see my horse.â
âAll right,â Katie said. Kristen took her hand and they walked over to Lex, Grady following a few paces behind. When they got to the trailer, Lex glanced over her shoulder at the girls, then smiled. A breathtaking smile. Grady almost stopped in his tracks. Wow.
Had he ever seen Lex look like that before?
âHi, guys. Ready to ride?â
âKind of,â Katie said.
âKind of?â Lex lowered the brush sheâd been using to sweep the road dust off the mareâs back and cocked her head at Katie, who nodded that yes, she was kind of ready to ride.
âWeâre working through a few things. I need to speak to Jared.â Grady met Lexâs puzzled gaze. âWould you mind if the girls hung here with you for a few minutes?â He gave her a look that promised an explanation later, and she gave a small nod.
âNot at all.â She turned back to her brushing. âYou might want to stand back, or youâll end up wearing the dirt Iâm brushing off these guys.â
The girls obediently stepped back and Grady went to find Jared, who was discussing the dayâs lesson with his helpers. Grady explained the situation, and Jared told him that heâd talk to Katie, but if she was truly afraid then he wasnât about to force her onto a horse. Grady was in full agreement, but after the talk with Jared, Katie told Grady sheâd try again, because Jared said she could stop whenever she wanted. She lasted for half of the lesson, until it was time to trot; then she raised her hand and asked if she could be done.
Grady met her at the gate, where heâd stayed with a small group of parents instead of sitting in the stands with Lex, and helped her dismount.
âThat was good,â he said.
Katie nodded and he could tell that she was embarrassed at having quit early, but her instinct for survival was stronger than her fear of embarrassment.
It was a quiet ride home. Kristen had enjoyed the lesson, but she wasnât about to talk about it when Katie so obviously didnât enjoy herself.
âGive her time,â Annie said later that evening when she and Grady were sitting on the porch. âKatie has always been more cautious than Kristen.â
âNeither of them struck me as cautious until riding lessons.â
âKatieâs a little nervous around big animals,â Annie said. âShe takes after me. Kristen takes after you.â
âIn some ways thatâs more worrisome than Katie being afraid of falling off a horse.â
âIâm not touching that one,â Annie replied, sending him an amused look.
She didnât seem that concerned, so Grady decided that maybe he didnât need to be concerned. âHowâs work?â
âI love it.â She leaned her head back, a smile still playing on her lips. âI canât believe that something went right in my life for a change.â
âHey, you have a free sitter.â
âWell, there is that,â she said. âIt took a tornado to get me my free sitter, butââ she gave her head a small shake ââwhatever it takes.â Her expression sobered. âI really appreciate you coming back to help.â
âI should have been back earlier. As in years ago.â
âWhy do you say that?â
âIt was selfish of me to winter in Oklahoma when I could have been here.â
She gave him a hard look, similar to the one sheâd given him after seeing the aftermath of the twinsâ cake-making efforts. âYouâre my brother, Grady. With a life of your own. You owe me nothing.â
âI disagree.â They sat in silence, and then he said, âDo you see much of Lex at the store? And donât read anything into the question.â
âShe comes by a couple times a week. We have business meetings on Wednesdays, and she helps cover when Danielle is busy with her wedding preparations.â She