It All Started With A Baby

10

"Okay, now swing your right leg over," Caiden instructed. Blake lifted her right leg high over the saddle and dropped it gently on the other side of the horse. "Now, make sure your other foot is in the stirrup and sit down gently."

She did what Caiden said, and then he grabbed the reins from her hands. He started walking forward and the horse, Tapper, followed along behind him.

"Woah," Blake said. She'd never ridden a horse before. Well, a few times when she was a kid, but it was just a little pony, nothing like this.

She reached up and petted Tapper's mane. He was a beautiful dark chestnut-colored horse with shiny horsehair. He was a ginormous horse, Caiden said he was the second biggest he owned. Blake could feel the power in his movements as he walked.

Blake laughed to herself as Caiden led Tapper throughout the field. It was so fun, so peaceful, being out there with only Caiden and the horse. She felt like she was experiencing true freedom for the first time in her life.

"Having fun?" He questioned.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "We should've done this sooner."

Caiden looked up to her and smiled before coming to a stop. "Alright, I'm going to give you the reins now."

"Huh?" Her anxiety spiked. She was worried she would do something wrong and Tapper would buck her off.

"You'll be fine, sweetheart. He's a gentle giant. Here, grip them like this," he said and reached over to position her hands correctly. She nudged Tapper with her legs and before she knew it, she was riding a horse all by herself.

"This is so cool!" She exclaimed. Caiden was walking right beside them, smiling up at her.

"Squeeze your calves around him if you want him to go faster," he said.

She squeezed her legs a little more and Tapper started speeding up to the point that Caiden couldn't keep up with him. She looked back when she got to the edge of the pasture and saw Caiden standing in the middle of the field, motioning for her to come back. She maneuvered the horse to turn around and trot back to him where she slowed the horse down and stopped him as Caiden taught her.

"That was so fun!"

"I thought you'd like it, darlin," he said. "Walk him back over to the stable."

Blake squeezed her legs around Tapper again and got him to walk to the stable. When they got back, Blake slid off the horse and Caiden removed the saddle, allowing the horse to roam back out into the field.

"We should do that again soon."

Caiden smiled and pulled her tightly to his body. "We will, darlin."

"Has Wes ridden one yet?"

"Yeah, I bring him with me for rides quite frequently. He loves it." Caiden responded.

"He's a little cowboy in the making," Blake commented.

When they got back to the house, Wesley was still asleep in his crib in the living room. Caiden reached down and picked him up gently so he didn't wake up. "I'm taking him to his room. I'll be back in a minute."

Blake nodded and then sat down on the couch, staring out the window at the trees in front of the house. Caiden came down and sat on the cushion right next to her, sliding his arm around her back to rest on her hip.

"Jason, my buddy from work, invited us to a party on Friday night."

"Where at?"

"At his place. He lives about twenty minutes away."