Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity (Meet Your Match, book 3) by Rachael Anderson Read Free Book Online Page B

to her work.
    “I agree.” Colton flashed a grin and lowered his voice so only Sam could hear. “I love that girl.”
    For a brief moment, Sam wished she was a cowgirl at heart instead of just dressed like one.
    “Hey, you got boots too.” Colton nodded at her new footwear.
    “If I’m going to learn to ride a horse, I’m going to do it right.”
    “Are you going to invest in chaps too, for when you ride that bull?”
    “Chaps, gargantuan belt buckle, spurs, you name it,” said Sam. “I never do anything halfway.”
    The sound of his chuckle echoed off the walls of the barn, filling the space with richness and depth. It made her wonder what a full-blown laugh would sound like. Probably really good. The kind of laugh that would make people stop, stare, and hope for more.
    Sam mentally added another item to her bucket list: Make Colton really laugh.
    “Have you ever ridden a bull?” she asked as he fitted the bridle on Nutmeg.
    “Once.” He led the horse from the stall and handed the reins to Sam. “Hold her steady while I get her saddled.”
    It was a little unnerving standing in front of an animal with a mass at least three times her size, but Sam forced her fingers to tighten around the straps as she tried not to tense or show fear. Nutmeg shuffled his hooves, and Sam shuffled her boots.
    “Is Nutmeg a he or a she?” Sam asked.
    “ She’s Maverick’s girlfriend.” Colton yanked on a strap, tightening it around the belly of the beast. “Maverick’s my horse.”
    “Yeah, I’ve heard all about him from Kajsa.” Sam lowered her voice. “She idolizes both of you, and frankly I’m a little jealous. I feel like I’ve been replaced.”
    Colton finished tying off the strap before he dropped the stirrup. “Trust me when I say that you are still number one in her eyes. I could never compete with How to Host a Murder parties, tie-dying t-shirts to look like rainbows, or making water rockets.” He gave Nutmeg a quick rub on the neck. “Yesterday, when my mom said we feel like we already know you, it’s because we kind of do. Between Kajsa and the rest of her family, I’ve lost count with how many times your name pops up in conversations. Kajsa may love horses, but she adores you.”
    As Colton spoke, a warmth radiated from Sam’s chest through the rest of her body, making her feel like one of those Glo Worms she used to sleep with as a kid. Sam knew she could never compete with Colton or Maverick or horses in general, but maybe she didn’t have to. Maybe it was like one of those delicious, layered desserts. Kajsa’s family was the crust that held everything together, this ranch was the yummy pudding layer, and Sam the fluffy whipped cream on top. And that was okay. Everyone’s life was layered. It was in the combining of the individual layers that turned a tasty life into something decadent.
    Sam held out the reins, hoping Colton would take them back, which he did. “You said you rode a bull once. What’s the story there?”
    He cracked a smile as he led the horse from the barn. “It was an amateur rodeo, and some of my friends who’d signed up for bull riding pressured me into doing the same. My parents thought I’d lost my marbles, but what teenaged kid listens to his parents, right? I mean, that wouldn’t be cool, and a certain girl I wanted to impress was planning to be there. So I signed up, cinched my hand to the back of a bull named Dominator, and made it two seconds before I was thrown against a fence. I managed to break both arms, and for six weeks, my right arm was in a full cast, from my shoulder to my hand, and my left from my elbow to my hand. It didn’t take long for the coolness factor to wear off and for me to come to my senses. And the nurse who helped fix me up was a man.”
    Sam laughed. “But you still train horses, and I’m guessing you get bucked off a lot doing that.”
    “I do, and I’ve gotten a few more broken bones in the process. But it’s different when