Promise Canyon (Virgin River #13)(40)

She didn't have to look at her watch to know it was dinnertime and she would spend it alone. She'd probably stop for a bean-and-cheese burrito to go, though really, she wanted nothing more than to sit down with Clay and his family; she'd like to know more about them. But she just wasn't ready yet.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm tied up."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe another time?"

"Maybe," she said. "I'd better get going. And you should get to dinner."

"One of these days, Lilly, you'll take a chance on me."

She laughed and gave him a dismissive wave as she headed for the truck, but inside she was thinking, I am taking a pretty big chance right now. For me...

Eight

At Annie's request, Lilly saddled up Blue Rhapsody and joined her in the round pen for a little dressage instruction. Blue was wonderful; she could almost anticipate Lilly's next move.

"How much dressage training have you had?" Annie asked her.

"None. Right before leaving the reservation, I'd started barrel racing. My grandpa said it took twenty years off his life."

"You ride like you've done it forever," Annie said.

Lilly was shaking her head. "I think it's Blue," she said. "Whatever life she had before, I bet anything she went to show. By the way, I think I've come up with a plan--if I help teach three yoga classes a week, I can afford her board. And I can get a deal on feed." She grinned.

"What if I had a better idea?" Annie said. "Our training program is still small, but growing bit by bit. I could use someone like you to help me. If you're interested."

"Really?" Lilly asked. "I mean, really?"

"You'd be perfect," Annie insisted. "How flexible are your work hours?"

"Except for the feed delivery, Grandpa's easy to work with. I keep the books, Annie--the bills don't go away at 5:00 p.m."

"Kind of the way I ran the beauty shop," Annie said. "I cut, colored and permed all day, kept the books at night. Let me see what it'll take to bring you into the program and get your help. And maybe Blue's help--I think she has a lot of talent and training."

They talked a little bit about the many things they could accomplish with a riding academy, helping girls who wanted to compete, teaching them confidence and self-reliance. Annie and Lilly got to remembering what an important role riding had played in their early lives. Then Annie smiled lazily and said, "It'll mean spending more time around here. Not that you haven't been doing more of that lately."

So, that hadn't slipped anyone's notice at all. That was the only trepidation she had, putting herself in Clay's company more often. But hadn't she been here every day, edging closer all the time? If he turned out to be the kind of man she feared, why couldn't she kick him in the shins and avoid him forever? Or, she could tattle on him, tell Annie he was a louse and a jackass--and as Dane had said, Annie would shoot him or make Nathaniel fire him.

But if she was honest with herself, she wanted to be near Clay. When she was around him she felt good, she felt safe.

She stepped into the ring of fire. "It sounds wonderful," she told Annie. "You see what you can do. I'll see what I can do."

"Fantastic," Annie said. "In the meantime a friend of mine is coming over for a ride on Saturday. We'll go out on the trail for a couple of hours. Join us?"

"Oh...I don't want to intrude..."

"Don't be ridiculous! Shelby is a new mom who just got cleared to ride. She's been off a horse for quite a while and can't wait. She'd love the company."

So even though it was her day for chores and errands, Lilly cut a few hours out of her schedule to ride with Annie and Shelby. She shouldn't have been at all surprised that not only the riding energized her, but the company she kept with these women. Lilly had girlfriends, but none of them shared her passion for horses, which meant she tamped it down, herself. And while Dane was a perfect best friend in every way, he was not interested in riding.

Out on the trail, away from the men and the barn, they traded girl talk and confidences. Shelby said that now that the baby was a couple of months old and Luke was invited to make love again, he was driving her crazy. "I think he was counting the seconds until he was cleared for sex."

"Is that all they think about?" Annie asked.

"Not all," Shelby said. "Just most of what they think about." Then she grinned and said, "I have to admit, I was pretty anxious, too. Luke is hard for me to resist. Especially when I don't feel like a pole that swallowed a watermelon. We had a long dry spell while I was horribly pregnant and then when I'd just given birth. You know what I mean."

"I don't know anything about that," Annie said. "But I just found my Nathaniel last Christmas and I'm not tired of him yet. Not a bit!" Then she smiled. "You know what I mean, Lilly," she said.

"I have no idea what you mean! It's been so long since I had hot sex I'm not sure I remember how!"

"Well, there's always Clay..." Annie teased. "I know you're attracted to him."

"Clay? The new vet tech?" Shelby asked. "How could you not be? Have you been seeing him?"

"As in dating him? No," Lilly said. "He might be more than I can handle."