volume. “I wish anyone would look at me that way. I’d be all over that. He wouldn’t have to look like Jake Carter or even have powerful connections. Or gobs of money. I’d simply be happy if the guy’s into me. Truly into me.” Mindy contorted her face. “I’m thirty-eight years old, Ryder. I’m physically fit, but nowhere near your petite size. I don’t have your blue eyes or your blond hair. My long brown braid already has some grays in it . . .”
Ryder leaned forward and wrapped Mindy in her arms. “You are young. You are beautiful. You are vibrant. And have your whole life ahead of you. You will find a fabulous man to see in you all the wonderful things I do.”
Mindy gave a hard sniff when Ryder let her go. “Thanks, Ry. I needed to hear that. Despite all my teasing, I have a soft side that’s waaaaay too soft.” She let out a small laugh. “What about you, though? Are you ever going to take a chance?”
“I take chances,” Ryder protested.
Mindy crossed her hands over her chest, mimicking Ryder.
“Funny,” Ryder said tightly. “Ha ha ha, you’re acting like me.”
“I’m not trying to be funny,” Mindy said. “You helped me so I’m trying to help you. Whether you want my help or not. You don’t take chances. Not since you fell off—”
“Don’t go there,” Ryder warned.
“And why not?” Mindy demanded. “It’s true. You don’t want to take a chance because you don’t want to fail again. I know you want to be a jockey, but it’s safer to sit on the sidelines, training. I know you want Jake Carter, but again, rather than go for it and put yourself out there where you can be hurt, you sit on the sidelines taking the safe route in life.”
Ryder felt her eyes go wide, her jaw hang open.
“It’s true,” Mindy said gently. “Take a risk in life, Ry. You have faith in me. You want me to be happy. I feel the same about you.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her, giving Ryder a kiss on the cheek before turning to go.
“Love ya,” Mindy called out as she left the stalls behind.
Ryder watched her go. Was Mindy right? Was it time to take a chance? To get back in the saddle again?
No. Right now she was still suffering from too many scars. Emotionally and physically. Would she ever be able to bare that part of herself to him?
Chapter 6
Jake returned to Ryder’s stable a week and a half later, not believing the scene unfurled in front of him. Is that a goat? And a bunch of chickens? He felt his forehead wrinkle. This was supposed to be a professional establishment, not a barn for rundown broncos. He was readying himself to barge in to her office and demand an explanation for her rendition of Little Stable on the Prairie when Ryder came up to him. Her white teeth gleamed in a wide-open smile.
Batting her hands against her jeans, a cloud of dust rose up. He coughed. “Sorry,” she apologized.
Even dirty she was a jewel. Dirt never bothered him although Betsy would have killed herself. Betsy saw dirt as working class. He merely saw it as indicative of hard work. And hard work was an enviable trait to find in someone. It was something he was glad to have in common with the beautiful, albeit dirty, woman in front of him. At least her smile was bright, her pearly white teeth were as beautiful as the rest of her.
“Hope my appearance doesn’t scare you away,” she apologized. “Barn work is real dirty and we needed to make some changes around here, as you can see.” She gestured around at the cacophony coming from the loose chickens. A loud, annoyed, “ meh!” brought his attention to the mangy goat standing off to the side.
Goat pellets littered the floor of her horse stalls, along with loose feathers. One small white wisp drifted past his face. He blew it away with a hard exhale. But the feather blew back and stuck against his lower lip. His lip twitched as he hastily brushed it off.
“There’s more,” she said with obvious pride. “I installed
Ryder leaned forward and wrapped Mindy in her arms. “You are young. You are beautiful. You are vibrant. And have your whole life ahead of you. You will find a fabulous man to see in you all the wonderful things I do.”
Mindy gave a hard sniff when Ryder let her go. “Thanks, Ry. I needed to hear that. Despite all my teasing, I have a soft side that’s waaaaay too soft.” She let out a small laugh. “What about you, though? Are you ever going to take a chance?”
“I take chances,” Ryder protested.
Mindy crossed her hands over her chest, mimicking Ryder.
“Funny,” Ryder said tightly. “Ha ha ha, you’re acting like me.”
“I’m not trying to be funny,” Mindy said. “You helped me so I’m trying to help you. Whether you want my help or not. You don’t take chances. Not since you fell off—”
“Don’t go there,” Ryder warned.
“And why not?” Mindy demanded. “It’s true. You don’t want to take a chance because you don’t want to fail again. I know you want to be a jockey, but it’s safer to sit on the sidelines, training. I know you want Jake Carter, but again, rather than go for it and put yourself out there where you can be hurt, you sit on the sidelines taking the safe route in life.”
Ryder felt her eyes go wide, her jaw hang open.
“It’s true,” Mindy said gently. “Take a risk in life, Ry. You have faith in me. You want me to be happy. I feel the same about you.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her, giving Ryder a kiss on the cheek before turning to go.
“Love ya,” Mindy called out as she left the stalls behind.
Ryder watched her go. Was Mindy right? Was it time to take a chance? To get back in the saddle again?
No. Right now she was still suffering from too many scars. Emotionally and physically. Would she ever be able to bare that part of herself to him?
Chapter 6
Jake returned to Ryder’s stable a week and a half later, not believing the scene unfurled in front of him. Is that a goat? And a bunch of chickens? He felt his forehead wrinkle. This was supposed to be a professional establishment, not a barn for rundown broncos. He was readying himself to barge in to her office and demand an explanation for her rendition of Little Stable on the Prairie when Ryder came up to him. Her white teeth gleamed in a wide-open smile.
Batting her hands against her jeans, a cloud of dust rose up. He coughed. “Sorry,” she apologized.
Even dirty she was a jewel. Dirt never bothered him although Betsy would have killed herself. Betsy saw dirt as working class. He merely saw it as indicative of hard work. And hard work was an enviable trait to find in someone. It was something he was glad to have in common with the beautiful, albeit dirty, woman in front of him. At least her smile was bright, her pearly white teeth were as beautiful as the rest of her.
“Hope my appearance doesn’t scare you away,” she apologized. “Barn work is real dirty and we needed to make some changes around here, as you can see.” She gestured around at the cacophony coming from the loose chickens. A loud, annoyed, “ meh!” brought his attention to the mangy goat standing off to the side.
Goat pellets littered the floor of her horse stalls, along with loose feathers. One small white wisp drifted past his face. He blew it away with a hard exhale. But the feather blew back and stuck against his lower lip. His lip twitched as he hastily brushed it off.
“There’s more,” she said with obvious pride. “I installed
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