here, and I stayed in the city with Mother. When it was time for visitation, my father came to the city to see me, when he could be bothered to show. Then I got caught up in college and a career,” Beth clamped her mouth closed, surprised that she revealed so much so quickly. She was usually more reserved. She'd never made friends easily. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.
They continued on in silence. The soothing rhythm of the horse’s walk calmed her nerves, and she closed her eyes for a moment to listen to the sound of their hooves on the dirt path and the creak of the leather. Wispy clouds floated across the brilliant blue sky. The orderliness and cleanliness of the white wooden fencing that crisscrossed the rolling hills appealed to her.
“The old man loved it out here. He was really in his element.” Beau’s voice grew thick, “I miss him.”
Suddenly, Beth’s horse snorted and reared up, throwing her forward. The saddle horn dug deep into her stomach, forcing the air out in a rush. The leather reins burned through her fingers. She grabbed for mane, twisted her fingers into the coarse hair and held on for dear life. Her feet slipped from the stirrups, and Dingo jerked from side to side, whinnying frantically. Beau grabbed the bridle and everything jerked to a stop.
She wasn’t sure who was breathing harder, her or her horse.
“Damned rattlesnake! Scared Dingo.” Beau sounded out of breath, too. “You okay, Boss?”
Beth turned to look at the man who had now saved her twice. His dark eyebrows were bunched into a frown, and his display of concern gave her a little thrill. It had been a long time since she felt like anyone cared about her.
She put her hand to her stomach where the saddle horn had dug into her. It ached like crazy. She felt dizzy and scared, but tried to take even, deep breaths and stay calm. She told herself to keep it together, make a good impression. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn’t feel good, but to her utter horror, her vision narrowed.
CHAPTER NINE
B eau leapt out of the saddle and caught Beth just as she fell to the side. He stumbled backwards and fell, taking her with him. They landed in a tangle on the trail, their arms and legs entwined. The full length of her body pressed against his. Her emerald eyes fluttered open and she stared at him, her face only inches from his own. He could feel her heart thudding in her chest.
Shep stood just off the path, growling as the hair on his back bristled.
She looked at him for a moment, her green eyes slightly unfocused, then they opened wide, "Oh!"
He grinned, "Hi, there."
She froze as her eyes darted all around. "The snake?"
"It's gone. Shep chased it off." His hands settled on the small of her back.
Her brow furrowed and she pushed herself off of him, "I'm sorry about that."
"Quite all right," he said, as he stood. He extended his hand out to her. "You okay?"
She grasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "I'm fine," she muttered.
He dusted himself off and she followed suit, then turned to her horse. Shep stood at attention, keeping the gray horse from running off. Luckily, Dingo had calmed as quickly as he panicked and stood with his nose nearly to the ground. Beau snagged Dingo's reins with one hand and held the stirrup with his other. "Best thing to do when you fall off is get right back on."
She narrowed her eyes and stared at him, then her chest rose and fell as she took several deep breaths. Her eyes flicked from him to the horse. "Maybe you're right."
She hesitated a moment, then swung her leg up and over and settled into the saddle. She let out a shaky breath. Her face was still pale, but the color was beginning to return.
He winked at her, "Of course I'm right. You ready to head back?"
She nodded once. Her cheeks were flushed, either with embarrassment or excitement. Whatever the case, she kept her lips pressed in a tight line as he mounted Digger.
He urged his horse
They continued on in silence. The soothing rhythm of the horse’s walk calmed her nerves, and she closed her eyes for a moment to listen to the sound of their hooves on the dirt path and the creak of the leather. Wispy clouds floated across the brilliant blue sky. The orderliness and cleanliness of the white wooden fencing that crisscrossed the rolling hills appealed to her.
“The old man loved it out here. He was really in his element.” Beau’s voice grew thick, “I miss him.”
Suddenly, Beth’s horse snorted and reared up, throwing her forward. The saddle horn dug deep into her stomach, forcing the air out in a rush. The leather reins burned through her fingers. She grabbed for mane, twisted her fingers into the coarse hair and held on for dear life. Her feet slipped from the stirrups, and Dingo jerked from side to side, whinnying frantically. Beau grabbed the bridle and everything jerked to a stop.
She wasn’t sure who was breathing harder, her or her horse.
“Damned rattlesnake! Scared Dingo.” Beau sounded out of breath, too. “You okay, Boss?”
Beth turned to look at the man who had now saved her twice. His dark eyebrows were bunched into a frown, and his display of concern gave her a little thrill. It had been a long time since she felt like anyone cared about her.
She put her hand to her stomach where the saddle horn had dug into her. It ached like crazy. She felt dizzy and scared, but tried to take even, deep breaths and stay calm. She told herself to keep it together, make a good impression. She opened her mouth to tell him she didn’t feel good, but to her utter horror, her vision narrowed.
CHAPTER NINE
B eau leapt out of the saddle and caught Beth just as she fell to the side. He stumbled backwards and fell, taking her with him. They landed in a tangle on the trail, their arms and legs entwined. The full length of her body pressed against his. Her emerald eyes fluttered open and she stared at him, her face only inches from his own. He could feel her heart thudding in her chest.
Shep stood just off the path, growling as the hair on his back bristled.
She looked at him for a moment, her green eyes slightly unfocused, then they opened wide, "Oh!"
He grinned, "Hi, there."
She froze as her eyes darted all around. "The snake?"
"It's gone. Shep chased it off." His hands settled on the small of her back.
Her brow furrowed and she pushed herself off of him, "I'm sorry about that."
"Quite all right," he said, as he stood. He extended his hand out to her. "You okay?"
She grasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "I'm fine," she muttered.
He dusted himself off and she followed suit, then turned to her horse. Shep stood at attention, keeping the gray horse from running off. Luckily, Dingo had calmed as quickly as he panicked and stood with his nose nearly to the ground. Beau snagged Dingo's reins with one hand and held the stirrup with his other. "Best thing to do when you fall off is get right back on."
She narrowed her eyes and stared at him, then her chest rose and fell as she took several deep breaths. Her eyes flicked from him to the horse. "Maybe you're right."
She hesitated a moment, then swung her leg up and over and settled into the saddle. She let out a shaky breath. Her face was still pale, but the color was beginning to return.
He winked at her, "Of course I'm right. You ready to head back?"
She nodded once. Her cheeks were flushed, either with embarrassment or excitement. Whatever the case, she kept her lips pressed in a tight line as he mounted Digger.
He urged his horse
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