“No, she belongs to a friend of Ashton’s who’s away for a few weeks. She asked me to make sure Sugar gets some exercise. Come on, let’s give them a workout.” He touched his heels to Thunder’s side, and the horse bounded into a canter.

Kate followed his lead, urging Sugar into an all-out gallop across the rolling green hills. After they’d gone a good distance, Reid slowed Thunder to a trot and directed him to a creek.

Kate was laughing when she caught up to him. “That was fabulous. I haven’t ridden like that in ages.”

“Thunder gets ornery if we don’t get in a good run every few days.”

Thunder snickered, and Kate chuckled with delight. “He’s human!”

“I’ve been convinced of that since he was just a foal.” Reid helped Kate down from Sugar, and they walked the horses to the creek for a drink.

“What a beautiful place you have.”

“I’m glad you like it. I hope you’ll make yourself right at home here any time you need to escape the city.”

“Thank you,” she said, feeling shy again. Just standing close to him made her light-headed.

He reached up to retrieve the saddlebags from Thunder’s back. “Martha packed us some sandwiches. Are you hungry?”

“Sure.” Kate followed him to a spot under a large oak tree where he spread a plaid blanket on the grass. He seemed so comfortable in his own skin as he stretched out on the blanket. Kate appreciated being with a man who exuded that kind of easy confidence. She’d grown tired of boys pretending to be men. This was a real man, and it was shocking to acknowledge that she wanted him in a way she had never wanted any of the boys who’d pursued her at home.

“Are you going to sit?” he asked with a grin.

Startled out of her thoughts, Kate kneeled on the far edge of the blanket.

He chewed on a blade of grass and watched her with those eyes that saw everything, even the secrets she was trying desperately to keep from him. “What’s with you today, darlin’? You’re like a cat on a hot tin roof.”

Her cheeks heated. “Nothing.”

He watched her for another long moment before he shrugged and opened the second bag. “I hope turkey’s okay,” he said, handing her one of the thick sandwiches and a diet soda.

“That’s fine. Thanks.”