“You’re Callan?” I asked, feeling a little dumbstruck. My hair was in a ponytail, my plaid shirt hanging open to reveal my white tank top underneath. I’d chosen sneakers and flared jeans to complete the outfit, but now I felt like I looked a little homeless compared to him. Not that he was wearing anything fancy, but at first glance, he was definitely the kind of good-looking that could get away with wearing anything and he’d still be striking.

He nodded, holding a hand out for me to shake it. “My apologies, I thought you knew. Callan Bronson.”

I shook it. “Sage McKinley.”

“Pretty name,” Callan remarked as I let go of his hand. It may have just been the sun, but I swore his cheeks turned a pinkish hue. “And you are?” he asked, turning to Avery.

“Avery,” she supplied eagerly. 

He brushed his hands on his jeans, almost like he was nervous. “Avery. Just as pretty a name as your mother's. Ready to get started?”

She nodded and he waved her along as he turned to head for the barn. Avery practically skipped alongside him. I stayed a few feet back, crossing my arms as I watched the two of them ahead of me.

His dirty blonde hair curled just below his hat, showing off his tan neck. His biceps were that perfect size—just enough to stretch the sleeves of his shirt.

I hoped he didn’t look at me the way I was studying him right now. I looked like I just rolled out of bed and decided to show up. I cursed myself for not putting on any makeup. But why did it matter? I wasn’t here to impress anyone.

“Can I know what color the horse is?” Avery asked as they entered the barn.

“I could tell you, but that would spoil the surprise,” Callan said as he grabbed a halter off the hook by the door.

“I hope it looks like Boots,” Avery murmured, more to herself than to Callan.

“Who’s Boots?” he asked as they made their way down the aisle.

“My horse I drew. I hope I can have a horse just like him someday.”

My heart sank. I wished I could give Avery everything she wanted right when she wanted it. Call it spoiled, but my mom-heart hated not being able to give her everything she dreamed of. She was obsessed with horses, always drawing them or playing with her horse figurines. I’d make it happen for her one day, I just didn’t know when that one day would come. 

“With determination like that, I think it’ll happen,” Callan told her.

Avery came to a stop beside him outside of a stall. “Can I show you my drawing next time? I forgot to bring it with me.” 

“I’d love that." He unlatched the door and slid it open while I stood across the aisle, giving them their space. I liked seeing Avery be independent, but I also didn’t want to get in their way.

“This is Lettie’s horse, Red. He’s a little old, but he loves taking kids around the arena, so I think he’d be perfect for you today. What do you think?” He looked down at her to see her eyes practically bulging out of her head in the shape of two hearts as she stared up at the massive animal. The horse had a dark, rich coat that faded to a lighter shade throughout his body, but his head and legs were a deep red.

“He’s so pretty! Yes, I’d love to ride him!” She paused, moving her gaze up to Callan. “You don’t think Lettie will be mad, right?”

Callan’s little sister, Lettie, came into Bell Buckle Brews frequently enough that she and Avery knew each other pretty well now.

“She won’t be mad, I promise. Then when you see her next, you can tell her all about your ride.” Callan took a step into the stall, the horse letting out a snort as he lowered his head slightly, like he knew what to do without Callan asking.

He slipped the rope halter over his nose and situated the knot, then patted Red’s neck. “You want to lead him out?” he asked Avery.

“Can I?” she questioned, seeming a bit unsure of herself.

“Of course. He’s really sweet. I know he seems big and scary, but he’s a big softie on the inside.” He gave the horse a pat just above his shoulder for emphasis.

I couldn’t help the smile from pulling at my lips. Callan was already showing that he was good with kids, but I guess he had to be when he worked with them daily.

He held the lead rope out to Avery and she grabbed it gently. “Do I just walk?”

He nodded. “I’ll walk beside you so you know where to go.”

They both stepped out of the stall and I stayed put, waiting for them to pass with the horse. I kept a good ten feet back from Red’s rear as we made our way down the aisle. Avery was talking Callan’s ear off, glancing over her shoulder at Red every few steps. She even shot me a smile when her eyes caught on me. I gave her a thumbs up in return.

After they came around a corner, Callan helped Avery clip Red into cross ties, the horse standing patiently as they hooked a rope onto either side of his halter. They got to work saddling him together. Avery did her best to take in every bit of information, listening intently to every instruction he gave her. 

Once Red was all tacked up, Avery picked out a helmet and we headed out to the arena. I stayed on the outside, leaning against the fence as I watched them.

Callan brought a mounting block over, holding Avery’s hand to help her up the steps. He didn’t seem annoyed at having to walk her through every step. If anything, it seemed like he was more than happy about it.

Avery’s butt plopped in the saddle and Callan got to work adjusting her stirrups. “Mama, look!” 

I smiled at her, tears welling in my eyes at seeing my little girl on a horse for the first time. “I see, Aves! You look so good up there.”

“Like a cowgirl?” she asked as Cal came around the horse to work on the other stirrup.

“Like my little cowgirl.” Seeing my baby doing something she always wanted to do pulled my heart right out of my chest and set in directly in the palm of my hand. Avery was my entire world. I’d do anything to see that smile on her face every day.

***

About an hour later, after Callan had led Avery around the arena a few times, we headed back into the barn to untack Red. Avery was telling Callan all about her friends at school and how they’d be so jealous when they heard she got to ride a horse. Even as he put his hands under her armpits, lifting her out of the saddle, she kept rambling on.

To say Avery was ecstatic about her ride was an understatement.

I stood off to the side, watching them as Callan worked to take the saddle off the red roan horse, setting it on the stand by the cross ties. 

“You want to brush the dirt off of him?” he asked Avery.

“Can I?”

“Of course. He’ll love it.” Callan dug through a black bucket, then pulled out a pink brush, handing it to her. “Stroke from front to back all over. I’ll be right here if you need help.”

Avery got to work brushing the horse as he stood there patiently, clearly loving the attention. Callan came over to stand beside me, leaning on his hands folded behind him against the wall. 

“Thank you for this,” I said, not taking my gaze off of Avery as she hummed to herself.

“She’s a natural.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him facing me, so I glanced over at him, then back to Avery. He was studying me, and I had the biggest feeling he was recalling the coffee incident.

“I’m sorry about the coffee. I didn’t mean to come off as rude in any way, I was just having a bad day and—”

“It’s all good, Sage,” he interrupted before I could ramble myself into a hole. “I didn’t think you spilled it on me on purpose. After all, I was the one behind the counter when I shouldn’t have been.”

I turned to face him as Avery reached as high as she could to try to brush the horse’s back. “Regardless, I shouldn’t have been so…short-tempered.”