Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
He blushed slightly. “I overheard Blayze making his plans, and I offered. I’m leaving and heading to the house soon. My wife is probably still in bed.”
I peeked over at Blayze. “Lucky me, I have a boyfriend who likes to go on early morning adventures.”
Winking at me, Blayze held onto Elly so I could mount her. “Best boyfriend ever.”
“That you are,” I said as I settled into the saddle.
“She likes the cold weather, so she might be a bit frisky,” Hank warned.
Giving Elly a pat and scratch on the neck, I said, “A girl after my own heart.”
“I owe you, Hank,” Blayze said as he hopped up onto Duke.
With a wave of his hand, Hank called out, “Enjoy the ride and the sunrise.”
“We will!” I called back.
Elly followed Duke as we headed down a nearby trail. It was dawn, so the horses could see. I marveled at the beauty of my surroundings. A light dusting of snow covered the ground and the limbs of the trees. It was a beautiful sight, especially knowing it was Christmas Day.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how beautiful it is here,” I said.
The trail opened up to a wider one, which I was pretty sure was an access road that twisted up the side of the foothills.
“It’s the most beautiful place on Earth, if you ask me.”
I smiled as I looked over at Blayze. He wore a black cowboy hat that made his blue eyes pop. “Aren’t your ears freezing?” I asked.
“Nah. When you grow up in Montana, you learn real quick what temperatures you need a winter hat for, and when you can get away with wearing a cowboy hat.”
I rolled my eyes as I smiled.
The road was a nice incline, and even with the fresh snow, the horses didn’t have a problem going up it at all. It was a winding road, though, and a few times I tried not to look at the ledge. As we neared the top, Blayze started to look nervous.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing at all. Just making sure there aren’t any icy patches the horses might step on.”
As we crested the last little hill, I sucked in a breath at the sight before me. The top of the foothill was an open clearing. The sun was getting closer to rising, and the whole valley below was filled with light. I slipped off Elly and looked at Blayze. “Where are we?”
He gave me the biggest, brightest smile I’d ever seen on him. Full-on dimple and all.
“My favorite place on the ranch.”
“The horses?” I asked.
“They’ll be fine.” Blayze reached for my hand. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
I stared down at the picturesque view. “Is that the whole ranch?”
“It’s a good portion of it. Behind that small hill is where Ty and Kaylee live. And off to the north is where Tanner and Timberlynn live.”
Looking down, I saw cattle in the pastures. It looked as if someone had taken a shaker and sprinkled them all out. To the right was another large pasture where horses dressed in blankets pushed through the snow to find what grass might be left. I saw a truck driving in the distance and pointed. “Who’s that?”
“That’s Rancher and Solo,” Blayze responded. “They’re going to throw out feed for the horses, and then Decker and Clay will get the cattle. Don’t worry, we pay them double time on Christmas Day. But a cattle ranch can’t stop running even on a holiday.”
I wrapped my arms around my body as I let my eyes sweep across the landscape. “Look at how the light is reflecting the clouds off those small lakes. And the snow-covered mountains. It’s…it’s so beautiful.”
“Look,” Blayze said as he pointed.
Turning, my mouth dropped open. The sun was cresting over the mountains in the distance and the sky was turning orange and yellow. The hues blended together, making the scene look like something right out of a painting.
I pressed my hand to my mouth as I stood there in awe. The sunrise we had seen on our first hike was stunning, but there was something so special about this one. I wasn’t sure if it was because it was rising over the ranch that I would soon be calling home, or if it was because Blayze and I had finally found our paths coming together.
“Look how the fields are cast in a soft, warm glow,” I whispered. “And the sky. It’s turning the most beautiful shade of pinkish-orange I’ve ever seen. I wish I had a camera.”
When I turned to look at Blayze, he wasn’t looking at the sunrise. He was watching me.
“You’re missing it, Blayze!”
He shook his head. “No, this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. I’ve waited a long time for this moment.”
Smiling, I looked back at the sky. “It’s breathtaking.”