steps and gently showed her how to put her foot in the stirrup and swing her other leg over. She let out a giggle of delight when she was finally on Tude; the horse barely twitched.
“Look, Dad and Papa!” She grinned so widely she showed off a single missing tooth. “I’m on a horse!”
Both dads had their phones out, snapping pictures, and it was one of the most affectionate, familial scenes George had observed in a long damned time. Reyes adjusted her stirrups, and then carefully led her around the corral. He let her try to rein Tude in herself, sticking close the entire time. Samuel filmed the whole thing while keeping a tight grip on Rey’s hand.
Faith rode for a while, having the time of her life up on Tude, until Reyes asked who wanted to go next. She said her dad had to go. It took Rey a few times—and a bit of a boost from Reyes—to get up, but he managed. Samuel went next, and since Levi didn’t need to practice—the lucky son of a bitch—all eyes were now on George.
Reyes impressed the hell out of him by allowing Levi to coach George through it. “The saddle gives a little,” Levi said. “Don’t let it scare you. You just pull yourself right on up. You’re an athlete. I know you’ve got the muscles.”
His confidence in George boosted his own self-confidence a bit more. He put his hands everywhere Levi indicated, got his left foot situated in the stirrup. Took a strong hold of the pommel...and shocked the crap out of himself by actually dragging his ass up and into the saddle. “Wow,” George said, keenly aware of exactly how high off the ground he was now. “Dude.”
“Great job. I am so proud of you.” He clapped George’s thigh once, then went about helping to adjust his stirrups. He had shorter legs than Samuel. “Get yourself situated and then nudge her in the flank with your heels.”
George adjusted himself so his junk wasn’t pressed painfully into the hard leather saddle and his feet were more secure in the stirrups. Then he risked starting the big beast by pressing his heels against her where he’d seen everyone else do it. Tude lurched forward, and George swallowed a yelp, reins tight in bloodless fists. After that first lurch, she plodded forward, and George figured out how to roll with her steps to avoid feeling seasick.
This was a completely new experience for him, and it was...kind of fun.
“Turn her to the left, George,” Levi said.
He carefully pulled the left rein, and Tude angled her big body in that direction. They circled back to their group, and Levi talked him through a trot—really bouncy—and a canter—really, really bouncy. But despite the physical discomfort, George was enjoying himself. Experiencing something brand new with his friend. He kind of wished Orry was here to share it with him, but George liked having something private, all his own.
Something that was his and Levi’s only.
Once George carefully dismounted—something he was pretty good at, thanks to his training—he stood a bit straighter and beamed at Levi. “I loved that. I understand better why you love working with horses so much.”
“They’re amazing animals.” Levi’s eyes gleamed. “You looked very natural up there.”
“It was a little terrifying being that high up, but I got over it.”
I knew you were there in case I fell.
George kept that thought to himself.
“When do we get to ride again?” Faith asked.
“Tomorrow,” Reyes replied. “Tonight, my coworkers and I will figure out which horses are best for which riders, and then we’ll introduce you before the first trail ride. How does that sound?”
“I can’t wait!”
“Everyone,” Reyes said to the corral at large. “Our welcome barbecue will begin at six. You’re free to explore the main areas and trails, but we will have a guided walking tour of the land that begins in twenty minutes. You’ll meet your guide over there.” He pointed to a large sign that indicated the various trails.
As everyone else filtered out of the corral, Levi hung back with Reyes and Miles, and George stuck close. Levi started doing something on his phone.
“What do you think of this week’s group?” Miles asked after he’d climbed through the wood fencing and into the corral to kiss his husband.
“They seem a calm bunch,” Reyes replied. “No one who appears to be the troublemaking sort.”
“Unlike my first time here.”
“Exactly.”
George saw an interesting story there but he didn’t want to pry into their shared past.