glance and a grin on her face. “That probably wouldn’t be any better,” she said with a shake of her head and a failing frown. “We’ll just have to learn to keep the girls out in the paddock when you come to pick up Heidi.”
He tried to look apologetic as they rounded the corner of the barn, and Miriam stopped, pointing toward the corrals. “She’s just finishing up with Applesauce and Cassie. You’ll see them on the other side of the doors.”
Jake smiled again and lifted an eyebrow questioningly, “Cassie? Aren’t you worried about Cassie being useless for the day? Especially if I’m such a distraction for your girls?”
Miriam turned to head back to the house and pivoted back to look at Jake. “Have you ever met Cassie?” she asked, the edge of something in her question.
“A couple of times at Mcgoo’s,” he answered keeping his expression blank. Miriam tilted an eyebrow and then shot him a half-hearted smile.
“So … then, she gets all befuddled when you’re around, too?”
Jake didn’t answer with anything except a shrug of his shoulders, and Miriam gave him a watery smile. “I think Cassie will be all right,” she said, suddenly brightening and waving him toward the spot she had showed him.
• • •
Jake watched her return to the big house and then turned toward the barn doors as he heard laughter drifting through the wide opening toward him.
“Showtime, Jake,” he murmured as he steadied himself against the sound of Cassie’s presence as he walked through the shadowed recesses of the barn. The summer sun was baking the smell of leather, feed, hay, and dirt into a steamy cloud as he passed beneath the loft, and he rushed through it to step into the sunlight. He could see Heidi’s long dark hair swaying in the breeze that trickled through the corral as she rubbed her gray mare Applesauce down with a dry cloth.
Heidi loved that horse, despite being generally afraid of the animals. She had become attached to the old mare’s warm, dark eyes and velvet muzzle the first time Jake had showed her how to pet it. Jake shook his head at the sight of the ugly beast standing placidly in the hot sun with the two girls. Applesauce wasn’t exactly a swaybacked nag, but her coat was mottled gray, like granite that couldn’t decide which shade to be. Her back and legs were thick and strong, but the horse paid no mind to speed or destination, preferring to meander like a wandering brook. The placid nature of the old horse convinced Heidi she could be around the gentle animal.
Jake’s mustang, Deseo, had been caught and tamed from the wild herd that ran in the deep meadows of the high country, and Heidi was terrified of the blond stallion. Deseo snorted like a wild bull and was given to unannounced mad dashes even under Jake’s firm hand. But Jake loved the horse’s unquenchable spirit and the freedom he felt riding bareback through the stands of aspens climbing the slopes of the lower Sierras.
His dad had given Applesauce to Miriam, hoping the methodical plod of the old mare would help Heidi learn at least to walk the exercise ring on her back. Both Heidi and the mare had made a lot of progress lately, and Jake suspected Cassie was at least partially responsible. A month ago Heidi hadn’t gotten any closer to the horse than the stretch of her fingers toward her silken nose, but now she pulled carrots from her pockets and was letting the horse eat directly out of her hand.
Grinning broadly as he walked quietly to the corral to watch her, Jake saw the trepidation mixed with elation light Heidi’s dancing eyes. He was still a few steps back from where Cassie leaned against the side of the rails of the corral, whispering soft words into the horse’s ear. A sudden gust of wind blew from behind Jake, and he brushed a tangle of curls back from his forehead, with his fingertips, letting the cool touch of the slight wind soften the sun’s glare.
Cassie suddenly stiffened her back and stood
He tried to look apologetic as they rounded the corner of the barn, and Miriam stopped, pointing toward the corrals. “She’s just finishing up with Applesauce and Cassie. You’ll see them on the other side of the doors.”
Jake smiled again and lifted an eyebrow questioningly, “Cassie? Aren’t you worried about Cassie being useless for the day? Especially if I’m such a distraction for your girls?”
Miriam turned to head back to the house and pivoted back to look at Jake. “Have you ever met Cassie?” she asked, the edge of something in her question.
“A couple of times at Mcgoo’s,” he answered keeping his expression blank. Miriam tilted an eyebrow and then shot him a half-hearted smile.
“So … then, she gets all befuddled when you’re around, too?”
Jake didn’t answer with anything except a shrug of his shoulders, and Miriam gave him a watery smile. “I think Cassie will be all right,” she said, suddenly brightening and waving him toward the spot she had showed him.
• • •
Jake watched her return to the big house and then turned toward the barn doors as he heard laughter drifting through the wide opening toward him.
“Showtime, Jake,” he murmured as he steadied himself against the sound of Cassie’s presence as he walked through the shadowed recesses of the barn. The summer sun was baking the smell of leather, feed, hay, and dirt into a steamy cloud as he passed beneath the loft, and he rushed through it to step into the sunlight. He could see Heidi’s long dark hair swaying in the breeze that trickled through the corral as she rubbed her gray mare Applesauce down with a dry cloth.
Heidi loved that horse, despite being generally afraid of the animals. She had become attached to the old mare’s warm, dark eyes and velvet muzzle the first time Jake had showed her how to pet it. Jake shook his head at the sight of the ugly beast standing placidly in the hot sun with the two girls. Applesauce wasn’t exactly a swaybacked nag, but her coat was mottled gray, like granite that couldn’t decide which shade to be. Her back and legs were thick and strong, but the horse paid no mind to speed or destination, preferring to meander like a wandering brook. The placid nature of the old horse convinced Heidi she could be around the gentle animal.
Jake’s mustang, Deseo, had been caught and tamed from the wild herd that ran in the deep meadows of the high country, and Heidi was terrified of the blond stallion. Deseo snorted like a wild bull and was given to unannounced mad dashes even under Jake’s firm hand. But Jake loved the horse’s unquenchable spirit and the freedom he felt riding bareback through the stands of aspens climbing the slopes of the lower Sierras.
His dad had given Applesauce to Miriam, hoping the methodical plod of the old mare would help Heidi learn at least to walk the exercise ring on her back. Both Heidi and the mare had made a lot of progress lately, and Jake suspected Cassie was at least partially responsible. A month ago Heidi hadn’t gotten any closer to the horse than the stretch of her fingers toward her silken nose, but now she pulled carrots from her pockets and was letting the horse eat directly out of her hand.
Grinning broadly as he walked quietly to the corral to watch her, Jake saw the trepidation mixed with elation light Heidi’s dancing eyes. He was still a few steps back from where Cassie leaned against the side of the rails of the corral, whispering soft words into the horse’s ear. A sudden gust of wind blew from behind Jake, and he brushed a tangle of curls back from his forehead, with his fingertips, letting the cool touch of the slight wind soften the sun’s glare.
Cassie suddenly stiffened her back and stood
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