Once a Father by Kathleen Eagle

but he could feel her emptiness. “Thought you didn’t know how to cook,” he said.
    â€œI said I’m not much of a cook.” She turned to him, eyes hard, smile tight. “But I sure know how to take instruction.”
    â€œGood. I’m looking for ways to improve on mine, so maybe you can give me some pointers. Ways people can understand as easily as horses.”
    â€œMy people?”
    â€œYour people, my people, most people. Your mom’s right—you’ve had some valuable experience. It’s onething to be able to train animals, but teaching people to train animals—teaching people to do anything —hell, that takes some serious patience. And you’re working with people who live in a whole different world.” He flashed an encouraging smile. “You’ve gotta be gifted.”
    â€œThe dogs are gifted. All I do is put their gifts to use.”
    â€œI like that,” he enthused. “Can I use it?”
    â€œBe my guest. But I want credit.” She was smiling now. “Better yet, cash.”
    Â 
    â€œNo hands,” Logan admonished as Mary extended hers in some sort of a cautionary signal. He’d told her not to let the horse come off the fence. “Not yet. He doesn’t trust hands. His kind doesn’t have them.”
    â€œYou said to bring my skills to—”
    â€œNot yet. Think about the dogs. How do they feel about your hands?”
    â€œI teach them to respond to hand signals.”
    â€œDown the road. We’re starting off in the horse’s world. No hands today.”
    Logan took great pleasure in watching Mary become acquainted with the mustang. Most people wanted to rush the ground work. How long before we get to ride him? Both his boys had been impatient, but especially Trace, who’d found his niche bucking them out in the rodeo arena. Ethan had surprised him. For all his younger son’s defiance, he’deventually taken Logan’s way to heart. He’d seen first hand what the boy could do under some pretty humbling circumstances. He imagined introducing Mary to his boys, but in his mind’s eye the boys were kids. Mary was…
    Fearless. The woman knew her way around animals. She didn’t push, but neither did she back away. She had the mustang running circles around her, wearing himself down of his own accord, discovering that he was safe with her. He might even be able to trust her. She was the kind of person a team captain picked first. If she didn’t know how to play, she’d soon learn and she’d be there come rain or shine. No-nonsense Mary. She wore a T-shirt and jeans, and her hair was clipped back in a cute ponytail. He wondered why she wasn’t wearing a hat. She was a soldier, after all.
    â€œYou ready to take a break?”
    Mary looked at him as though he were talking nonsense. He grinned because he knew just how she felt. A break from what? Hanging out with a friend? It was hardly a strain, and you hated to walk away when you could feel a connection in the making.
    He waved a bottle of water, and her face brightened. “Oh, yeah.” She checked the horse’s trough for water on her way to joining Logan. They sat in the grass a couple of feet from the pen and watched the mustang while they drank. Logan nodded when the horse took their cue. He moved to the trough andhad himself a good long drink. Good sign. When the time came, Logan would not want to give this guy up. But the project had a greater purpose.
    â€œSally has the right idea,” he said. “Persuade the two-leggeds to save some room for the four-leggeds by making more of them useful .”
    â€œUs or them?” Mary rolled the plastic bottle back and forth across her brow. “Who’s making who useful?”
    â€œWhom,” he teased as he took off his straw hat and put it on her head. “Better watch your language around me, Sergeant.”
    â€œWhom, then. I have