Chapter 301: Summer’s Pause

Most people didn’t like summer, but Sierra loved it. The heat, even if only for a little while, could chase away the chill buried deep inside her.

As she adjusted to the rhythm of the ride, Johnathan urged Lightning to go faster. The stallion began to gallop in earnest. By the time Draven and the others arrived, Johnathan and Sierra had already ridden off into the distance.

Mateo stared after the vanishing figures, now just a pair of black dots, and muttered, “I want to fall in love too.”

Stone glanced at him. “Didn’t your family already line someone up for you?”

That shut Mateo up immediately. What he wanted was someone he loved, not some arranged match. But in families like theirs, it wasn’t up to them.

“Come on, let’s ride too,” Maddox said as he went off to get his horse.

Mateo immediately forgot what he’d just said. “Let’s catch up to Johnathan!”

“You do that, and get ready to be punched.”

Maddox didn’t bother stopping him. Mateo was always throwing himself into trouble anyway. But just thinking about Johnathan’s fists made Mateo hesitate. In the end, he gave up the idea and followed Maddox in the opposite direction. He wasn’t in the mood to be their third wheel.

Sierra had never been this happy before. It was different from the seaside—the scenery had changed, but the joy was the same.

After a while, Johnathan slowed Lightning down, then helped Sierra down from the saddle and let the stallion graze freely nearby. The two of them walked hand-in-hand through the grass. The summer meadow was stunning, wildflowers blooming everywhere.

“It’s beautiful,” Sierra said, unable to hold it in. She took out her phone and snapped a photo, then turned to Johnathan. “Mr. Yaeger, let’s take a picture together!”

She wasn’t really into photos—and Johnathan even less so. She’d seen his childhood albums and always thought it was a shame. If only those memories had been captured better.

Johnathan didn’t object. He slipped an arm around her waist, and they leaned into each other for the photo. Good-looking people never needed angles. The photo turned out beautifully with barely any effort. Johnathan glanced at it, then sent it to his phone.

They wandered around for a long time and didn’t return to the tents until the sun had begun to set. The others were already back. The staff had everything prepared—grilled lamb, beef, seafood, a variety of vegetables. A few servers stood by, ready to assist at any moment.

It had been a while since anyone had done anything hands-on. “Let’s do it ourselves,” Johnathan said.

Maddox waved the staff away, and they quickly stepped aside.

Johnathan handed her a piece of freshly grilled beef. “Try it.”

Sierra took a bite, then gave him a big thumbs-up. It was tender—perfect. Johnathan looked pleased. Mateo and the others, watching nearby, felt their teeth ache. No matter how many times they saw it, they still found it hard to believe how Johnathan treated Sierra. They knew him too well. Seeing him this attentive to anyone felt surreal.

“Let’s drink,” Mateo suggested.

The staff brought over a selection of drinks—white, red, yellow liquors, and more. They went with beer. Even Sierra took a bottle.

They grilled, drank, and talked. Sierra had never felt this relaxed. Two bottles in, she was already feeling tipsy—but she didn’t want to leave. She loved this feeling.

Johnathan kept a close eye on her. Seeing her laugh, seeing that she wasn’t thinking about Azure anymore—he finally allowed himself a breath of relief. She was enjoying herself, and he didn’t want to break the mood.

But just then, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the sound of engines approaching. The racetrack Maddox’s family owned was well-known. Visitors weren’t unusual, so no one paid much attention at first—until they saw who it was.

“Well, what a coincidence. Sierra, long time no see!”

The voice instantly sobered Sierra up. She instinctively turned toward it, her eyes narrowing. Shane was walking toward them. When his eyes met Sierra’s, he froze for a moment, then quickly recovered. His gaze swept across her slightly flushed face, then shifted to Johnathan, and finally landed on Maddox. He reached out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Sir.”