Page 48 of Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire

Hugging her close, Michele started out the door. “Put on your helmet and let’s go get our babies. When we get back, I’ll fix us a nice lunch.”

Erin grabbed her helmet off the bureau and put it on, clicking the chin strap.

They hurried to the barn. The morning sunshine felt wonderful and the sounds in the barn of the horses’ whinnies, the cow mooing, cats meowing, all the sounds of home she took for granted. But not anymore. She was keeping close to home from now on.

Joker whinnied.

So did Domino.

Michele walked over and petted Domino.

The horse butted Michele’s hand with his head.

Her heart felt a little lighter with Domino giving her love butts. “You want more, huh? Okay.” She rubbed him for a bit longer, then put his bridle on and saddled him.

“You need help with that saddle, sweet pea?”

“Yes, please.”

Joker had leaned his head down for Erin to put on the bridle, but, unless he laid down, Erin couldn’t put on his saddle.

Michele made quick work of saddling Joker. “Okay, we’re ready.” She lifted Erin into the saddle, and then they walked out of the barn. She closed the large doors before mounting.

“Let’s go into the pasture where we can let loose.”

Erin nodded fast. “I’m ready, Mommy.”

Michele led the way. She dismounted and opened the gate to the pasture. Domino went through, followed by Erin on Joker. Michele closed the gate and then remounted. “Ready? Let’s go.”

She kicked Domino lightly. “Come on, boy. Let’s go.”

Domino took off until he was in a lope.

Michele watched as Joker caught up with her.

Her little girl was doing great. She was moving with Joker and ready to go to the next level. “Ready for a gallop?” Michele had to yell over the sound of the horses’ hooves hitting the hard dirt with sparse growth of brown June grass.

“Yes. Yay!”

Michele tapped Domino’s sides. “Yee-haw. Run, Domino, run.”

The horse started galloping.

Michele watched Erin.

The little girl was doing great. She was hanging on and still moving with Joker.

Suddenly Joker stopped dead.

Erin screamed.

She’d been thrown over his head, landing hard on the ground.

Michele turned around and galloped back, sliding from the saddle as the horse stopped. She ran to her daughter.Oh, God, please let her be okay. Please.

“Erin! Erin!” She saw the snake near her child and shot it before it could hurt anyone else.

The child was on the ground not moving, eyes closed, but she was breathing. A gash in her helmet showed the equipment had probably saved her life.If not for that helmet, I could have lost my baby.