Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 377

Chapter 377: Tandem
The pull and Martin’s directions seemed to coincide, so Mia let him take the lead. He seemed suspicious of her role in the group, but no one informed him of her abilities.

Whether that was out of deference to her privacy or merely overlooking the fact that he hadn’t been informed, Mia couldn’t say for sure.

Martin looked at the horses with a questioning eye, but of course now they had no spares.

“Daniel can ride with me, or Mia with Ford,” Anaisa looked around questioningly, and Mia dropped her eyes.

One was utilitarian as the lowest amount of weight on a single horse. The latter suggestion would allow Mia’s magic to be preserved without Martin questioning why the pair were holding hands.

Ford’s horse, Storm, was the biggest, and the one the family cared least about, so it made sense to let him bear the most weight. Add that to the fact that Harper was unfailingly loyal to Mia, and therefore would be unwilling to let Martin run away with her, were he so inclined.

Mia could see these thoughts running through Grandpa and Seth’s minds as they looked at each other; after so long in the same household, it was fairly simple to follow their likely trains of thought.

Because, often times, they were hers as well.

Ford’s eyes were wide, looking at Seth as if he expected some sort of rebuke for the suggestion even being voiced by anyone. None was forthcoming.

“I don’t like riding with Mama,” Daniel’s tone was obviously trying not to be whiny, but it sounded that way just the same.

“All right then, don’t,” Seth shrugged. He was the most likely to object to Anaisa’s second suggestion, and so his implicit approval settled the matter.

Mia said not a word, but took Harper’s reins over to Martin.

“You can ride?” The words were almost snide, and a little demeaning the way she asked them.

“Well as anybody else, I expect,” He eyed her. She turned away without bothering to hold his eye contact. Though flashes of his face in her memory still bothered her, she was determined not to let it show now.

She would act as if he weren’t worthy of her attention, not that she was afraid of him.

Ford held Storm’s reins, looking at Mia uncertainly.

“I’m not really sure how to ride together,” He confided in a low tone.

“I can ride in front or behind,” She shrugged. “It’s usually easier for the smaller person to be in front.”

She’d ridden with her father on numerous occasions as a small child, bouncing around with him around the farm since before the time she could walk. It had thrilled her then, until she was old enough to ride on her own.

Ford nodded, and held the horse for her to mount first. She swung herself up easily, and scooted as far forward as she could, kicking her foot out of the stirrup so that he could get purchase.

He wasn’t an expert horseman by any stretch, but he’d gotten the hang of things since this peculiar journey began, and soon he was seated behind her.

Ford shifted backward to give her more space, which she appreciated.

“Um,” He spoke softly, unsure, and Mia tried to keep her face from burning.

“You can reach around me to hold the reins, or you can just hold onto me and let me hold them,” She said over her shoulder.

Tentatively, Ford’s arms came around her, and she placed the reins into them, leaving her to hold the front of the saddle for balance.

It wasn’t the most comfortable way to ride a horse, but it wasn’t terrible either.

For one thing, she already felt warmer. Memories, oft recalled, of that chilly night they spent curled together in the canyon crept into her thoughts and she shoved them roughly away.

Things were different now. Weren’t they?

“Won’t you need to steer, if we’re letting you lead?” Ford asked belatedly.

Martin had already mounted Harper and clicked his tongue for her to turn into the tree line.

“As long as my pull and his lead coincide, we’ll let him think he’s in charge,” Mia said softly, and Ford breathed out through his nose in a near-silent chuckle.

“How often do you do that? Let others think they’re in charge when you’re behind the scenes making decisions?” He wondered.

“Not often,” She assured him.

“Sure, sure,” He affirmed, though his tone was a bit doubtful.

The pair took a place in line just behind Martin, with Harper snorting and looking back as if to make sure her mistress wasn’t far.

Mia’s heart warmed a little at the animal’s loyalty, until Storm nickered back.

Wait. Was Harper more concerned about whether Storm was near than whether Mia was?

She was a little offended, but also mildly amused.

Storm had a nice gait, with slightly longer strides, and Mia let her spine relax a little as she settled into the rhythm. Her back was against Ford’s chest, which was comfortable and warm.

If the situation weren’t what it was, she might be tempted to fall asleep against him.

“How’s your magic holding up?” Ford spoke close to her ear, sending a pleasant shiver down her back.

“It’s fine,” She answered quickly.

“Actually fine or ‘lying to make me stop asking’ fine?” Ford pressed, and she laughed softly.

“The former, right now,” She assured him. “Don’t worry about me.”

“We all worry about you. I’m no exception,” Ford confided. “You were asleep for so long…”

“That’s over,” Mia sighed, realizing she should probably concentrate on the path ahead. Martin was leading in a fairly straight line, and the pull of her magic hadn’t shifted at all so far.

Was it coincidence that Martin already knew the best way? Or was her magic deferring to him in some sense?

The thought troubled her slightly, but she had no way to voice it without sounding nervous or worrisome.

“Rest a bit, if you can,” Ford told her as Storm snatched a snack of leaves off a low-hanging branch. “We’ll need you in peak condition for what’s ahead.”

“If he knows the whole way, you may be all done needing me at all,” Mia glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of his profile.

“Not likely.”