DON’T STOP (Lila and Darrell) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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Lila

He grinned even bigger. “You got it.”

The man brushing the horse nodded politely. Ken,” he said simply. He didn’t smile, but his eyes were kind.

The third one, who was the one fixing the gate, tipped his hat. “Davis. Welcome.”

I smiled shyly. “Thank you. I’m… I’m his niece. Just visiting for a bit.”

Jerry’s smile softened. “We know. Ryder told us. You’re family.”

I turned to Ryder and smiled, but he had already looked away, acting like he didn’t hear Jerry say that.

I turned to Jerry, who glanced down at my heels again while we walked. “Those shoes are something else. You always wear them:”

I grinned. “Don’t mind them. My friends call me Miss Heels for a reason. I’m way more comfortable strutting around in these than anything flat.”

Jerry grinned wider. “Miss Heels. I like it. Suits you.”

Ken and Davis chuckled quietly.

Ryder cleared his throat. “I’ve got to check the north fence line–some posts loosened after last week’s rain. You three keep an eye on her. Show her around if she wants. Don’t let her fall in a trough.”

Jerry laughed. “We got her, boss.”

Ryder looked at me. “You good?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Go do what you need to do.”

He gave me one last long look–the kind that made my stomach flip–and then turned and headed toward one of the ATVS parked near the barn. A minute later, the engine growled to life, and he disappeared down a dirt track.

I turned back to the three guys. They were all watching me politely, waiting.

Jerry rubbed the back of his neck. “So… what do you want to see first? Horses? Cows? The hay barn?” I

I hesitated. “Horses?”

He grinned. “Good choice. Come on.”

He led me toward the row of stalls inside the barn. The smell of hay and horse was strong but not unpleasant. Several heads poked over the doors–big, curious eyes, twitching ears. Jerry stopped at one stall where a chestnut mare stood calmly.

“This is Daisy,” he said. “She’s gentle. You can pet her if you want.”

I reached out slowly. Daisy sniffed my hand, then let me stroke her soft nose. I smiled despite myself. “She’s beautiful” “She likes you,” Jerry said. “Most people she ignores.”

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He showed me how to give her a carrot from a bucket. She lipped it gently from my palm. I laughed–the sound surprised me. I felt good and normal.

They let me help with small sings. I held a water hose while Kent filled a trough, I passed Davis a hammer when he needed to fix a loose latch. I even tried brushing Daisy’s coat under Jerry’s watchful eye. The work was simple, but it felt good to be

useful.

After about an hour, my feet started to ache in Ne heels. The ground was uneven–dirt, gravel, scattered hay. I found a low wooden bench near the barn door and sat down, rubbing my ankles.

Jerry noticed. A few minutes later, he walked over with two bottles of cold water from a cooler. He handed me one.

“Thank you.” I said, smiling up at him.

He nodded and sat on the bench beside me, leaving a polite distance. He twisted the cap off his bottle and took a long drink.

I opened mine and drank too. The cold water felt wonderful.

“So,” he said after a moment. “We’re actually done for the day. Ken and Davis already headed out. I guess you’ll have to wait for your uncle?”

I smiled. “I guess so.”

He nodded. Then, casually, “Should I keep you company?”

I blinked twice. “Sure,” I muttered. Then I smiled. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”

We sat quietly for a few minutes. Birds called somewhere in the distance. A horse snorted softly in the barn.

Jerry leaned back, elbows on the bench behind him. “Hmph. I’m bored. Do you want to ride a horse around?”

My eyes widened. Excitement bubbled up instantly. “Really? Really?”

He chuckled. “Sure. You look quite excited.”

“That’s because I am!” I said, already standing. “Let’s do that. Let’s ride!”

He laughed warmly, an easy sound, and stood too. “Alright, Miss Heels. Let’s get you on a horse. But we’re picking one that’s gentle. Those shoes might not love stirrups.”

I grinned. “I’ll manage.”

He shook his head, still smiling, and led me back toward the stalls.

Jerry led me to a gentle bay mare named Sunny. She was calm and steady, with kind eyes and a soft nose that sniffed my hand when I offered it a carrot. Jerry saddled her up quickly, explaining everything he did–tightening the girth, adjusting the stirrups, and checking the bit. I listened, trying to look confident even though my heart was racing.

“You ready?” he asked, patting the saddle.

I nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

He gave me a boost up. I swung my leg over and settled into the saddle. The height felt higher than I expected. My heels dangled awkwardly at first, but I found the stirrups and pushed down, Jerry adjusted them a little shorter so my legs weren’t stretched too far

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He climbed up behind me. His chest pressed lightly against my back as he reached around to take the reins. “I’ll hold her for

now. Just relax and feel the movement. She’s smooth. She won’t do anything crazy”

I laughed nervously. “Okay. This is fun but scary

He chuckled low in his throat. “You’ll be fine. I’ve got you.”

He clicked his tongue and nudged Sunny forward. We walked out of the barn and into the open field. The mare moved steadily, rocking us gently. At first I gripped the saddle horn with both hands, tense and unsure. Jerry’s arms stayed loose around me, one hand on the reins, the other resting lightly on my waist to steady me.

“Loosen up.” he said softly. “Let your hips move with her. Like swaying to music.

I tried. Slowly, I relaxed my grip. My body started to follow Sunny’s rhythm. The rocking became natural. The wind brushed

my face. The sun was warm. I laughed–a real, surprised laugh.

“See?” Jerry said. “You’re a natural.”

We walked in lazy circles at first. Then he let Sunny pick up a slow trot. The bounce was jarring but fun. I bounced along with her, giggling every time I almost lost my balance. Jerry laughed too, his chest rumbling against my back.

“Hold on tighter,” he said. “Use your thighs, not your hands.”

I squeezed my legs. The movement steadied. I felt taller. Stronger. Like the horse and I were moving as one.

We rode for over twenty minutes. Laughing. Talking. Him pointing out things–a new foal in the far pasture, a patch of wildflowers, the way the cattle grazed in groups. I forgot about the heels. Forgot about being nervous. For a while, it was just fun. Pure, simple fun.

Then I glanced toward the barn.

Ryder was there.

He stood by the fence, arms crossed, watching us. His face was hard. Jaw tight. Eyes narrowed. Even from this distance, I could see the anger in his posture.

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