moved into a line, six abreast. Tyler ended the performance with the horses in a row, bobbing their heads to the crowd on one side of the arena then turning like a pinwheel to face the opposite direction and bob their heads again.
The crowd went wild, jumping to their feet and cheering, while Tyler launched himself onto the back of one of the horses and placed a foot on the back of another, and with the mares lined six abreast, directed them out of the arena…
"What you're seeing is proof that a gentle bond between man and beast can be created, and all with a spirit of fun and joy, " the announcer yelled. " Let's hear it for Tyler Hansen and his Moon Dancers …" The announcer's voice was drowned out with thundering applause as Tyler and his horses loped out of the arena.
T he video flicked off, and for a moment Rose sat silently staring at the blank screen while trying to absorb what she'd just seen…
"I'm so relieved," Grace said, cutting into Rose's daze. "It went well, but I've been worried all week about Tyler working six horses, and his new horses maybe not being ready."
"Then you can start worrying a little more, Mom," Maddy said, "because now he wants to add two more mares to his team." She looked over at Jack and added, "Hang onto your wallet, Dad. I think he plans to hit you up for a loan."
Jack grumbled and said nothing, to which Jack's mother, Maureen, responded by saying, "What Tyler does with his horses is a gift few can do, so if he needs money for another pair, I'm willing to loan it to him."
Jack eyed his mother with concern. "I can't tell you what to do with your money, Mom, but before anyone invests in high-end horses, Tyler needs to prove that his six-horse team can continue to perform. He's on a roll right now with contracts lined up, but that could end with one injury. As it is, after he deducts all his expenses he barely makes ends meet. He needs a profession to fall back on if something happens, and he is capable of going to college."
" He barely made it through high school," Maureen said. "He's finally at peace and he doesn't need that stress. Besides, his horses are his passion and he should stay focused on them."
Rose found herself puzzling over the exchange, especially since Tyler seemed unusually intelligent, when Grace cut into her thoughts, while saying to Jack, "Honey, I know you have high hopes for Tyler, but right now he's single and free to travel with his horses, and he's in the process of making a name for himself. He's also too young to be thinking about marriage."
" He turns twenty-three in a couple of months," Jack pointed out. "He could start thinking about marriage in an instant if he met the right woman."
Maddy chuckled. "Tyler shouldn't think about marriage at all, ever. Heaven help any woman who might end up with him. She'd find herself sleeping in the pasture with the horses. Tyler spends half the summer doing that. Yep, he's definitely a centaur."
What came to Rose's mind on hearing Maddy's words was the expression on Tyler's face when she announced that she loved sleeping under the stars. It had been a deep, thoughtful expression, and Tyler had stared at her for a prolonged period…
Deciding she needed to snap out of her infatuation over the man, she reminded herself that, even though Tyler had an unusual rapport with horses, he was not a candidate for anything except maybe admiration from a distance when he was working his mares. It was becoming fairly clear that he belonged in his own isolated world, a very narrow world at that.
CHAPTER 5
Cody Stampede - Cody, Wyoming
Tyler had just finished grooming and tending his mares after his final performance on the last day of the rodeo, and was waiting to see how Wild Card would do during the final bull riding competition, when he looked over to see the same rodeo bullfighter staring at him. The man had been around all three days of the rodeo, always dressed like a clown, but not once had he been in the arena
The crowd went wild, jumping to their feet and cheering, while Tyler launched himself onto the back of one of the horses and placed a foot on the back of another, and with the mares lined six abreast, directed them out of the arena…
"What you're seeing is proof that a gentle bond between man and beast can be created, and all with a spirit of fun and joy, " the announcer yelled. " Let's hear it for Tyler Hansen and his Moon Dancers …" The announcer's voice was drowned out with thundering applause as Tyler and his horses loped out of the arena.
T he video flicked off, and for a moment Rose sat silently staring at the blank screen while trying to absorb what she'd just seen…
"I'm so relieved," Grace said, cutting into Rose's daze. "It went well, but I've been worried all week about Tyler working six horses, and his new horses maybe not being ready."
"Then you can start worrying a little more, Mom," Maddy said, "because now he wants to add two more mares to his team." She looked over at Jack and added, "Hang onto your wallet, Dad. I think he plans to hit you up for a loan."
Jack grumbled and said nothing, to which Jack's mother, Maureen, responded by saying, "What Tyler does with his horses is a gift few can do, so if he needs money for another pair, I'm willing to loan it to him."
Jack eyed his mother with concern. "I can't tell you what to do with your money, Mom, but before anyone invests in high-end horses, Tyler needs to prove that his six-horse team can continue to perform. He's on a roll right now with contracts lined up, but that could end with one injury. As it is, after he deducts all his expenses he barely makes ends meet. He needs a profession to fall back on if something happens, and he is capable of going to college."
" He barely made it through high school," Maureen said. "He's finally at peace and he doesn't need that stress. Besides, his horses are his passion and he should stay focused on them."
Rose found herself puzzling over the exchange, especially since Tyler seemed unusually intelligent, when Grace cut into her thoughts, while saying to Jack, "Honey, I know you have high hopes for Tyler, but right now he's single and free to travel with his horses, and he's in the process of making a name for himself. He's also too young to be thinking about marriage."
" He turns twenty-three in a couple of months," Jack pointed out. "He could start thinking about marriage in an instant if he met the right woman."
Maddy chuckled. "Tyler shouldn't think about marriage at all, ever. Heaven help any woman who might end up with him. She'd find herself sleeping in the pasture with the horses. Tyler spends half the summer doing that. Yep, he's definitely a centaur."
What came to Rose's mind on hearing Maddy's words was the expression on Tyler's face when she announced that she loved sleeping under the stars. It had been a deep, thoughtful expression, and Tyler had stared at her for a prolonged period…
Deciding she needed to snap out of her infatuation over the man, she reminded herself that, even though Tyler had an unusual rapport with horses, he was not a candidate for anything except maybe admiration from a distance when he was working his mares. It was becoming fairly clear that he belonged in his own isolated world, a very narrow world at that.
CHAPTER 5
Cody Stampede - Cody, Wyoming
Tyler had just finished grooming and tending his mares after his final performance on the last day of the rodeo, and was waiting to see how Wild Card would do during the final bull riding competition, when he looked over to see the same rodeo bullfighter staring at him. The man had been around all three days of the rodeo, always dressed like a clown, but not once had he been in the arena
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