“Okay.” Levi kissed his forehead once before letting him go. “You feel up to facing the other guests?”
“Yeah, I think so. Mrs. Harrison probably thinks I’m a basket case. Maybe she’ll stay away from me from now on.”
“You’re irresistible.”
“You’re biased.” One more forehead kiss from Levi left George feeling all kinds of gooey inside.
“Come on, let’s go mingle a bit before we have another horse riding lesson I really don’t need.”
George laughed, truly and joyfully, at the comment. “Well, the rest of us aren’t talented trick riders like you, so you can suffer a while for us mere mortals.”
“I suffer for one mere mortal alone.” Levi winked. “And that is little Miss Faith.”
George tried to pinch him as he chased Levi out of the kitchen.
* * *
One of the processes of the morning horse riding was the hands pairing each rider up with a specific horse. If yesterday had been about assessing talent and skill, today was all matchmaking, and Levi leaned against the corral while this happened. He was confident he’d end up riding Zodiac. She was the horse he performed with at the ghost town, and she’d probably love the quiet exercise of an overnight trip after working hard all season.
Reyes was leading this trip, and Levi was not surprised to see Miles nearby, saddling up his horse Tango while Reyes assisted the campers. George was paired with Figuro, a horse Levi wasn’t familiar with but he trusted Reyes’s judgment. And George seemed perfectly comfortable in the saddle, as if the younger man had been waiting his entire life to discover horse riding. It definitely seemed to bring out a joyful innocence Levi had never seen in him before.
Once the campers—every single guest had signed up—were on their mounts, Reyes led the group around the corral several times. “The horses are trained to follow each other and stick to our trails,” he said. “But if your mount wanders away from the group, gently lead them back on-path with the bit. To go right, use the right rein. Left, use the left rein. They’re unlikely to fight you.”
“Unlikely?” Samuel asked. He and Rey were each mounted on their own horses directly behind Faith, and Levi couldn’t blame the young parents for being wary.
“The horses are highly trained, but they’re still animals, and as such can be unpredictable under certain circumstances. I’ve got a story about exactly that to tell tonight when we reach our campsite.”
Levi hid a smirk; he knew that story by heart at this point but it would be new to the other guests. Except maybe George, if Slater or Derrick had already told him about Wes and Blizzard discovering the ghost town a few years ago.
After a bit more instruction, the group tied their horses to the corral fence and broke for lunch. “We’re leaving in one hour,” Reyes said in a booming voice. “Anyone who isn’t here gets left behind. Also, if you have a hat, wear it. It might be winter but the sun is still out and you can burn. If you don’t have a hat, you can purchase one in the canteen in the main house. And you won’t need your phones unless you want to take pictures. After we’re a half mile out, the Wi-Fi will drop. Wear clothes you’ll be comfortable in for the next twenty-four hours.” He gazed around the corral. “All right, see you soon.”
“I packed a 49ers cap in my suitcase,” George said as they walked toward the guesthouse for lunch. “Will that work?”
“Should be fine.” Levi had packed his favorite cowboy hat, and he was curious what George looked wearing one. “It’s mostly to keep the sun off your face while we’re riding. Plus, actual cowboy hats are a fun fashion statement.”
George chuckled. “I’ll take your word for it. I have zero fashion sense. Then again, I work from home, so who cares what I wear?”
“What about your skating outfits?”
“My coach always chose those. Besides, those outfits were about performance not style. Something flashy to match the music and moves. I never kept a single one.”
Levi partially regretted bringing up George’s old career, but George didn’t seem glum or upset. Only matter of fact about those years of his life. Very different from the man Levi had first met.
They each made sandwiches and a few salad selections, then went out to the porch to eat. They were soon joined by the Briggs-King family, and little Faith barely stopped talking about the camping trip long enough to eat her lunch. Levi loved seeing the girl vibrating with excitement, even though her dads seemed a touch reserved. But they loved and were indulging their daughter, and that was a beautiful thing.
After a quick trip to their room for hats and a bathroom break—Levi might have spent a few quick minutes kissing George by the window—they headed down to the corral to meet up with their group and guides. Hugo was the other horseman on the overnight, and he was riding lead while Reyes rode on the chuck wagon, led by his own horse Hot Coffee. The wagon had their food supplies, sleeping bags, tents, and a shotgun for safety.
Before they entered the corral, George’s phone rang. He immediately walked in the opposite direction, his face expressing guilt that Levi didn’t like. Levi watched from a distance, giving George privacy, and fairly certain the caller was Orry. Probably unhappy about the camping trip and George being unreachable until tomorrow around lunchtime. Too bad. This was George’s life, and he was allowed to live it.
George looked defeated when he returned to the corral, and Levi resisted the urge to hug him. “Everything okay?” Levi asked.
“Orry being his usual, overprotective self. He’s scared I’ll get eaten by a mountain lion or fall off a cliff like Slater did.”
“Slater’s fall last spring was a freak accident. There’s also a shotgun on the chuck wagon, but no guest has ever been threatened by a mountain lion.”
“You were.”
Levi squeezed George’s wrist. “I wasn’t threatened. I experienced the beauty of the land and then I backed away unscathed. There’s a lot to be said for what Arthur, Judson and Reyes always say: respect the land and it respects you. We’ll all be okay out there, George. Besides, you’ve got me to protect you.”
Affection gleamed in George’s eyes, and it took all of Levi’s self-restraint not to drag him into the privacy of the barn. “I’ll hold you to that. All of this is brand new for me.” Something in his tone suggested he meant more than just the camping trip.
“I’ll do my best to make it memorable,” Levi whispered. “All of it.”
“I know you will.”
Someone nearby cleared their throat. Miles stood a few feet away, smiling. “We’re heading out soon,” he said softly. “You guys good?”