Her Heart for the Asking (Book 1 - TEXAS HEARTS) by Lisa Mondello Page B

the men
stood.  She settled on the top step, her hands slipped deep
into the pockets of her crisp denim blue jeans. 
    "I've been down this road before," Beau
assured his old friend.  "I think I can handle myself."
    Chuckling, Hank cast a quick glance at the
porch, then back at Beau.  "We are talking about the horse
now, aren't we, son?" 
    Beau propped his hat low on his head and
chuckled.  "Course." 
    He watched Mandy out of the corner of his
eye as she strode through the yard toward the paddock.  He
shouldn't be nervous.  He'd done this a thousand times over,
but suddenly it was if he'd been transformed back to the first time
he'd climbed into a shoot to mount a bronc before the
ride. 
    When he finished rosining up his rigging, he
pulled on his leather gloves and into the shoot where he could see
the young filly was already itching to charge out bucking.  He
could already tell she wanted no part of him.
      The wild horses
Mitch had just purchased at auction were both mares and still
testing their new boundaries.  It would take a while for Mitch
to do his magic and gentle them enough to be good riding
horsing.  Still, Beau couldn't help but take a chance at
trying to mount one of them while their spirit was still raw and
free, feel that adrenaline rush when in her wild way she tried to
buck him off.  It had been over a month since his last rodeo
and every nerve ending in him was itching to get back to riding
again.
    He fought the urge to steal another quick
glance at Mandy, to see if she was hanging the fence, chewing on
her lip with anticipation like she used to do, or if she was hiding
her eyes for fear of what was to come.  The very first rodeo
he'd ever entered, she was there standing at the gate just the way
she was now.  Except then, he'd been so distracted by that
kiss for luck she'd given him, he'd been thrown from his mount just
as soon as he left the shoot.  He'd crawled out of the arena
like a beat dog with his tail tucked between his legs.
    Mandy had a way of making him feel he could
do anything back then.  He'd been so green but not to
Mandy.  She'd just looked at him, her breaths kind of shallow
like she'd had the air sucked from her lungs instead of him when he
hit the dusty ground.  She'd said, "Come on, Beau, there's
another rodeo this afternoon."
    That was all.  Not a word said about
being bucked off, not a mention of what had happened, as if it
didn't matter.  A little shove from behind to move him in the
right direction and Mandy had him feeling as if he could move a
mountain.  He'd forgotten that about her.  But he
remembered now.  To Mandy, it really didn't matter. 
    He could see she applied the same principle
to her own life.  Instead of accepting that she'd never be
exactly what her old man wanted of her, she tried anyway.  And
had gotten far because of the trying.  Mandy had told him
years ago that Damien Morgan didn't give free rides.  Daughter
or no daughter, if she didn't pull her weight at his advertising
firm, she wouldn't be there.  He had the feeling she pulled
her weight and a whole lot more to get where she was.
    Turning his attention back to the mare, he
realized the horse wanted no part of him as he approached the
shoot.  And why would she?  Not too long ago she'd had no
barriers keeping her from running free.  Now it didn't matter
how much room she had, she was caged like a bird that’d once soared
the skies.
    When she'd settled some, Beau talked
soothingly to her.  He got close enough to let her get the
scent of him, let her take her time and get her fill while he
readied himself to mount her.  All the while he talked to her
until he had his seat on her back.
    "You sure you want to do this?" Mitch asked,
ready at the gate.
    Beau stared at a spot on the mares neck,
felt anticipation surge through his veins and nodded once.  It
always happens in a heartbeat after that.  The young mare sees
her shot at freedom again when the gate flies opens, and