Innocence Lost (Lone Mountain Ranch Book 1)

Chapter 27

Chase opened the gate leading out of the barn and Onyx walked through it. Kylie and Spirit were right behind them. Chase took the lead, and Kylie was eager to follow. He was so handsome; she thought she could follow him anywhere.

"We are going to go up and around the barn and take Old Widow's trail. It goes through the backside of the property and arrives at the marriage tree, two entwined trees which give the ranch its name. Dos Corazones means two hearts. You will understand once you see the tree. The trail goes through long open fields which are perfect for galloping. How does that sound?" Chase asked her.

"It all sounds wonderful!" Kylie said enthusiastically.

Chase led the two of them past the corrals and onto the cleared-out path of Old Widow's trail. He kept sneaking looks over his shoulder at Kylie to see how she was doing on Spirit. He noticed her large, bright smile returned the second she got up on him. Her face truly shined, and she was in her element. She looked happy and confident. It was the happiest he had seen her look all weekend. She was concentrating on her every movement, communicating with Spirit, making sure they were in sync and looking out for each other.

Chase smiled to himself. She was so beautiful. He wanted to wrap his arms around her the second he saw her walk into the hoedown at Lone Mountain Ranch. That night, Chase saw an image of them in the future flash across his mind. In his vision, it was their wedding day and the ceremony was taking place in front of the marriage tree they were going to see today. Chase hoped Kylie would figure out that their futures were intertwined, and one day they would be together forever.

Over the years, many single guests had come through the ranch, but Kylie was different. Kylie looked so innocent and sweet, but a little hardened by life. She looked like she needed someone to help her get out of her funk. At the hoedown, Chase watched from a distance as Kylie swooned all over Jax and his rugged good looks. Chase could see why she was drawn to Jax; he was certainly someone who could help you forget about things even if it was for only one night.

Chase's emotions for Kylie were different. He wanted to protect her, to take her in his arms, and hold her forever. He saw the lost soul inside of her, and he wanted to help her free it. Always a gentleman, Chase said a cordial goodbye to Kylie before leaving the hoedown. He really wanted to kiss her deeply instead. He thought she was giving him signals all night, but he was not sure. Since they just met, he knew it was not appropriate, and he did not act on his impulse.

Unlike Jax, Chase was not looking for a one-night fling. He wanted a life partner, someone to share his dreams with like he described to her the night of the hoedown. Someone who wanted to live on a ranch, raise a few kids and horses, and spend their free time riding.

Chase was curious about Kylie's life in the city. Although she seemed like she wanted a change of scenery, he did not have any idea how serious she was about it. It was best to keep his feelings to himself and see how things progressed. Grandma June would not want him to get his heart broken by a girl, because he was too eager.

Chase looked back again, and Kylie's eyes were focused on the top of Spirit's head, looking for signs in each twitch of his ears. She looked so determined.

Chase turned towards her and asked, "How are you doing, Kylie?"

"I am doing great! I have never been on a horse this big in my life."

"You look great! Don't be nervous. Spirit is a well-trained horse, but he will pick up on any nervous energy. Just take a deep breath. When you are ready, we can go ahead and take them up to a trot. No rush."

Kylie took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders and sat up straight. She tightened the reins ever so slightly and smiled at Chase, taking in his liquid blue eyes.