Free Noah's Journey (Sawyer Brothers #3) by C. A. Harms Page A

item, she adjusted remarkably to the ranch lifestyle. I admired her calmness.
    “Just nudge her side lightly with your heel. Like this,” she directed as she tapped the side of her horse with her boot, and Diamond stepped forward. “And when you want her to stop, you pull back on the reins.”
    “How did I let you all convince me to do this?” I could hear the shakiness in my voice.
    Olivia laughed, and I looked back over my shoulder at her. This movement caused Stella to step to the side, and I instantly fell forward, wrapping my arms around her neck. I closed my eyes tightly, bracing for the fall I was sure was coming.
    “What the hell are you doing, Alena? You don’t have to hug Stella for her to be gentle,” Jackson said as he too joined the pick-on-Alena party. “She’s as gentle as they come, darlin’.”
    I peeked through squinted eyelids and slowly began to rise to a sitting position. “Forgive me for being just a little freaked out. I am straddling an animal that could buck me off in two seconds flat. I’m a little uneasy here.” I took in a few short breaths, carefully slid my hands along the horse’s neck, and took the reins in my fists.
    “You got it,” Ryan said, and his tone was much more reassuring. Jackson was a practical joker, a big kid at heart, and at times that was fun. But right now, I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t do something to make this moment even tenser. Ryan, on the other hand, was a calming, rational man who tried to make everything just a little easier to handle anytime a tense situation would surface. “Just relax. If there’s any horse on this ranch you can trust, it’s Stella.”
    I nodded and took in one last calming breath before I lifted my boot just enough to lightly tap Stella’s side. And as Ryan said, she treated me right. She slowly took a step forward, and I may have squealed before biting my lip to refrain from spooking her, but she remained calm.
    And just like that, Stella and I became friends. With each step she took, I grew a little less frantic and was comforted by her slow, gentle movements.
    I trailed behind Amber and Ryan, with Bailey and Jackson only a few feet behind me. Olivia had taken off like a bullet the minute we exited the barn. She’d been riding since she was barely able to walk, and she knew what she was doing. Seeing her disappear into the open land before us made me smile. She was so free-spirited and determined. The older she got, the more vibrant she became, and one day she was gonna be a heartbreaker. Stunning would be one word you could use to describe her.
    As the five of us trotted along, taking in the scenery, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sad.
    I had intended to spend the day with Noah, but he was still missing. And I felt completely out of place.
     
    ***
     
    “I’ll race ya,” Olivia called out as she raced off toward the barn. She knew there was no way I would attempt to trail after her. I valued my life entirely too much. Jackson and Bailey had disappeared over an hour ago, and none of us were brave enough to go looking for them. There are truly some things in life you’re better off not witnessing.
    Amber and Ryan had gone into the stable about fifteen minutes ago as I trailed behind at a comfortable pace. Olivia had stuck around and shown me a few places she loved to sneak off to when she needed a little break from her overprotective father and uncles. “A place to breathe without them hovering,” as she put it.
    Once I reached the stable, Ryan was waiting to offer his hand as I timidly crawled from Stella’s back. When I turned to face them, he and Amber were looking at me with unreadable expressions.
    “What?” I asked, looking back over my shoulder. “Did I truly look that pathetic?”
    Amber stepped forward. “Noah’s here,” she whispered. I wondered why she said it as if she thought his being here was a bad thing. I had waited all morning for him to show. “He didn’t just bring