LITMIR.BIZ

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breath, the once-familiar odor of horse and hay tightening her stomach. How was she ever going to pull this off?

      “This is boring.” Colton shuffled toward the entrance. “I want to ride them, not look at them.”

      Lily’s gaze lifted to the mid-June sky. God, please help me. She glanced at her son. In every way.

      Inside, the walls of the small but tidy lobby were lined with rustic wood planks. A couple with two boys who looked to be a little older than Colton sat on an old wooden church pew that hugged one wall.

      “Mommy, look.” Piper pointed above the doorway of what appeared to be an office. “A horseshoe.”

      “It’s a horse barn.” Arms crossed, Colton rolled his eyes. “They probably have, like, a million of those things.”

      “I don’t care, Colton.” Hands on her hips, his sister glared at him. “I still like them.”

      Before Lily could intervene, the sound of footsteps on concrete drew their attention.

      She turned, feeling as though she’d suddenly stepped into a country music video. From his boots and Wranglers to the shiny belt buckle and straw Stetson perched on his head, this guy was all cowboy.

      He stopped to address the other family. “If you all will head straight down this corridor—” he pointed to the long aisle behind him “—and to the right, Amber and Jackie are waiting with your horses.”

      As the group departed, he turned his attention to Lily and her children. “Welcome to Abundant Blessings Ranch.” Tall and clean shaven, he tipped his hat back just enough to reveal dark brown hair and even darker eyes, like a rich espresso. He was older than she would have expected. Perhaps even older than her thirty-eight years, but not by much. And while his smile was pleasant enough, it did little to put her at ease. “I’m Noah Stephens. How can I help you folks today?”

      Pressing one hand against her stomach, she fingered the silver chain around her neck with the other. “Um—”

      “We want to ride horses.” Piper stared up at the man, looking very matter-of-fact.

      “You do?” His smile grew wider, forming creases around his eyes. “Well, I guess you’ve come to the right place then.” He reached for one of a series of clipboards that hung on the wall. “I’ll just need your mother to sign these papers.” He handed the clipboard to her, along with a pen.

      The knot in Lily’s stomach grew even bigger as she filled in the required information. Why was she putting herself through this? She should have simply said no in the first place.

      But then Colton and Piper would have wanted to know why. She couldn’t bear the thought of telling them she was afraid. After all, she was their mother. The one who was supposed to be strong. And she was, most of the time. Right about now, though, she felt like that four-year-old girl who’d just been bucked off her first, and last, horse.

      “How much riding have you kids done?” The cowboy looked from Colton to Piper.

      “I’ve never been on a horse.” Piper’s blue eyes sparkled. “But I can’t wait.”

      “That’s good to know, because I want to make sure I pair each of you with the correct horse for your level of experience.”

      “What does it matter?” Colton shrugged. “It’s just a stupid horse.”

      The cowboy straightened to his full six-foot-plus height, and Lily froze. What would he do? Everyone knew cowboys didn’t tolerate disrespect. And her son had plenty. Would he tell them they couldn’t ride?

      Wishful thinking on her part.

      Arms crossed, the man stared down at Colton, his expression stern. “Actually, horses are quite smart.” His deep voice left no room for question. “And they’re able to sense what kind of people are riding them.” His gaze narrowed. “So you might want to keep that in mind, young man.”

      Under different circumstances, Lily might have chuckled. But by the time she handed the completed paperwork back to the cowboy, her stomach was churning.

      His brow lifted. “Are you all right, ma’am?”

      “Yes.” However, the more she tried to psych herself up for this endeavor, the worse things became.

      She grabbed a white-water rafting brochure from the rack against the wall and fanned herself, wondering when it had gotten so warm. All the while, the tossing and turning in her belly intensified.

      This was not good. Not good at—

      Just as the cowboy turned to talk with Colton and Piper, Lily bolted out the door. She rushed to the side of the building, her stomach in full revolt. Not once, but twice.

      Standing there, doubled over, she heard someone behind her. Oh, no. God please don’t let it be—

      “You look like you could use a little help.” That deep voice definitely didn’t belong to Colton or Piper.

      Mortified, she glanced at the cowboy and managed to eke out, “Don’t let my children see me,” before hurling again.

      When she finally collected herself a short time later, she leaned against the metal building, feeling more than a little embarrassed. And all over the mere thought of riding a horse. She wiped her mouth, praying she wouldn’t have a repeat performance.

      Returning to the stable, she spotted Piper and Colton halfway down the wide corridor that ran between a small arena and some horse stalls.

      “Where were you?” Colton eyed her suspiciously.

      “I had something I had to take care of.” She forced a smile, hoping she didn’t look as pale as she felt.

      Fortunately, the cowboy reappeared with two horses before her son could ask any more questions.

      It pleased her that one of them was nothing more than a Shetland pony, and she wondered if they might have another for her.

      The man stopped in front of them, looking far too serious. “We have a slight problem.”

      Oh, no. Her kids were so looking forward to this, and now they weren’t going to be able to ride. All because of her. Her silly fear had blown it for all of them.

      The cowboy continued, “We had another family that arrived just before you. Typically, we prefer not to have any more than six guests on a trail ride. With you three, that would be seven.”

      Piper’s bottom lip pooched out. “You mean we don’t get to ride?”

      “Man, we finally get to do something cool...” Colton kicked at clump of hay.

      Lily’s stomach tightened again. If only she hadn’t panicked. Now she’d ruined everything.

      “Of course,” the cowboy finally said, “if one of you would be willing to stay behind, the other two could still go.”

      Lily jerked her gaze to his.

      His dark eyes were directed right at her.

      He was giving her an out. But why? Was he afraid she’d get sick again while they were on the trail? Or did he know she was afraid?

      “I’m not staying,” said Colton.

      “If Colton doesn’t hafta stay, I don’t want to, either.” Arms crossed, Piper peered up at Lily.

      Looked like it was up to her to take one for the team. Something she was more than okay with this time. Thanks to Noah Stephens. However, it presented her with a new problem.

      Mr. Stephens was a stranger. Colton and Piper were her greatest blessings. A gift from God she cherished with every fiber of her being. Could she trust this cowboy with her children?

      Clearing her throat, she looked at her kids. Saw the disappointment etched on their faces. “I wouldn’t want the two of you to miss out, either.”

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