Page 95 of Grasp The Moment

“Are you two riding Nora today? Emiliano told me that Felicity can go for a walk as well,” Lidia says, patting the mane of her horse as Derek nods.

He looks between his mother and the stables. “Yeah, I think we’ll take Nora out,” he says, shrugging before walking away to the stables.

Lidia looks between the two of us, a brow raised. “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

I shake my head and lift my shoulders. I mean… How hard can it be to ride a horse? I’ve watched movies, and all they do is say “giddy up,” and the horse moves. When Derek comes back, Nora’s reins in hand, my stomach drops.

He gestures for me to mount the horse, and I take a step back, analyzing my situation.

Not only is Nora huge, but she’s also giving me a beady-eyed stare as if to say, “Mount me if you want to, bitch. I got something for you.” I scrunch my nose and shake my head.

“I don’t think I’m as advanced yet…”

Derek’s mom lets out a hearty laugh while Delilah giggles at my dismay.

“It’s okay, silly! You can ride with Papá.,” the four-year-old exclaims, gesturing to her father, who stands with an amused smirk on his face, watching me.

I shake my head once again as Nora takes a step toward me and blows out a chunk of air, chuffing at me.

“See, darlin’... Even little old Nora is ready for you to mount her so we can go for a ride.”

“Little old Nora” gives me a look that could kill… I hate to admit it, but I squeak. Not a big squeak per se… but the sound falls from my lips nonetheless.

Derek sighs, a small laugh escaping as he stalks toward me and lifts me up. I’m completely still as he walks me over to Nora, gently placing me on her black leather saddle.

Seconds later, he’s hauling his body atop her as well, mounting the horse with practiced ease. My body heats as he presses his chest to my back, leaning close to grab the reins.

“See, that wasn’tsohard,” he whispers into my ear.

I shiver as his lips graze the shell of my ear, and heat tinges my cheek as he commands Nora to move us. As we come to a slow trot, going around the pen, I speak up, turning my head slightly to him.

“This place is beautiful…” I say, gasping as I take in the beautiful landscape around us. I feel like I’m in a Hallmark movie as we trot slowly around the pen and Derek agrees quietly.

An idea comes to me in an instant. “I could see myself creating a line based on the ranch. Do you think your family would be okay with me taking pictures for inspiration?”

He agrees almost instantly, and we talk over the different clothing I could curate to represent not only his culture but his childhood on the ranch as well.

“You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to my godmom about helping you out… Maybe she can help out with that line?”

I nod with a small chuckle. “I highly doubt Tía Carmen wants to help with a clothing line…”

“Huh?”

I twist around to look at him, but when Nora begins to speed up, we focus our attention back on the horse.

By the time we’re done horseback riding, my legs are aching, and we’re hungry again. He leads me to the truck we took to the ranch and insists on showing me parts of the small town he grew up in on the outskirts of Houston.

We’re walking hand in hand on the sidewalk of many small shops when I walk straight into a girl, the both of us dropping our phones.

“Shit, girl, I’m so sorry!” we say in unison, laughing together as we reach to grab our phones. Handing her the sparkly white phone, I’m stunned when she looks up at me, giving me a dazzling smile.

The girl reminds me of a Barbie doll with glowing, deep brown skin, a poofy blowout that makes me jealous at how perfect it looks on her, and a smile that could steal the sun’s spot in the sky.

“Thank you, I’ve been walking around here not paying a lick of a—Perez?Derek Perez, is that you?” The model in frontof me gasps, turning to Derek with a shocked smile as he chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

“Hey Soleil… are you back in town?” Derek asks, his brows shooting up as Soleil widens her eyes and looks away from him to me.

She gives me a dazzling smile. “I am, and who are you? You’re not from around these parts—I would know.”