The More I See by Lisa Mondello Read Free Book Online Page A

commanding about him, and yet...
    Normally, it would have ticked her off to no end. But Cody hadn't asked her to come to the ranch and bring Otis with her, either. She'd invaded his world in a way that made him uncomfortable. So maybe this made them even.
    Even, my foot, Lyssa thought. How the hell was she going to get on a horse? She'd never been on a horse. And what she knew about them could probably fit on the white space on her newly acquired driver's license.
    There's always a first, Lyssa decided. Her adult life had been filled with firsts, not the least of which was today, when Cody was holding her in his arms as he carried her across the pool. Lord help her, she didn't know what had come over her. But there she was, wrapped in muscled arms that felt like steel, and suddenly her head started spinning and she'd caught herself getting breathless. If she hadn't run away when she had she would have ended up making a huge fool of herself.
    If Cody was that strong now, she had to wonder how strong he'd been before the
    accident. If sitting in that chair and doing very little these last months had made his arms feel that strong, what had he been like before?
    It was no good. She wasn't thinking of Cody as a student who needed her help and
    training. She was thinking of him as a man. And that simply couldn't happen. She'd lost her perspective where he was concerned.
    Maybe this ride was a good idea. It would get Cody out on his own turf and then later, they could talk reasonably about how to proceed with training. It was a good plan, an even trade of sorts. Why was she filled with so much anxiety?
    She'd managed to slip into a fresh pair of jeans that thankfully weren't too tight in the thighs. She could only imagine how graceful she'd be climbing into the saddle in pants that were too snug. She chose a cool white cotton shirt, pulled a brush through her almost dry hair, and pulled it back into a ponytail before heading downstairs.
    Cody was waiting for her in the kitchen, a slightly smug look on his face. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but smug wasn't it. Anticipation maybe? Hadn't Beau mentioned Cody hadn't been riding since the accident?
    "Maybe I'm not the best person in the world to go with you on this ride," she said as she drew closer.
    "Chickening out already? I expected more from you, Lyssa."
    "It's not that. It's just... I don't know anything about horses."
    There, she'd admitted it. It was no big deal. Lots of people didn't know a lick about lots of things and it didn't make them anything other than ignorant about that subject.
    "Yeah, you mentioned you'd never been riding. That's okay. I have."
    He turned and opened the screen door, stepping outside and extending his arm out to her.
    If she hadn't already had a taste of Cody, she'd think he was being polite and asking to escort her to the stables. Maybe that was an automatic gesture for a southern gentleman like him.
    But she did know Cody already. Just like the other day, rather than ask for a little help, he was turning the tables on her and making it seem as though he was leading her instead of the other way around. No matter. Survival was survival, and it was good in any form if it worked.
    And she'd bet next week's salary he was as nervous about getting on that horse as she was.
    Well, maybe not. She didn't think anything could rival her nerves right at that moment.
    They reached the stables and Beau was already there, saddling up a big old gray horse with dusty spots on his back. She resisted the urge to take a step back when the horse bobbed his big head.
    "I didn't know whether you'd want to ride Sassy or not, so I figured I'd wait until you got out here," Beau said.
    Lyssa watched Cody move along the wall, following each gate until he reached the third stall. When Sassy neighed, his smile was immediate and transformed his whole face. She had the feeling that just being in the presence of the animal was enough to soften even the roughest edges of this