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Once I made my way to the kitchen, I heard a door open down the hall. A blow dryer started humming. The pie needed to chill for three hours, so I washed up and mixed the ingredients for that first, slid it into the fridge, and started on the lasagne.

I was working on the third layer when Shae-Lynn rested her shoulder on the archway that led from the living room and said, “Hey.”

I turned my head to look over my shoulder. She was wearing tight jeans and a cotton blouse with skinny straps. The fabric was sweet with tiny flowers on it like something a little girl would wear, but the fit was sexy. It made me think thoughts that her dad would have definitely not appreciated. Her hair was curled into loose waves and her cheeks were powdered with something light pink and sparkly. Her eyes were lined with a charcoal colour that made the green of her irises seem as if they were backlit. I was about to say, “Holy shit,” but I stopped myself and it came out more like, “Ho.”

She frowned and then laughed nervously as if she wasn’t sure how to take it. After scanning the countertop she said, “You’ve been busy.” She leaned on her crutches and made her way over to stand next to me to dip her finger in the tomato meat sauce. When she touched her fingertip to her tongue to taste my creation, I was hit by another urge to kiss her. “Not bad,” she said and moved away as if she knew what I was thinking. She reached over and grabbed a handful of grated cheese to sprinkle it on top of the row I just made. “How long did it take you to find the cheese grater?”

“A long time.” I looked up at the big farmhouse clock above the table. It was seven-fifteen. I smiled because, although she didn’t need to, I liked the fact that she put that much effort into getting ready. “You were in there for a long time. Did you fall asleep in the bath or something?”

“No. I just took my time. I thought it was going to take you longer to show Stella.”

“He wants to come back tomorrow with his daughter so she can ride her.”

“Oh.” She paused to let the information sink in. “Does that mean you’re staying in Calgary?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I’ll crash at a hotel and come back in the morning.”

To my surprise, she said, “You can stay here.”

I glanced over to check her expression. I knew she didn’t mean to suggest that anything was going to happen, but I wanted to make sure she wasn’t just being polite. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“We have three guest rooms. It’s fine.”

Spending as much time as possible with her sounded good to me. I pretended to be focused on the cheese so she wouldn’t see the grin on my face. I wanted to be clear in my head about what was going on, though, so I didn’t end up getting crushed. Without looking up I said, “You look nice. Do you have plans with Nate tonight, or something?”

She opened a drawer to take out a box of tinfoil, then covered the lasagne. “No. I don’t have plans with anybody tonight. Except, you did say something about going for a ride.”

Relieved that the effort she put into getting ready wasn’t for someone else, I opened the oven door and slid the dish in. “Okay, we have forty-five minutes. You ready, scaredy cat?”

“Oh. I’m ready. Are you ready?” she challenged.

“I just need to get my boots on, which might take the entire forty-five minutes since someone convinced me to wear boots that aren’t broken in.”

“You don’t have to do everything I say.”

I chuckled, not sure I could stop myself.

She smiled, maybe from the confirmation that she had me by the reins. Or, maybe from the visual of me wrestling my boots on. “I’ll meet you outside.” She pushed her shoulder into the back door and manoeuvred the crutches to step out onto the back porch. Feeling like I’d done three shots of whiskey, I walked back through the living room and sat on the bench near the front door. As I was bent over fighting with the leather, my heart rate sped up to an alarming rate. I took a deep breath before I went outside.

Lee-Anne had tied both horses to a hitching post at the side of the house. Shae-Lynn’s crutches were leaning against the fence and she was standing next to Stella holding onto the horn. I walked over and gave her a leg up. She had to use her arms to lift her body weight until she was centred in the saddle. I slid her left foot into the stirrup then walked around the other side to do her right foot. “How’s that feel?”

“A little bit weird. It kind of feels as if I’m going to slide off.”

“You look good. I’ll let you know if you’re leaning.” I adjusted the stirrups on the saddle that was on Harley and checked the cinch. My hands were sweating, so I wiped them on my jeans before I grabbed the horn and put my foot in the stirrup. As soon as I was seated, Harley reared up.

“Harley, whoa,” Shae-Lynn said sternly.

His front hooves pounded down on the ground and he dropped his head trying to throw me. I clenched the reins and pulled back. He side walked, then spun to his left, which made me lose my seat a little. “Whoa,” I shouted and pulled back hard on his mouth. He bucked, spun again, and reared up. “Easy, easy easy,” I repeated, not at all easy myself. He reared up again and I considered jumping off.

