“Go ahead and get to know her.” Mike stroked Zinnia’s neck and Anna followed suit and lightly touched the mare. “Horses like to be talked to.”
Anna cleared her throat. “How are you doing, Zinnia?”
“I’ll get her saddle.” Mike held out the rope that was clipped onto the mare’s halter and Anna took it. “Zinnia won’t go anywhere, but go ahead and hold on to the lead.”
Anna tried not to show her nerves as she gripped the rope and nodded to Mike. “We’ll be waiting.”
She continued stroking the mare that was dark brown with white socks and a white blaze on her forehead. “You are a beautiful girl. Sure you won’t mind me riding you?” Zinnia bobbed her head up and down as if in answer, and Anna smiled. “Okay, but I’m putting a lot of faith in you and Mike.” Zinnia whickered and looked at Anna with big brown eyes that appeared so sincere that it made Anna wonder just how much the horse understood her. “You really are a doll, aren’t you?”
Mike returned, carrying a horse blanket and a saddle. He set the saddle on a nearby hay bale before draping the blanket over the horse. When he’d adjusted the blanket, he put the saddle onto Zinnia’s back and cinched it on securely. The horse was so darn tall. Anna blew out her breath. It would be a long fall if she didn’t manage to hang on.
She pushed that thought right out of her mind. She was
not
going to fall off the horse. She hoped.
When Zinnia was saddled, Mike headed back into the barn while Anna spent time with Zinnia, hoping that would cure her nerves over riding the horse. This time Mike took longer to return.
When he finally did, he brought a saddled horse out of the barn. The horse was another beauty, like Zinnia, but was completely reddish brown with no white. Mike brought the horse up to Zinnia and Anna.
“This is Dancer.” Mike patted the horse. “According to Jayson, she has a good disposition but sometimes she’s a little headstrong. I need to get to know her and she needs to get to know me.”
Anna decided not to pet Dancer in case being headstrong meant being on the aggressive side.
Mike picked up the two large water bottles, and put them into one of the pair of saddlebags that were draped over Dancer.
“I need to adjust the stirrups for your height.” He eyed Anna then took care of the stirrup on the right side of Zinnia before the left. When he finished, he faced Anna. “Ready?”
She looked at the saddled horse and back to Mike. Her stomach clenched a little again but she nodded. “I think so.”
“You’ll enjoy riding once we get going.” He beckoned her closer. “Always get on the left side of the horse, putting your left foot in the stirrup and then swinging your right leg over her back.”
As he moved close to Anna to boost her up, she felt a steadying of her nerves just by his presence. But when she was in the saddle she felt suddenly out of control, her skin prickling.
“It’s such a long way to the ground.” She swallowed as she looked down and tensed as the horse shifted beneath her. “And she’s so big.”
Mike rested his palm on her thigh and it warmed her through. “You’ll be fine, Anna.”
She gave a tentative smile. “I’ve always wanted to ride. This is my chance.”
“I’m going lead you around a bit and give you some direction,” he said. “Once you’re sure you’re comfortable, we’ll go for a ride.”
She nodded, grateful he wasn’t taking her immediately out for a ride. “I think that’s a great idea.”
He led Zinnia around the huge yard while Anna clenched her fingers in a death grip on the saddle horn.
“Take a deep breath and try to relax, honey.” He brought the horse to a stop and placed his hand on her thigh. “She can sense your nervousness.”
Anna did as he told her to and inhaled through her nose before letting her breath out through her mouth. She repeated it as she loosened her muscles and her grip on the saddle horn.
“That’s better.” He gave her a gentle smile and moved his hand from her thigh. “Let’s try this again.” He patiently led the horse around the yard as Anna continued to breathe in and out slowly and concentrated on relaxing.
After another ten minutes, he halted the horse. “Now why don’t you try your hand at the reins?”
She started to tense again but reminded herself to relax. She took the reins and Zinnia looked over her shoulder at Anna with her soulful brown eyes, as if to say, “I’ve got you.”
“I can do this,” she told herself as much as she was saying it to Mike.
