Free Ropin' Trouble (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 2) by Rhonda Lee Carver

horse.
    “Nellie is grazing the field. I have brought a new ride.” He padded the side of the cart.
    “How many rides do you have?” Once the words left her lips, she realized how they must have sounded. It didn’t help that her gaze automatically slipped to the big silver belt buckle at his waist.
    “Although I aim to please, I do I have my limitations.” He motioned for her to take the passenger seat.
    She climbed in and waited for him to take the driver’s seat. “Where are we headed?”
    “It’s a surprise.” He turned the key and the engine’s soft purr came alive.
    She’d never liked surprises, that is, until she met Ben.
    As they headed out on the rocky lane, she admired how the sun’s rays filtered through the trees. The fields were overgrown and spotted with wildflowers. She sat back and thought about her meeting with Sofie.  Cara understood now what Deidre had meant when she said it would do Cara good to talk to someone with new ideas about learning to relax.
    Sofie had many suggestions, some Cara wasn’t sure she could follow, but she wanted to try.
    It was high time she left boring, protected Cara behind and lived her life. She wouldn’t know anyone at Nirvana, and once she left she wouldn’t see them again. This was her time to enjoy herself. Flirt like single women do. Laugh. Play. Enjoy the view…
    She looked across the small space at Ben’s profile. It didn’t get much better than this.
    While sitting in the chair in Sofie’s office, the thought of Ben hadn’t left her mind. The way their bodies had touched in the saddle. His arms around her…his warmth. His hard—
    “Here we are.” Ben pulled over beside a field.
    She cleared her throat. “Looks pretty.”
    “You haven’t seen anything yet.” He wiggled his brows.
    “I don’t think much can top what I’ve already witnessed.”
    He reached into the backseat and uncovered a basket. “You didn’t eat breakfast, so I hope you’re hungry for lunch.”
    “We’re having a picnic?” 
    “That’s the biggest smile I’ve seen since you’ve gotten here.”
    She slid from the cart and tugged her shirt down her hips. “There’s something about the fresh air here that makes my mood brighter.” And the company, yet she didn’t say it aloud. Sofie suggested Cara should start saying what she wanted to, considering she was never allowed to in her marriage. Sofie said that holding things in could lead to stress and lack of sleep. Cara wasn’t quite ready to be that aggressive.
    “Okay. We have two choices. We can stay close or we can walk a little piece to a spectacular view. Only problem is, I can’t take the cart through the field. Are you able to walk in those shoes?”
    “I want to see the spectacular view,” she said without hesitation.
    “Will I need to carry you?” One thick brow lifted over curious eyes.
    Was he teasing her? “I can walk.” Having him carry her might just take her to the brink of insanity. Riding in the saddle with him had triggered areas of her body to come alive—places she didn’t even know she had. And she could have sworn the hard bulge she’d felt in her back during their horse ride hadn’t been the belt buckle. It couldn’t be possible that he was turned on by simply being near her. Oops, she was already breaking Sofie’s directions. Cara had to work on her self-esteem. No putting herself down.
    That was easier said than done.
    “Let’s go then and feed you. We have to keep your strength up while here on the ranch.”
    Ben walked next to her across the field which seemed very unusual to Cara. James had always walked at least three paces ahead of her wherever they were. She had to keep in mind she couldn’t judge all men and their actions by how James had treated her. He had been a poor example of a man with little regard to anyone’s feelings but his own.
    She would rise above all of the damage left behind from his storm. She was stronger than James and his memory.
    Cara wasn’t