She gave her mouth to him, uncaring that he was savage, almost brutal, kissing him back, matching fire for fire until he calmed and couldn’t stop the gentleness, the tenderness that she found in him, from emerging. “You’re destroying me, Emma,” he whispered, his forehead against hers. “You’re fucking destroying me with every breath you take.”

“I’m making you stronger,” she answered. “You make me stronger. That’s the way it works.”

He hoped so. He hoped she knew what the hell she was talking about, because he was in virgin territory.

The kitchen door banged open. “Emma!” Joshua yelled at the top of his lungs. “The kids are losing their minds out here. If you don’t move it, we’re going to have a mini rebellion.”

Joshua sounded harassed. Jake and Emma looked at each other and burst out laughing. She ran through the house. “I’m coming, sheesh. I had to take care of some business.”

“I can see what kind of business you were taking care of,” Joshua complained. He raised his voice so Jake could hear. “I’m not a babysitter.”

“What a wimp,” Emma teased. “A couple of little kids and you’re whining like a baby.” She caught up the reins Conner held out and swung up onto the little mare Jake had purchased for her. The horse had beautiful lines, but it was the training he’d paid for. She moved at the slightest request, her gait gentle and flowing.

Conner had Andraya sitting in front of him, her cheeks red with excitement, her pink riding helmet matching her beloved boots. Sometimes she refused to take off her boots, wanting to wear them to bed at night. Kyle was waiting impatiently for Joshua to remount behind him. He was all in black, matching his daddy’s hat and boots, although he too wore a helmet.

“You’re in so much trouble, Joshua,” Emma warned. “You’re not supposed to bring the horses up to the house. The gardener hates that. They trample his flowers and leave big messy surprises.”

“It’s your fault.” Joshua still hadn’t forgiven her. He knew the gardener would vent for hours, screaming in Italian at her and throwing rich, fertile dirt in the air in one of his frequent tantrums. Only Emma could soothe him when he was in a rage over the destruction of his beloved gardens.

Jake had sought out Taddio, his gardener, years earlier, after hearing several people first praise him as one of the top landscape artists in three states, then drop him after an accident had left him with one arm. He still had his genius, but none of them wanted to look at his “disgusting imperfection.” He had been with Jake exclusively ever since, designing the landscaping around his buildings, the homes he bought and sold, and the ranch as well.

They rode in single file, Emma listening to the bantering between Joshua and Susan. The teenager sat with perfect form, shoulders straight, chin up, with a new confidence Emma hadn’t seen in her before. Andraya and Kyle bounced and kicked and held the reins whenever Joshua and Conner allowed it, laughing in delight as they commanded the horses.

Emma had never really ridden a horse until a year earlier, when Jake had decided to teach her, along with putting Kyle on a horse for the first time. He’d been careful of her, but he’d pushed her to overcome her fears, until she’d finally realized there was freedom and joy in the power of the animal.

The riding trail was narrow as it wove through the trees to come to a small stream that the horses splashed across. This was the easiest trail, and one they used whenever they took Kyle and Andraya riding. No steep terrain, just flat land that stretched for miles. In the distance there were a few sloping hills. The wind had a bite to it and Emma was glad she’d insisted the children always have their jackets with them when they went riding.

In the distance, off to her right, as Emma topped a rise, she noticed dust rising, a large amount. She reined in to study the dust cloud, to determine what it might be. She glanced back and Joshua and Conner were talking to the children and helping them with the reins. She shifted her weight forward, lifting the reins slightly, and the little mare set off using her smooth, fast gait. Emma abandoned herself to the sheer joy of riding, feeling the wind in her hair and the breeze on her face. She urged the horse faster, using her knees to control the speed, just as Jake had said she could do. For just a few moments, she was alone, horse and rider charging across the land and her own laughter ringing in her ears.

She heard the sound of hoofs and turned her head to see Susan urging her horse up beside hers. They ran side by side, throwing grins back and forth, hair whipping in the wind, the horses running smoothly and confidently.

Emma’s horse suddenly swerved, eyes rolling, head tossing. Emma pulled her reins just as Susan’s horse began acting up. Emma lifted her head to try to catch the elusive scent, but her horse tried to bolt and she turned her attention to controlling the animal. She had to force its head around, circling. Susan’s horse turned tail and made a dash back toward the ranch.

Thunder rolled ominously. The ground shook. She felt the vibrations travel up the horse’s leg to her body, and she swung her head back to look in the direction of the dust cloud. It was nearly on top of her. The mare crow-hopped, letting out a terrified squeal. Emma kicked her hard in the ribs and bent low over her neck, racing back toward the relative safety of the treeline.

One moment she was riding alone, the next she was swept up in a sea of running horses. One broadsided her mare, crushing Emma’s leg. For a heart-stopping moment the mare stumbled, her head lowered and she kicked out with her back legs, sending Emma flying to the ground. Hooves rained down on her. She rolled, curling into a ball, hands over her head to protect herself. The ground was soft from the rain and she wiggled into a depression against the side of a small boulder.