A Fearless Memory (Oil Knights Book 4) by Marie Johnston

Author:Marie Johnston [Johnston, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: LE Publishing
Published: 2024-05-16T00:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Austen

Being under the wide-open sky on the back of a horse felt good. Too right. Like coming home. I didn’t know this horse from any other, but that was the perk of growing up breeding Arabians. I was used to climbing on the back of a new horse all the time.

Old memories were assaulting me left and right. Images of riding with my brothers when we were moving cattle. Open pastures and shallow ditches. Clear blue skies. Angry clouds and racing for home when we knew better.

I even remembered taking Aggie out when she’d had a shit day at school. Many of our days had felt oppressive and dull. All work and no play. But moments like this made me wonder if I was suppressing a lot of the good memories. There had to be more if one single horseback ride brought a rush of times I hadn’t recalled in years, if ever.

The thoughts had been the only thing to take my mind off seeing Vienne as a cowgirl. She had plain brown cowboy boots that had seen plenty of work in their day. Her soft, worn jeans molded to her ass in a way her work jeans didn’t even do, and her tank top was simpler, plainer than her dressier ones, and hugged her lean frame.

She even had on a tan felt cowboy hat.

Our horses didn’t need us to tell them where to go. We had ridden around the fence line of their haying land and were now heading back. Tinkerbell, the bay she was on, and Ducky, mine, were content to walk next to each other straight for the barn. They knew the drill.

“I missed this,” I told her.

She tipped her hat to glance at me. “Same.” She focused ahead. “If I go, I have to take Catherine. She wasn’t raised like me and isn’t as knowledgeable about horses and riding. She’s learning, but I’m also older and more aware of all the things that can go wrong. Mom thinks I’m shunning this way of life.”

“When you’re worried about your kid breaking her leg or her neck, it’s a different experience.”

“Right?” She shook her head. “I make Catherine wear a bike helmet when she rides, and I think my brother hemorrhaged the first time he saw. I even wear a helmet when I’m with her.”

“Not today?”

She grinned. “Felt like being a rebel.”

When we reached the barn, we slid off our mounts. I could’ve ridden all night, but as long as I got to hang with Vienne, I didn’t mind that our time was up.

Dustin appeared out of the barn. “I’ve got them. You two go on in. Your mom wants Austen to meet Cullen.”

Vienne frowned. “Are you sure? We can take care of the horses first.”

“She’s so stinkin’ excited to have company.” Dustin let out a good-natured laugh.

Vienne’s brows lifted, then she narrowed her eyes. The sardonic twist of her lips said she didn’t believe her mom was thrilled to have her around as much as me. “Let us at least put the saddles away.

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