gait a sure sign that she had settled into senior-hood. Gracious, the poor thing looked as if she should be resting in the shady barn chewing on an apple instead of saddled up and ridden. Not that this horse would give Suzanne a wild ride. It probably couldn’t even work up to a canter.
“Have fun, missy.” Bud, the sweet-looking old ranch hand, winked at her as he loped back to the barn.
Suzanne eyed the horse skeptically. “Are you sure she’s up to being ridden?”
“You admitted yourself you’re not experienced. She’s the tamest horse on the Lazy M.” His crooked grin plucked at her nerves. “After all, I promised to show you my property. I don’t want to get sued in case you fall off.”
“Oh, of course.” The poor guy was broke. He was worried about being sued.
“Go ahead, let’s see what you remember.” Rafe gestured toward the bucket of brushes, a brown saddle and striped Mexican blanket in the corner of the shed.
Recognizing the challenge in his eyes, she offered him a perky smile, grabbed the comb and began to clean the pathetic horse. Blondie relaxed under her ministrations, her mellow attitude vastly different from the energy that had emanated from Thunder. Suzanne hummed to herself, trying to ignore the odor of horse dung lingering in the area.
Rafe’s manly presence dared her to forget her real business with the studly rancher. But the intensity of his gaze unnerved her, as if part of him wanted to lap her up and the other part wanted to watch her fall flat on her face on the dusty ground and admit that she had been wrong to even suggest progress come to Sugar Hill.
When she was finally satisfied she’d combed enough tangles from the mare’s coat, Suzanne spread the blanket over Blondie’s middle, grateful the animal didn’t balk. Then she tried to lift the saddle and nearly collapsed with its weight.
Rafe had the nerve to grin. “Big horse needs a big saddle.”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “You mean an over-weight horse needs a heavy saddle. This thing weighs more than I do,” Suzanne said, forgetting she was not supposed to give Rafe a reason to think she was a wimpy city girl. He obviously disagreed with her ideals and life style, and would hate her if he knew she worked for Horton Developers.
She tried the saddle again, wobbling on the heels of her boots and nearly breaking her back, but she finally maneuvered both hands beneath it and lifted it from the floor. Wood boards squeaked beneath her feet, her shoulder muscles strained, and she staggered toward Blondie, nearly diving headfirst into her drooping belly as the weight pulled at her arms. She definitely needed to work out more at the gym and build up her upper body strength.
Steadying herself, she tried to raise her arms and throw the saddle on top of the horse, but one of the straps smacked her in the eye and she wobbled backward, her butt brushing Rafe’s thighs.
He caught her, his broad hands encasing her arms, the whisper of his breath against her neck sending a tingle through her. A hiss escaped him as he disengaged her from the front of his body.
“Here, just let me do it.” Exasperation laced his voice.
Suzanne shook her head, her stubborn streak rearing its head. “No, I can manage.” Pushing his hands away with her elbow, she sucked in a huge breath, stood on tiptoe and heaved the saddle over Blondie’s back. Several grunt-filled minutes later, she’d tightened the straps and secured the bit and bridle, pleased with the way Blondie tipped her head for affection.
“All right, are you ready to go?” Rafe asked.
Suzanne nodded, although she was already exhausted from the ordeal. Rafe slung one foot into the stirrup, then mounted Thunder like a professional rodeo star while she struggled to climb in the saddle.
The ring James had given her dug into her finger as she clenched the reins.
Rafe might have won this round, but he would not win in the end. Suzanne would make sure James got this land, and
“Have fun, missy.” Bud, the sweet-looking old ranch hand, winked at her as he loped back to the barn.
Suzanne eyed the horse skeptically. “Are you sure she’s up to being ridden?”
“You admitted yourself you’re not experienced. She’s the tamest horse on the Lazy M.” His crooked grin plucked at her nerves. “After all, I promised to show you my property. I don’t want to get sued in case you fall off.”
“Oh, of course.” The poor guy was broke. He was worried about being sued.
“Go ahead, let’s see what you remember.” Rafe gestured toward the bucket of brushes, a brown saddle and striped Mexican blanket in the corner of the shed.
Recognizing the challenge in his eyes, she offered him a perky smile, grabbed the comb and began to clean the pathetic horse. Blondie relaxed under her ministrations, her mellow attitude vastly different from the energy that had emanated from Thunder. Suzanne hummed to herself, trying to ignore the odor of horse dung lingering in the area.
Rafe’s manly presence dared her to forget her real business with the studly rancher. But the intensity of his gaze unnerved her, as if part of him wanted to lap her up and the other part wanted to watch her fall flat on her face on the dusty ground and admit that she had been wrong to even suggest progress come to Sugar Hill.
When she was finally satisfied she’d combed enough tangles from the mare’s coat, Suzanne spread the blanket over Blondie’s middle, grateful the animal didn’t balk. Then she tried to lift the saddle and nearly collapsed with its weight.
Rafe had the nerve to grin. “Big horse needs a big saddle.”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “You mean an over-weight horse needs a heavy saddle. This thing weighs more than I do,” Suzanne said, forgetting she was not supposed to give Rafe a reason to think she was a wimpy city girl. He obviously disagreed with her ideals and life style, and would hate her if he knew she worked for Horton Developers.
She tried the saddle again, wobbling on the heels of her boots and nearly breaking her back, but she finally maneuvered both hands beneath it and lifted it from the floor. Wood boards squeaked beneath her feet, her shoulder muscles strained, and she staggered toward Blondie, nearly diving headfirst into her drooping belly as the weight pulled at her arms. She definitely needed to work out more at the gym and build up her upper body strength.
Steadying herself, she tried to raise her arms and throw the saddle on top of the horse, but one of the straps smacked her in the eye and she wobbled backward, her butt brushing Rafe’s thighs.
He caught her, his broad hands encasing her arms, the whisper of his breath against her neck sending a tingle through her. A hiss escaped him as he disengaged her from the front of his body.
“Here, just let me do it.” Exasperation laced his voice.
Suzanne shook her head, her stubborn streak rearing its head. “No, I can manage.” Pushing his hands away with her elbow, she sucked in a huge breath, stood on tiptoe and heaved the saddle over Blondie’s back. Several grunt-filled minutes later, she’d tightened the straps and secured the bit and bridle, pleased with the way Blondie tipped her head for affection.
“All right, are you ready to go?” Rafe asked.
Suzanne nodded, although she was already exhausted from the ordeal. Rafe slung one foot into the stirrup, then mounted Thunder like a professional rodeo star while she struggled to climb in the saddle.
The ring James had given her dug into her finger as she clenched the reins.
Rafe might have won this round, but he would not win in the end. Suzanne would make sure James got this land, and
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