Long Hard Ride (Rough Riders #1)(51)

The soft clip-clop of horse’s hooves sounded behind her. She spun and saw Gemma astride a bay mare.


“Channing! Girl, what’re you doin’ out here all by yourself?”


“Getting some fresh air. What are you doing?”


“Letting Daisy here stretch her legs.” Gemma patted the horse’s neck.


“She’s a social butterfly. She wants to see who’s hanging around the paddock. Mostly I think she’s got her eye on cozying up to one of them cutting horse studs.”


“She’s beautiful.”


“You want to ride her? She’s really gentle.”


Channing laughed. “Can I tell you something completely embarrassing?”


Gemma grinned. “You don’t know how to ride a horse, do you?”


“Nope. Not the first thing about it.”


“Well, lucky you’ve got me to teach you.”


“The teacher being taught, that has a nice ring to it.”


“You’re a teacher?”


“Yep.”


“Wow. That’s great. What age group?”


“I’m supposed to teach high school in the fall. But my real love would be elementary kids.”


“Why can’t you switch and do that?”


Channing sighed. “It’s a long story.”


“I’ve got time. Come on, help me bed Daisy down for the night and we’ll talk about making you into a real horsewoman.”


Channing wished she would’ve brought her notebook. There was so much more to taking care of a horse than she’d ever dreamed. Gemma chatted as she performed the tasks she’d done a million times. When she finished she said, “Early tomorrow we’ll get saddled up.”


“I don’t know…”


“It’ll be fun, I promise.” She wiped a gloved hand across her forehead, leaving a smear of dirt. “I got beer in the trailer if you want one.”


Channing thought it’d be rude to point out the smudge so she didn’t.


“I’d love a beer.”


“Good. Let’s sit outside, soak in the night. I hate being cooped up all day in the damn truck.”


At her campsite, Gemma pulled out two lawn chairs and a six-pack of Bud Light. She popped the tops on two cans, handed one to Channing and toasted her. “Cheers.”


“Cheers.”


After a long pull of beer, Gemma sighed and propped her booted feet on the cooler. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. This is getting to be my favorite time of day.” She grinned. “Beer o’clock.”


Channing laughed.


“So, tell me, Channing Kinkaid, who you are, and why you’re running with the rodeo and a buncha cowboys. You look smarter than that.”


Again, Channing laughed and gave Gemma the long version of her life, the run down of her crises and conflicts and the temporary escape from it.


Gemma looked thoughtful for a minute as she finished her second beer. Then she said, “Sounds like you got out in the nick of time.”


“But I do have to go back,” Channing pointed out.


“You don’t gotta do nothin’ you don’t want to. That’s the beauty of being young and where you’re at in your life.”


“By blowing off my obligations?” she countered.


“Only person you’re obligated to make happy is yourself. Is Colby McKay helpin’ you blow off some steam and taking some of the starch out of your spine?”


“You might say that.”


“And since I’ve got no life and no shame, my next question…is he any good?”


Channing sipped her beer before she let a slow smile tilt the corners of her mouth. “Oh, yeah.”


“Come on, girl. Details. Vivid details.”


“You’ve seen him on broncs?”


“Uh-huh.”


“Well, rough stock ain’t the only thing he can ride like a wild man.


And he can ride long and ride hard, all night.”


Gemma hooted. “Keep goin’.”


“You know the phrase ‘hung like a bull’?”


“Uh-huh.”


Channing leaned forward. “Bulls ain’t got nothin’ on him. And believe me, when he’s riding, bucking him off is the last thing on my mind.”


“Oh. My. God. I need another goddamn beer. Better yet, give me some ice out of that cooler.”


“Come on, Gemma. This isn’t anything you haven’t heard before, right?”


“About Colby? Or men in particular?”


“Both.”


“That your way of fishin’ for information on Colby?”


“Can’t put anything over on you, huh, Gem?”


She snorted. “Okay. I’m gonna admit that I know Colby’s folks a little better than I know him. Our ranches are only about two hours apart.