It Happened One Night

“Right on time,” he said, smiling as he opened her car door for her. “Good, you’re wearing jeans.”

Silently chastising herself for her wayward thoughts about the man, she took a deep breath and got out of the car. “You didn’t think I’d wear heels and a dress to walk through a feedlot, did you?”

He laughed. “You wore a dress the other day.”

“That’s because I was going before your committee to ask for more money for the day care center,” she said, turning to open the back door of the car. “You’ve seen me in slacks and a blouse every time since then.”

The look in his blue gaze stole her breath. “And you’ve looked very nice in everything I’ve seen you in.”

Surprised by the compliment, she didn’t even think to protest when he gently moved her out of the way, opened the rear door, then unbuckled the safety straps and lifted her daughter from the car seat. “Are you ready to ride a horse, Emmie?” he asked.

Seated on his forearm, Emmie clapped her little hands together. “Me wide ponies.”

“You didn’t say anything about riding,” Kiley accused, glaring at him. He knew she hadn’t wanted to pay him a visit to begin with, let alone spend more time with him by going for a horseback ride.

“I didn’t think of it until just a short while ago.” He smiled at her happy daughter. “I thought this little lady might enjoy it.”

“I’m sure she would,” Kiley said without thinking. As soon as the words passed her lips, she knew she’d made a huge mistake and played right into his hands.

Josh gave her a triumphant grin as he placed his free hand to the small of her back. “Then it’s settled.”

“You’re manipulating the situation, the same as you did yesterday afternoon,” she said tightly as he guided her toward the corral where two saddled horses stood, their reins tied to the top rail of the fence.

“Not really.” He opened the gate to the corral and led her over to a pinto mare. “I wasn’t sure how experienced you are with horses, so I had my foreman saddle Daisy. She’s the most gentle horse I own. You can ride, can’t you?”

“Yes, but it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity,” Kiley admitted, patting the horse’s neck.

“Do you need help mounting?” Josh asked from behind her.

She shook her head as she untied the reins and raised her leg to mount up. “I think I can manage.”

Unfortunately, she was short and the horse was quite tall. When she put her foot in the stirrup, her knee was even with her chin and made it all but impossible to pull herself up into the saddle.

“Here, let me help,” Josh said.

Before she realized what he intended, she felt his hand cup her backside and, as if she weighed nothing, he gave her the boost she needed to mount the mare. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire when she settled herself in the saddle. Thankfully her daughter provided the distraction Kiley needed to regain her composure.

“Pony,” Emmie said delightedly, touching the mare’s mane.

When Kiley reached for her, Emmie stubbornly shook her head and put her arms around Josh’s neck. “Wide a pony.”

“You’re going to ride a pony with me,” Kiley explained.

Her daughter’s blond pigtails swayed as she shook her head. “No!”

“Emmie,” Kiley warned, keeping her tone firm but gentle.

Her little chin began to wobble and tears filled her big brown eyes. “No, pease.”

“She can ride with me,” Josh offered softly.

Emmie nodded her head. “Wide.”

Kiley wasn’t happy, but she finally nodded her consent. It wasn’t that she didn’t think Josh would keep her daughter safe. It was a matter of Emmie becoming too attached to him. She had watched her little girl’s reaction when some of the children’s fathers arrived at the end of the day to take them home and it was clear Emmie missed a paternal influence in her life.

As Kiley watched Josh untie the reins of the bay gelding and effortlessly swing up into the saddle while still holding Emmie, her heart ached. Her daughter deserved to have two parents, but it hadn’t worked out that way and there was no sense lamenting the fact that she didn’t.

“Me wide pony,” Emmie said happily when Josh settled her on his lap and nudged his horse into a slow walk.

By the time they rode through the gate into the pasture beyond, Kiley had to admit that although she had been against the outing and still resented the way Josh had controlled everything, she wouldn’t have missed the excitement on Emmie’s face for anything. Her little girl was having the time of her life.