“Just as well you’re taking him out. He needs the fresh air. Not to be cooped up in the house with an old lady.” Emma slipped the carrier from her shoulders, expertly keeping one supportive arm under Seth.
As she handed him his son at the door, Trace bent down and kissed Emma’s cheek. “Where’s this old lady you speak of? I only see you, the awesome Emma.”
“Go!” She swatted his arm and shooed him out the door. “Bring him back in one piece!”
Trace lifted a hand in acknowledgment and undid the reins of the mare. Then he stared for a moment. How the hell would he get up in the saddle without dropping the kid?
“Need a hand, big brother?” Bea walked out in a pair of bright pink pants and a cropped top.
“Hold him while I hop up.”
She still grimaced, but willingly accepted her nephew without complaint. Improvement.
“He’s drooling.”
Okay, one minor complaint.
“They do that sometimes. He’s getting another tooth.” Trace swung up easily into the saddle and reached down for Seth.
Bea handed him up willingly. “Okay, you two up there are adorable. And you know I don’t use that word lightly. I’m taking a picture. I’m sure Peyton would love it for the website.”
“Hear that, son? We’re adorable. Watch out, ladies under two. Seth Muldoon comin’ at ya.”
Bea reached around to her back pocket and pulled out her phone. A quick snap later, she waved as they walked sedately toward the hot walk area.
Trace settled one arm comfortably around Seth’s middle as his son clapped with glee. The rocking of the horse was soothing, while the elevated height and forward motion provided entertainment. Plus, they were on a horse. It was a natural progression for a Muldoon.
As they entered through the open gate of the hot walk area, Steve tipped his hat back. “New hire?”
“You know it.”
“Looks a little green. Maybe we should start him mucking some stalls.”
Trace smiled. “Soon enough.”
He realized after a moment, the entire picture was laid out perfectly. His son, a few years from now, helping him clean stalls. Learning how to take care of his tack. Groom a horse. Fix a thrown shoe.
All on Muldoon land.
For once in his adult life, he could look years down the road and mentally picture himself in the same place.
Was that supposed to be frightening, or exciting?
He let the horse do her thing in a slow, plodding circle. The horse knew what to do, and if Trace hadn’t held his son, he could have put the whole thing on autopilot. While the pace would have bored Trace by age three, Seth’s not-quite-one-year-old self was thrilled with the action. And Trace remembered all over again exactly why he’d fought to keep his son, rather than walking away when Rose came to him to tell him she was pregnant.
And no, her husband wasn’t the father.
He’d been so close to losing Seth altogether….
His hands tightened on the reins, and he loosened them again with effort. Going back there was not where he wanted to be. Seth was with him, where he belonged, and that was the end of it.
Seth was a Muldoon, and he belonged at M-Star.
Why was it so hard to remember he did, too?
Trace stretched his back, wincing at the twinge. But he manned up and grabbed his saddle, ready for a workout.
“Freeze.”
Red walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I think after the spill you had, you should take a day or two off.”
“I’ve already been up once today.”
Red snorted. “I’m sorry, but a breeding mare walking in a circle at point-two miles an hour while you’ve got your son does not exactly count. Rest up. The work will be there tomorrow. Stretch, heat, the whole deal. I’ll ride Lad for a while.”
Trace made a face. “You shouldn’t be doing my work for me.”
Red sighed. “I hate admitting this, but it’s been too long since I’ve done the workouts on an experienced animal. I want some time. Give me the excuse, will ya?”
His lips quirked. “Is this another ‘Please do me the favor of going out for a beer with Red’ moment?”
“Not at all,” Red lied easily. Trace wasn’t fooled. He patted Trace’s shoulder and grabbed his own saddle. “If you insist on working, I have a few errands you could run.”
Errands. Trace rolled his eyes. “Pass.”
“Ah, well. Thought you might like the chance to catch some lunch in town, but hey. No skin off mine.”
The idea of grabbing a quickie with Jo during a lunch lull appealed too much to resist. “I—wait. Why do you think I want lunch in town?”
Red stared at him with disappointment. “How stupid do you think I am?”