Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Stevie rushed past us and into the open door. Her eyes scanned all the items until she found a tan child-sized barrel racing saddle with a turquoise padded seat, matching crystals on the trim, and other splashes of bling that were worthy of a show saddle rather than an everyday one.
“I like this one!” she called out, going directly to it. Her eyes swung back to me, and she grinned. “See it, Mommy?”
I nodded. It was fit for a princess. I didn’t want to dampen the moment, but one day soon, we were going to need to discuss that if he continued with the gifts, she was going to turn into a spoiled diva. Mix that with her teen years, and whew. Neither of us wanted that. He just didn’t know it yet.
“It’s beautiful,” I replied.
She pointed at her chest. “It’s mine.” Then, she reached to pick it up. “I want to wide now.”
Linc chuckled. “Looks like it is time for the first lesson.”
I stood back and watched as he squatted down and began to talk to her about the saddle and what every part on it was for. I couldn’t remember my dad ever giving me that lesson. Sometimes, it felt as if I had been born riding.
Dad would have loved this. He’d have wanted his granddaughter to ride horses. For them to be a part of her. Something else that Linc could give her that I couldn’t.
Forty-Three
Branwen
The exhilaration of today had not only made combing through Stevie’s hair with the detangler after her bath easy, but she had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
We had spent several hours at the stables while Linc worked with Stevie on basics and then put her on the back of Jack with him to go for a longer ride. It had been so many years since I’d ridden that I hadn’t even asked if I could ride Diane. I felt as if I needed lessons too.
I hadn’t realized just how bad I’d missed it until today. Even being at Hughes Farm hadn’t brought back the desire to feel myself on the back of a horse with the wind in my face like it had today. There had been a few other saddles in the tack room, and if Linc continued being so…friendly, I might get brave enough to ask.
Glancing down at my phone, I saw it was after twelve, but I was thirsty, and sleep wasn’t coming for me. My brain refused to shut off. Getting up, I headed out the door and toward the staircase.
Linc had left with Luther shortly after we got back from riding, and they still hadn’t returned by the time I brought Stevie up to bed. Jayda had taken Maui and put him in Linc’s room for me.
It wasn’t until I reached the entrance to the kitchen that I heard voices coming from the great room. Considering the time, I was curious as to who was up this late. Jayda had said she was going up after she finished cleaning the kitchen, and that had been three hours ago. I hesitated and then decided to just go peek. As I got closer, it sounded as if the television was on, but I heard something else too. Loud, feminine laughter caused me to pause.
That wasn’t Jayda.
It could be someone with Luther…and Linc. I winced at the stab of jealousy.
I should turn around and go back to the kitchen to get a drink and head back upstairs, where I belonged. Today had been a good day. Linc had treated me as if I was human, and I’d like not to mess that up. If he had woman here, he had waited until well after he knew Stevie was asleep. Yes, it was painful to think about, but that was something I’d have to learn to live with.
Before I could do something stupid, like go see who was here, I went back to the kitchen, not stopping until I had my glass and was filling it with the pitcher of cold water from the refrigerator.
“Linc,” a female’s voice said with a purr in the hallway just outside the kitchen.
I stopped pouring, sat the pitcher back up, and stood there, staring down at my glass, trying to decide what to do.
“Where’s your room?”
“Not going to my room.” His deep voice was slightly husky.
“Oh,” she breathed.
Then, I heard her gasp, and something hit the floor.
“You want my cock, then you’re gonna get it on your knees.” His tone turned hard.
I was going to have to stand here and listen to this. My eyes darted around the room for any escape that I hadn’t noticed before.
“God, I forgot how big it was,” she moaned.
Apparently, she wasn’t new.
“When you fucked me at the club, I was sore for days,” she told him with a reverent tone.