“Bad horse.” Katie gave a half-hearted kick with one foot, missing Star entirely.
“No, Katie. That’s not how we treat a horse.” Hayden might have put too much emphasis on those words because Katie turned her face into his chest and really turned on the waterworks. She might have lost her cowboy hat if she hadn’t been wearing a chin strap. “What I mean to say is…” He searched for the right words. Having little experience with kids, he had to search a lot longer than he’d have liked. “A good cowgirl knows her horse and what he’ll do in every situation. You learned something about Star today. She likes to race.”
“I don’t like to race.” The sprite banged her nose onto his chest. “It was scary.”
“You’ll learn how to control a horse, just like Piper and Sadie.” Hayden tried to sound reassuring but was afraid he failed. “Before you know it, you’ll be the boss of every horse you ride.”
“I’m not a boss. I’m only four.”
At four, Hayden had already been a demon on horseback. But Katie hadn’t grown up on a ranch. “You’ll be a horse boss by five. I promise.”
Katie sniffed and leaned back to look at him, teary-eyed. “Are you gonna teach me?”
With everything on his plate, he hadn’t planned to. But there was something about this little angel that made him want to say yes. “Of course, I’m going to teach you. Both you and your mother.”
“I love you, Hay-Hay.” Katie wrapped her little arms around him and gave him a squeeze.
“Katie, are you all right?” Evie reached them. Happy seemed winded, stopping without Evie moving the reins.
“Yes, Mama.” How quickly Katie recovered, wiping away her tears. “Hay-Hay saved me. And now, he’s going to teach me how to be the best cowgirl ever.” Katie lifted her head, catching Hayden’s eye with a glowing smile. “He said he’d teach you too, Mama. And then we can gallop all over.”
“Great.” Evie didn’t look enthused.
“That’s the spirit, Evie,” Hayden teased. “We’ll have you riding like you were born to the saddle by the end of summer.”
“Great,” Evie repeated, reaching over to touch Katie’s booted foot, as if needing reassurance her daughter was okay. “Just about the time our bargain ends.”
Hayden’s mouth worked. But he didn’t argue.
*
Clover Creek was charming.
The creek itself was about ten feet wide. It flowed over a rocky bottom, shadows created by the pines it wound past. As promised, the meadow was filled with green clovers. The girls noticed that right away.
Eve slid off Happy, glad to have her boots on the ground, even if her legs didn’t quite work the way they should have. “We can both use a rest, fella.”
“You were so brave, Katie.” Hayden handed Katie to Eve. “You and your mama both.”
Eve hugged Katie, but her little girl was already over her scare.
“I love you, Mama.” She squirmed to get down. “But I’ve got to be with my cousins now.” Katie scampered to join the twins at the creek.
Hayden reached over and gave her braid a light tug. “I’m proud of you.”
I’m proud of you.
Eve patted Happy’s neck while he drank from the creek, while Hayden’s words played on repeat in her head, like a fondly repeated caress.
I’m proud of you.
That wasn’t something Steven had ever said to her. It was something her mother was likely to say. And Violet.
“Can you help me lay out the food?” Hayden spread a red-and-white-checkered blanket on the ground beneath a tall pine.
“I’ll take Happy.” Rhett didn’t wait for Eve to agree. He collected the horse’s reins.
Hayden peered at her face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”