“Relax, Billy,” Shae-Lynn yelled. “He’s reacting to your nervousness.”

His hooves pounded down again and made my weight lurch forward. I released the tension in the reins and exhaled, trying to make my body relax. Harley shook his head a bunch of times and then tried to bolt, so I had to pull back on him again. I sat softer in the saddle. Eventually, after circling him a bunch of times, he settled down. “Whoa, easy.” I exhaled and trotted him in a wider circle around Shae-Lynn and Stella.

Once I had control, I looked over at Shae-Lynn and winked.

She grinned. “You all right?”

“He’s squirrelly. The wreck must have traumatized him.”

“No. He’s just responding to having a scared rider on him.”

I smiled to dismiss that theory. “That can’t be it since I’m not scared.”

She laughed at me. “You can lie to yourself and to me, but Harley knows the real reason you stopped bull riding.”

“He’s squirrelly.”

“Whatever you say. Let’s go before you get worked up again.” She clicked her tongue to make Stella walk on then she turned to look back over her shoulder. “Be good, Harley. Billy’s a little nervous.”

“I’m not nervous. He’s squirrelly,” I shouted. I exhaled heavily one more time and gave Harley a gentle leg squeeze. “Come on, buddy, don’t make me look bad.” He flipped his head around a couple more times and then trotted to catch up to Stella and Shae-Lynn.

Shae-Lynn and I rode along a stream for a while, then cut across to a trail that led through a stand of trees. The terrain got steeper and rockier as we made our way up to a ridge. The trail widened as we crossed a grassy pasture, so I moved Harley up next to Stella. Shae-Lynn glanced over and smiled, relaxed.

“How do your legs feel?”

“Good.”

“We should turn back or the lasagne will burn.”

She pulled out her phone and called Lee-Anne to ask her to take it out of the oven for us. She hung up and smiled again as if she had a plan. “I want to show you something. It’s just a little farther.”

She squeezed her legs and Stella transitioned into a gallop. I kicked Harley and blew past them, so Shae-Lynn took it up a notch. We raced each other over a series of rolling hills before she veered off and headed towards another ridge. I chased after her until she stopped on the crest of a hill. Harley slowed to a walk and stopped next to Stella. The view was of a lake framed by a mountain range on one side and expansive grasslands that stretched as far as the eye could see on the other side.

“Wow,” I said. Harley exhaled heavily and shook his entire body to release tension. “Good boy, Harley.” I patted his neck.

“Good boy, Billy.” Shae-Lynn leaned over to pat my knee.

I smiled. “The horse was tense, not me.”

“Mmm hmm,” she said to mock me.

“It’s nice here.”

She nodded, not that anyone would dispute it.

The glow of the setting sun illuminated the profile of her face and the curve of her lips, which made me say “I bet sitting by this lake is where you had your first kiss.”

“Uh, no.” She readjusted her position in the saddle. “I don’t invite boys to my house.”

“Why?”

“My dad would scare them away.”

“Who was your first kiss?”

She seemed embarrassed at first, but told me, “A boy named Miles. I was at an ice-skating party for one of my friend’s birthdays. He was her brother. It was sloppy and tasted like Doritos.”

I laughed. “What happened after that?”

“He ended up going out with one of my other friends and we never mentioned it again. Who was your first kiss?”

“A girl named Cassie. I had a crush on her all through grade six and seven, but I had trouble talking to girls back then.”

Shae-Lynn smiled as if she was picturing me back then. “I remember that. It was cute how your face went all red and you tripped over your words. How did you finally make your move?”

“On the last day of elementary school, our class went on a field trip to the waterslides. My plan was to ask her if it would be all right if I kissed her. Eventually, I worked up the nerve because I figured if things went badly I could avoid her over the summer and she’d forget all about it. She said yes, and right afterwards she said, ‘You should have done that a long time ago’. To be honest it’s still to this day the best kiss I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” She shifted in the saddle again as if her back was stiffening, but she didn’t want to leave yet. “What made it so good?”

I thought about it for a while then shrugged. “How she made me feel.”

“And how was that?”

“Peaceful.”

She nodded, agreeing that would define a good kiss to her too. “Where is she now?”

