After eating a huge breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns and homemade biscuits, they strolled out to the stable. One of the ranch hands already had two horses saddled for them. Holly walked over and stroked the neck of one of the horses. It was a creamy white color with a brown streak down its nose. “This is Chester. He’s very gentle.” She handed the reins to Micky and then walked around to the other horse, which was black and white spotted. “And this is Spot.”
“Spot?” Micky laughed.
“He’s my horse but I let my brother name him. He was 5 at the time.” She giggled and then climbed up into the saddle.
“I didn’t know you had a brother, doc.” He adjusted the stirrups and then mounted the horse. “What’s his name?”
“Joe, Jr. He’s away at college studying business. He is going to take over the ranch for my dad when he retires.” She answered as they rode out from the stable.
They rode in a comfortable silence for a while until they reached the top of a hill. It looked over into a green valley. “I have never seen anything so breathtaking.” Micky stopped his horse and smiled.
“Let’s stop for a while.” Holly smiled and dismounted the horse.
He also got down and tied both horses to a tree. She sat down on the ground and took two bottles of water out of her backpack and handed him one when he sat down next to her. “Thanks.” He took a sip and then leaned back on his elbows. “I can see why you came back here.” He looked out at the horizon. “I saw the picture of you in your wedding dress. You were stunning.”
“Thank you.” She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.
“Will you tell me what happened?” He asked gently.
“I was in my last year of medical school. He came to one of my classes as a guest lecturer about emergency medicine. He was brilliant and handsome. I decided right then that I wanted to make my career in the emergency room. After the lecture, I mustarded up enough courage to talk to him. He asked me out for dinner.” She sighed. “I was still very much the innocent and naïve farm girl. He took me to a very expensive Chicago restaurant. We drank champagne and ate food that I had never heard of before. He was a true gentleman, very witty and charming, and by the end of the night, I was in love with him.” She rested her head on her knees and looked out at the valley. “After that, there was nothing I wouldn’t have done for him. I gave him my body and my heart. He took care of me. He molded me into a woman and an emergency room doctor for one of the top hospitals in the country. We were married a year later in front of 450 of our closest friends.” She half-laughed. “It was a high society wedding and money was not a concern.”
“When did it start to go bad?” He reached over and put his hand on her back.
“I’m not sure how long the affair was going on. I was so caught up in being a doctor and being his wife, that I never saw the signs that anything was wrong. And all the while, he was using me. He needed an upstanding, pretty and quiet wife to help further his career and I fell right into his plan.” Silent tears fell down her face. “I came home from the hospital early one day. I had just found out I was pregnant and I was so happy. I wanted to tell him right away. I walked into our bedroom and there he was in our bed with his secretary. I ran out of the room as fast as I could. I couldn’t believe he had done that to me. I stumbled and fell down the stairs. I woke up in the hospital the next day and that’s when I found out I had lost the baby.”
Micky wrapped his arms around her and held her. “I’m so sorry, Holly.” He gently stroked her hair as she cried.
“I couldn’t forgive him. I tried, but I just couldn’t do it. I blamed him for the loss of our child.” She rested her head against his chest. “I filed for divorce a few weeks later and came back here to start my life over. That was two years ago.”
He lifted her chin with his finger and brushed his lips against hers. Then he kissed the tears off her cheeks working his way back to her lips. She melted against him, her arms slipping around his neck. He deepened the kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair.
Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder. Holly looked up at the sky and saw the dark clouds rolling in. She pulled away from Micky’s arms reluctantly. “We should get back. That storm is coming in fast.”
“Okay.” He smiled and gently caressed her cheek then helped her to her feet. They mounted the horses and rode quickly back to the ranch.
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Continue to Part 6
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