She hummed, squeezing his arm with hers. “Sixteen years older. I better not run so fast. You might blow out a knee.”
“Is that a challenge, vixen?”
Heat flooded through her cheeks, and maybe running through a maze during the daytime wasn’t so bad. Not if he kept looking at her like that, his dark eyes burning into hers. “Yes it is, Master.”
He pivoted, catching her chin between his thumb and forefinger. She leaned into his touch without question, widening her eyes as she stared up into his. “We’ll see how far you can run, Eris, once we go hunting tonight.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gabriel
After going for a leisurely ride around the property with Magic and Atlas again, and helping them cool down after, Gabriel found himself growing fond of Atlas. Magic seemed to be Eris’ preferred horse, but he hadn’t ridden enough when she was here to pick a favorite. Since then, Magic was his favorite by default, because he reminded him of Eris. But if they were going to continue going out riding together, he could get used to following behind the two of them with Atlas. Once they were turning to head back to the golf cart, a familiar voice caught their attention.
“Calmer ride this time?” Wren asked, stepping into the stables. She had her hair tugged back into pigtails today, a mischievous smile across her lips. Gabriel saw her frequently in the stables, and they were comfortable enough with each other every time he stopped in to go for a ride. He didn’t know Wren particularly well, but she could be fun to talk to.
Eris blushed, glancing between the two of them, and Wren started cackling before she responded. “Uh, yes. Yes, we just went for a gentle ride.”
That made the Little laugh harder, and Gabriel just shook his head at her antics. Wren had known Eris was coming back almost as soon as Gabriel himself had, because he outright told her after speaking with Master Derek. He’d needed to clear his head and calm his nerves so he’d come out to the stables to go for a ride, and mischievous Wren was the first person he’d run into. Of course he’d ended up blurting it out. He’d been thrilled at the prospect of seeing Eris.
Clearly, Wren hadn’t forgotten about his fascination with her.
“Getting into trouble already, Wren?” Travis asked, stepping in behind her. That sobered Wren up, and she snapped her mouth closed before trying to stifle a grin. She looked ready to burst with giggles, and Travis shot her a soft smile that just made her grin wider.
“We’re curious if you know where Lucas is,” Gabriel interrupted, just as Wren stepped closer so Travis could tuck her beneath his arm. His eyebrow lifted, and Gabriel felt Eris’ gaze burn into the side of his head. While he’d mentioned Lucas, Gabriel hadn’t mentioned actively finding him today. “Eris wanted to share her opinions on the maze out in the wooded area.”
Travis grinned. “Already been out that way, have you?”
“That’s what it’s built for, right?” Eris asked, blushing. Gabriel watched her intently, curious if she would turn shy like this if he brought up the maze. There was nothing to be embarrassed about; people around the Ranch were excited for the new addition, even if it was still a work in progress.
“Of course,” Travis confirmed, nodding. “I heard Lucas liked the challenge. It comes with a bit of a learning curve, adding new additions to the Ranch, but he seemed to enjoy the project. It’s a bit tedious and adding in more than the maze is the goal, butright now, even the Littles like to wander through what’s been built so far.”
“We went up a few days ago and Master Lucas guided us through,” Wren confirmed. “It’s very cool. I like all the hedges.”
Eris startled, shooting Gabriel a look. “Hedges?”
He nodded. “The outdoor play area has hedges around the perimeter that bleeds into the wooded area we were in with the maze. I can show you, but further in there are just hedges creating the maze. The additions, like the viney walls we saw, were added to extend the maze since any of the additional hedges need time to grow.”
There were a couple other reasons too; primal was about playing with the senses, giving the impression that danger is there when it isn’t. Changing the surroundings offered a unique experience and unless someone ran through the maze a lot, he doubted they would remember all those twists and turns.
Especially in the dark.
“Last I saw Lucas he was down by the main lodge, but he said he had a lot to do this afternoon,” Travis continued.
Eris’ stomach rumbled at that, and she gave an embarrassed smile at the group. “Maybe it’s best that we stop there, anyway. I’m starving, and I think this trip is going to work up quite the appetite.”
By the time they had some lunch, and Eris stopped by to see some of the residents she remembered from last time, it was nearing dinnertime. Gabriel had some plans for what to do with their evening after riding around and visiting people, but it involved a lot more darkness to make it fun.
Currently, before taking their designated golf cart back to the cabin for the night, they were sitting on the big porch, eyeing the sunset.
“It’s so peaceful out here,” Eris said quietly, gripping the edge of the chair between her legs. She sat forward in the rocker instead of utilizing it, her gaze sweeping across the scenery. “I never thought I would come back.”
He tilted his head, studying the serenity on her face before he ruined it. “Why?”
She shot him a look, one corner of her mouth curling up in a smirk. “Well, Montana isn’t all that close to home.”
“And where is home?”
Eris sighed. “Virginia. My whole family lives out there, and I’ve moved cities but never states. I don’t even vacation that often. Coming to Rawhide Ranch last year was my first big, solo trip. It was all a coincidence that we crossed paths when we did.”