“I don’t know. She moved away that summer and I never saw her again.” I stared out at the scenery for a while. When I glanced over at Shae-Lynn, she was looking at me. I smiled and asked, “What?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I was just thinking.” She pulled the reins and turned Stella around. “We should get going if we want to make it back before it gets too dark.”

I turned Harley around and galloped to catch up to her. She smiled as the horses walked side-by-side. “Race you back, Shae Lynn.”

“Shae.” She smiled and squeezed her legs and took off.

She beat me by almost a hundred metres and stopped in front of the barn. I got off Harley and walked over to help her dismount. She rested her hands on my shoulders and let her body slide down mine. I carried her a few steps away from Stella and eased her down until her feet were touching the ground. Her arms were still wrapped around my neck. We both looked up at the same time and our faces ended up only a centimetre apart. I gazed into the green of her eyes before glancing down at the flesh of her lips. If Harley could have sensed how fast my heart was beating, he would have gone berserk.

“That felt good,” she whispered.

“Definitely.”

She seemed to be searching my face to figure out if I was referring to the riding or the body contact. She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. “I know you need the money, but I kind of hope the sale doesn’t go through. I would love to keep riding her until I’m ready to get back on Harley.”

I licked my lips trying to figure out what to do next. Part of me wanted to kiss her. Part of me wanted to tell her to run as fast as her weak little legs could take her. She seemed to be waiting for me to make a move. When I didn’t, her arms slid down off my shoulders and she stepped back.

“Do you mind getting my crutches, please?”

I jogged over and brought them to her. “I’ll take care of the horses and meet you inside.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She smiled, but it seemed sad before she turned on the crutches to make her way back to the house.

I watched her for a while, still unsure whether it was a good or bad idea to become more than friends. What I did know for sure was I wanted to take the next step. I led both horses into the barn. I had no trouble finding where the tack should go because everything was labelled and organized. When I was hanging the reins, I noticed framed pictures on the wall outside an office near the feed box. The first one was a picture of Shae-Lynn being hugged by four children. Her T-shirt had
The Africa Project
written on it. There was another picture of her with a group of kids standing in front of what looked like a brand new school. The third picture was of her with a bunch of kids playing soccer on a dirt field. Her T-shirt in that photo had
Right To Play Cambodia
written across the front.

Skeeter poked his head around the end of the stall trying to nuzzle noses with Stella. “Hey, stud. Watch yourself. She’s a good girl and I’d like to keep her that way. Got it?” Stella leaned against the wall and stretched her neck over to get closer to him. “You two better say your goodbyes. Stella’s going to be moving on tomorrow.” Skeeter looked up at me almost as if he understood what I said. “Sorry, buddy. I need the money.” I patted Stella, then left the barn.

When I walked into the house, Shae-Lynn had already set the table for three. She looked wobbly trying to carry the heavy lasagne dish with one hand and manoeuvre a crutch under the other armpit. I took the dish from her and placed it on the table. Lee-Anne stood in the doorway that led to the living room. She was putting on a leather jacket.

“Aren’t you staying for dinner?” Shae-Lynn asked. “Billy made enough for all of us.”

Lee-Anne smiled the same way she had earlier when she sent me into town to pick Shae-Lynn up. “No, I’m going over to TJ’s place.”

“I thought you said he was working tonight.”

“Did I?” She raised her eyebrows at me. “Have fun. Don’t wait up for me.” She turned and left out the front door.

“All right, so it’s just the two of us.” Shae-Lynn picked up one place setting and hobbled back into the kitchen. It was hard to tell how she felt about Lee-Anne leaving us alone. I didn’t want her to feel like I had come over with the intention of staying the night.

When she came back and sat down across from me, I said, “After we eat, I’ll leave and get a hotel room. I don’t want your dad to get the wrong idea.”

She looked at me for a while, then blew on a forkful of pasta. “My dad doesn’t need to know.”

It was sassy, and I liked it. My blood rushed through my body. I took a deep breath and changed the subject to try to settle down. “I noticed those pictures of you in the barn. It looks like you’ve travelled a lot doing charity work.”

She nodded. “I try to do two trips a year if I can manage it. Sometimes I go with a church group and sometimes with a charitable organization.”

“Damn. I waste most of my time at rodeos and bars while you’re off making the world a better place. You make me look bad.”

She glanced across the table. “What are you waiting for?”

“I wouldn’t know the first thing about helping kids in third world countries.”