He gave her a smile. “Yes, you can.” He instructed her on how to hold the reins, how to get Zinnia to go, how to guide her in the direction she needed to go, and how to bring the horse to a halt.
They spent a good fifteen minutes allowing her to get used to handling the reins before he asked, “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She nodded and let out her breath. “As ready as I’ll ever get.”
Mike mounted Dancer and Anna felt her belly tip now that he wasn’t guiding her or the horse.
He brought his horse up beside hers. “We’re going on an easy ride.” He gestured toward a pasture. “Flat, easy to traverse.” He gave her a teasing smile. “We’ll save the jumps for next time.”
“Ha. Ha.” She shook her head but smiled. “Let’s go. I’m ready.”
“Good girl.” Mike made a clicking sound with his tongue and Dancer started forward.
Zinnia didn’t take any prodding. She fell into step beside Dancer and Anna’s heart rate kicked up a bit. They were off and going on her first horse ride. Her nervousness turned into enjoyment as they continued forward. Her body rocked with Zinnia’s slow and easy gait.
They rounded a corral and came to a stop at a fence. Mike swung down from Dancer and opened up a gate before leading the horses through, Zinnia keeping up at Dancer’s side. After the gate was closed, Mike mounted his horse again and they headed along the fence line inside the pasture.
Anna looked at him and the relaxed way he sat in his saddle and tried to follow his example.
“I have to warn you.” He met her gaze. “You’ll probably be sore as hell tomorrow.”
She raised a brow. “As in having-difficulty-walking sore?”
He gave a low chuckle. “That’s pretty safe to say.”
“It’ll be worth it.” She looked around her at the dry yellow grass and at the clear blue sky. The air was crisp but her light jacket kept her warm enough that she only felt the chill on her cheeks and her hands as she gripped the reins. She met his gaze. “It’s a gorgeous day.”
“Yep.” His horse sidestepped what looked like a large gopher hole. “Can’t get much nicer than this.”
The ride was slow and relaxing and it wasn’t long before Anna didn’t feel like such a novice at horseback riding.
“What was it like growing up with three brothers?” Anna asked. “I don’t have any siblings.”
Mike shrugged. “John and I were alone with Dad for the first several years before he married Angel. It took some time for us to get to know her and accept that we had a new mom and new brothers.”
“I can see how that would be difficult.” Anna stared off into the distance, thinking about her own parents and how much she missed them.
“What about your family?” Mike asked. “Is it just your aunt, uncle, and cousins?”
“Here in the U.S.” It wasn’t going to hurt to tell Mike about her other family. “My parents passed away just a few years ago but I have other relatives in Mexico City.”
Throughout the ride Mike told her about growing up on a ranch and some of the things he and his brothers would do. He talked about his cousins who’d been rodeo champions and his cousin who was a world champion bull rider. Mike had such an easy, likable way about him that she enjoyed listening to the sound of his voice, the inflection, and the way he told stories.
He made it easy to forget she was on the back of a large beast, far enough off the ground that she could fall and it would no doubt hurt like hell. She found herself more than enjoying the ride. She felt almost high, exhilarated and on top of the world.
After they had stopped at a watering hole Mike had played in with his brothers as a kid, he looked at Anna and gave her a smile. “Let’s head on back now.”
She nodded. “All right.”
During the journey back, the conversation turned from family to his campaign, and she asked him some questions that had occurred to her. Mike didn’t seem overly focused on the bid for re-election. Maybe it was just that he didn’t want to talk too much about it on what might be considered another date.
When they returned to the ranch, she had enjoyed herself so much that she couldn’t stop smiling. It was hard to believe they’d been gone for a good two and a half hours and it was almost evening.
“Thank you.” She waited as Mike swung down from his seat on Dancer’s back. “What an incredible day.”
He grasped Zinnia’s halter with one hand and rested his other on her thigh. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I sure enjoyed the time with you.”
She smiled and put her hand over his that was on her thigh. “I loved it.”
“Good.” He grasped her and helped her down so that her feet touched the ground. He kept his hands on her waist for a long moment as he looked into her eyes. She had the feeling he was going to kiss her, but he let his hands slide away. “We’ll do it again some time.”
