Page 48 of Take Me Home

When I look over my shoulder at Hank and Otto, they both look amused.

“Why is he like this?” I demand. “He’s so stubborn.”

“You sure you’ll be okay out there?” Otto asks. “We could put our trip to town off for another day.”

“I’ll be fine; you guys go,” I tell them.

They look unconvinced.

A few minutes later, I stride inside the mare barn to find Lincoln has already brought Dolly and Kitty out to tack them.

It’s cool today but not freezing, so I opt to stay in my thick riding pants, long-sleeved shirt, and insulated vest instead of shrugging on the winter coat Hank keeps in the barn. My weather app said it’s already fifty degrees outside and it should continue to warm-up throughout the day.

Lincoln notices me glancing at the coat. “You should put that on. You never know when Montana weather might shift.”

“I’m plenty warm,” I say, raising my nose in the air.

His jaw works in frustration. “The temperature can change quickly out here. It’s always best to be prepared.”

I shake my head and grab a brush off the shelf. “My vest is insulated.”

Lincoln shakes his head but stays silent as we brush the mares to prep them for their saddles. His shoulders are tense as he works, and I want to demand that he tell me what the hell his problem is…but I’m not in the mood to fight with him. I’m still rattled from my phone call earlier.

Once the mares are ready, we lead them outside the barn. Lincoln stays by my side while I put my foot in the stirrup and lift myself onto Dolly’s back—as if I haven’t ridden a horse a million times. But I’m irritated and fling my right leg over her back too quickly, wobbling unsteadily with a gasp.

One of Lincoln’s hands grabs my thigh and the other grips my waist. When I steady myself in the saddle, I look down at him. His mouth is open as he breathes, his eyes wide. His big hand is warm against my thigh. The heat seeps through the fabric, permeating my skin like there’s no fabric between us. A throb of desire pulses through my core at the contact.

I stare down at his hand and wonder what those calluses would feel like on my naked skin.

He blinks, then squeezes my leg and slowly drops his hand from my leg. “You good?”

“Yes,” I say, my voice breathless. I can feel the heat of a blush on my cheeks and hope he didn’t notice my reaction to his touch.

Lincoln easily settles onto Kitty’s back, no wobbling for him, and then we’re off.

It’s an hour's ride to the backfield. Hank’s property seems to never end. I have a feeling they call this the backfield, but it’s not even the end of his acreage.

There’s a wide river that runs through Hank’s ranch, which is why we couldn’t bring the ATV. I spot the hole in the fence as soon as we’re past the water, and thankfully, it looks like only a few of the cattle have moseyed through the gap.

“Damn cows,” Lincoln says. “Stay here and I’ll herd them this way.”

I listen and stay put. I wouldn’t know the first thing about herding cattle, anyway. Kitty gallops around behind the cattle with Lincoln guiding her. Both cows moo loudly before running in the opposite direction. They head back through the hole in the fence before merging with their herd.

Kitty trots back through the gap in the fence. When she stops, he slides off her back and loops her reins around the saddle horn so she can graze freely as we work.

I follow suit, sliding off Dolly’s back and letting her graze with Kitty.

“I’ll hold the barbed wire in place, but I’ll need you to hand me the tools when I ask for them, okay?” He tilts his chin toward the leather pack on Kitty’s saddle.

I nod, and he slides thick leather gloves on his hands. I wonder if it was difficult to find gloves large enough for his hands…

“Hattie, did you hear me?”

“Sorry, what?” I shake the thoughts of his massive hands out of my mind and find him staring at me while holding the barbed wire onto the fence post.

He sighs. “I need the pliers.”

My head whips toward the pack of tools. I open it, looking at the assortment of metal objects inside. I squeeze my eyes shut, realizing I don’t know which one is pliers. He’s going to have a field day with this information.