“Not that. What are you waiting for with your dinner? Aren’t you hungry?”

I stared at her and my thoughts kept derailing to wonder what it might feel like to kiss her. The image I created in my mind made me feel insanely nervous and excited at the same time. My fork was suspended over my plate and I was having trouble focusing enough to make it move.

Her eyebrows angled together and she tilted her head to the side. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No.” I ate a few forkfuls so she wouldn’t figure out why I was acting weird.

“Charity work isn’t just about helping kids. They also do things like build houses, dig wells, and teach farmers how to use modern technology. You’d be good at that.”

“Are you trying to recruit me?”

“Maybe.” She scooped another helping onto her plate and ate. “You’re a good cook, too.”

“Thanks. Don’t forget to leave room for the Key Lime pie.”

“Don’t worry about that.” She patted her flat stomach. “I can pack it in.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re so tiny.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult?”

“It’s an observation.”

She sat back in her chair and watched as I finished what was on my plate. “Do you remember what you said to me after I fell off Harley in the finals of my first pro event?”

I frowned and thought back. “Uh, I think I told you to stop crying.”

“And?”

I laughed when I remembered. “I called you a runt and I said if you ever wanted to make it on the circuit you were going to have to cowgirl up.”

She nodded and smiled. “I wanted to punch you in the face so badly.”

“You should have. At least I would have known you were tough enough.”

“All right. Next time I will.”

“Good.” I stood to clear the table. “I’ll do the dishes. You go sit down in the living room. I’ll bring dessert out to you.”

“Wow. I could get used to this. It’s like having a personal servant around.” She stood and handed me her plate. I piled it on top of mine and then picked up the lasagne dish with my other hand. “Thanks for dinner,” she said as she put her hand on my chest. She definitely would have been able to feel how hard my heart was beating. She smiled before she let her hand slide away. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

I grinned and teased her, “Isn’t that code for something else?”

“Ha ha. You know that a movie means a movie.”

“I was just checking. You did invite me to stay at your house when nobody else is home, and we had a nice dinner, and—”

“Easy there, cowboy.” She smiled and leaned her shoulder against the archway to the living room. “You showed up uninvited, brought the groceries with you, and made my favourite dinner without asking. I don’t know why you did all that since you already know I’m not that kind of girl.”

“Maybe I just wanted to.”

Instead of responding, she tucked her hair behind her ears and dipped her head in an attempt to hide the blush that spread across her face. After she spun around and disappeared into the living room, I went into the kitchen to clean up. I quickly put everything in the dishwasher and turned it on. Then I took two pieces of pie into the living room. She was on the couch with her feet rested on the leather ottoman. A movie was queued up, frozen on the opening title, waiting for her to press play. I handed her the plate and read the French title.

“What did you choose?”

“It’s a foreign film with subtitles.”

“Great,” I mumbled.

She laughed at my lack of sophistication. “Just sit down and turn that lamp out.” I leaned over and turned it off. She threw a blanket over both of our laps, pressed play, and broke off a piece of pie with her fork. Before she took the bite, she said, “Thank you for everything.”

“Don’t mention it,” I said and dug into my pie.

Once we’d finished dessert, she reached her hand over and rested it palm up on my leg. I chuckled a little as I wrapped my fingers around hers.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked, a bit offended.

“I haven’t watched a movie while holding hands with a girl since I was about fourteen.”

“You think it’s lame?” she attempted to pull her hand away.

I squeezed her fingers tighter to stop her. “No, I think it’s sweet.”

She smiled before she rested her head on my shoulder.

“So, does this mean we’re on a date?” I asked.

“You’re the one who showed up in shiny new boots. You tell me.”

“I’d be okay calling it a date if you’re okay with it.”

She sat up. “What about Tawnie?”

“I was only putting an effort in with her because you asked me to.”

Her expression contorted into confusion. “I didn’t ask you to date Tawnie.”

“Yes, you did. You said I needed to have a relationship with someone that lasted more than two nights to prove I was a stand-up guy.”

“I didn’t mean with
her
, dummy.”

When I realized what she meant, my heart bucked and a big grin stretched across my face.

She returned the smile for a while before she said, “I’m okay with calling this a date, but you still have a lot to prove.”

With more seriousness than I had ever promised anything in my life, I said, “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

She seemed to know that I meant it because she relaxed and rested her head back on my shoulder peacefully as the movie started.