She felt a sense of disappointment but shoved it aside. As far as spending more time with him, she didn’t want to think too far into the future so she simply smiled and said, “Yes.”
As they started to walk back into the barn, she took a step and winced. “I’m already saddle-sore. I can’t imagine what tomorrow is going to be like.”
He paused to rub her shoulder and gave her a teasing look. “If you’d like a massage, just let me know. I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
Heat rose to her cheeks as she couldn’t help visualizing Mike massaging her aching leg muscles, especially her inner thighs. Thoughts like that led her into a territory she shouldn’t be thinking about whatsoever.
He winked and they continued on to the barn while Anna tried to recover from her embarrassment.
She was anxious to get out of the flirting danger zone. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked when they reached the cool interior of the barn.
He proceeded to remove Zinnia’s saddle and set it on a hay bale. “I’ve got it.”
She sat on a hay bale and watched as he removed the saddlebags from Dancer and then the saddle.
“I’ll brush Zinnia and Dancer down after I take you to Prescott.” He took Dancer by the halter. “First I’ll get these girls in their stalls and then drive you back to town and your car.”
As soon as Mike had the horses back in their stalls, he returned to Anna and she dusted hay off the seat of her jeans. They walked to his SUV, and once they were in the vehicle and ready to go, they headed back into Prescott.
When they arrived back at the campaign office, and Mike had helped her out of the SUV, he walked her to her car. It was dusk and the streetlights had just come on, and they walked companionably in silence.
They reached her car and she unlocked it. She turned to tell Mike “thank you,” when he took her off-guard by taking her face in his hands and lowering his mouth to hers.
She was mesmerized by the look in his eyes, by the feel of his hands on her face, by the heat of his body close to hers. He paused and waited a moment, his mouth hovering over hers.
Her entire body was still except for her heart that pounded like crazy. He brought his mouth to hers and her world seemed to spin. He kissed her long and slow, as if they had all the time in the world, as if nothing existed but the two of them.
Nothing mattered but his mouth and his tongue as he tasted her and she tasted him. A sigh escaped her and he slid one hand down to her lower back and pressed her close to him so that she felt the entire length of his body against hers.
She almost moaned, wanting more of him than she should. A part of her wanted him more than anything she could imagine. Another part of her knew that wasn’t possible.
Yet she couldn’t get herself to break the kiss.
Mike raised his head. Her lips parted, her heart still beating like crazy as she looked up at him.
She finally found her voice. “Thank you for today.” It came out in a near whisper.
He stroked her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Thank you for going with me. I like being with you.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. The words came out before she could stop them. “I like being with you, too.”
He smiled and touched the corner of her mouth. “You are a special woman, Anna. I’m glad you came into my life.”
His words sent a little shockwave through her that reminded her of all the reasons why this was wrong. Chad, her family…not wanting to break his heart.
“I’d better go.” Her lips trembled as she forced a smile. “I need to help my aunt cook dinner.”
He studied her a moment and she felt as if he could see deep inside her, deeper than anyone ever had before. “Are you coming to the office tomorrow?”
She gave a nod, feeling some relief at the change of subject. “Yes. I have to arrange the debate and the meet and greet.” She shifted her stance but he still hadn’t let her go. “I talked with your Aunt Gert today and set up the Halloween party press coverage.”
“That’s good,” Mike said.
Anna found herself smiling. “She’s probably your biggest fan.”
He smiled, too, and she could see his genuine fondness. “I think you’re probably right about that. Gert is a hell of a woman. She’s always been good to me. She’s always treated my brothers and me like we’re her own.”
“My aunt is like that,” Anna said. “She’s been like a mother to me.”
Mike tweaked a lock of Anna’s hair. “I’d better let you get on home so that you can help your aunt with dinner.”
“It’s tamale night.” Anna took a step back and Mike let his hands slide away from her waist. “Thank you again.”
“Any time. And I mean that.” He gave her one more quick kiss before holding her car door open for her.
When she was inside, he shut the door and waited for her until she’d backed up and pulled her car onto the street. She looked in her rearview mirror to see him still watching her drive away.
Chapter 13