“How are you?” he asked.

Leah tapped her fingers on the handle of her grocery cart. She purposely avoided Seth around town. Whenever they saw each other, they kept to the basic pleasantries of hello, great to see you, and goodbye. While she had been over him for years, him being in front of her brought back bittersweet memories.

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” she had asked, while standing on her parents’ front porch.

Seth had stuffed his hands in his pockets. “They have recruited me to play football at the University of Georgia. If I play my cards right, babe, maybe I can go to the NFL.”

At a loss for words, her expression went blank. “What about us?”

He stepped forward and cradled her face. “Leah, if I didn’t have to go—”

“Then don’t.” She had jerked away from his embrace.

“I can’t pass this up, Leah. I love you, but I can’t. This is my dream.”

She had released a shaky breath. “So… I’m not a part of it.”

“We’re too young to think like that. Can you honestly say you want to be together forever? You don’t graduate until next year.”

Leah’s pulse sped. She heard enough. “Go, Seth. You’re already gone.”

That night would be forever etched in her mind. Even thinking about it now still stung. Yet, the corners of Leah’s mouth turned up at her former high school sweetheart. “I’m okay. How are you?”

“I’m doing great.”

She eyed him. “Are you going to lead Piedmont High to a fourth championship this coming school year?”

Seth cocked his head. “Fourth?”

Leah pushed her cart farther down the aisle. “Besides the three you got during our high school days.”

Seth kept up with her stride. “I would hate not to keep up with my reputation, even if I’m not playing.”

She joked, “Such an overachiever.”

He stopped in his tracks and stared at her. “I thought something was different.”

Leah raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

He pointed to her hair.

She brushed her side bang away from her face. “Yes, this is new.”

“I like it. What made you change it though?”

Leah gave a half shrug. “I wanted something different. No harm in trying new things.”

“I agree. It’s just different coming from you. The girl I knew back in high school didn’t try new things. I believe you would say, ‘I stick with what works for me.’”

“Keyword in that statement is ‘girl.’ As you can see, I’m not a little girl anymore.”

He gave her a once over. “And bold too. Look at you speaking your mind.”

Her lips curved into a grin. “I do when I feel like it.”

“I like this new you. How’s the store?”

“The store is doing well. Building my online business so that’s taking up most of my time.”

She led them to the checkout area, where a line already formed. Seth stood behind her and she sensed his gaze on her back. She cleared her throat. Usually she would pass by Seth on the sidewalk or give a simple wave in church, but this was the first real conversation since his return home. She didn’t want the past to replay through her mind but it did. Seth had walked away, leaving her heartbroken. Like Brian.

“A little awkward, huh?” Seth pointed out.

Leah tapped her foot. “A little. I don’t mean for it to be. It’s…”

Seth maneuvered to stand at her side. He kneaded his shoulder with one hand, while his other clutched the handle of his smaller basket. “I understand. Maybe we need to hang out. You know, break the ice a little.”

She cocked her head toward him. Was it even normal to hang out with an ex? Could she do it without rehearsing the pitfalls of their relationship? “Does this include lemon pepper wings?”

Seth waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll even throw in some buffalo wings to seal the deal.”

Leah folded her arms. “So, you still think you can bribe me with the best wings in Piedmont Valley.”

“It worked when I asked you out in high school.”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “How do you figure that?”

“I remember some things.”

She wagged a finger. “I doubt that. I bet you don’t even remember how we met.”

He drew closer. “You bumped into me on your way to biology class. I helped you pick up your books.” His expression softened. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you. You were the prettiest girl I had ever seen. You were smart, funny, and so sweet. I touched your hand when we picked up your books at the same time. You looked a little dazed, much like right… now.”

Leah blinked to come back to her senses. For a moment, she recalled her once strong feelings for Seth. He had been her world. “You got it right. I’m surprised.”

“I haven’t lost my touch.”

“Two right answers, but it’s nothing to throw a parade over.”

He grinned. “Does that mean you’ll meet me at PV’s Bar and Grill later?”

She crossed her arms. “On one condition.”

“Anything.”

She pointed her at him. “I call dibs on the buffalo wings.”

Seth winked at her. “I wouldn’t dream of touching them.”