straight, pulling back from Applesauce and holding her hand up, palm out toward Jake. In a quiet whisper, he barely heard her warn him to stop.
Jake stood quietly a broad smile across his face; she hadn’t even seen him. She had sensed that distraction Miriam had complained to him about earlier, and his expression became smug at her inability to ignore him when he was near.
“Heidi,” Jake heard Cassie say softly. “When she’s finished, let’s let her run back out in the pasture. Your brother is here to get you.” Heidi looked up from her scrutiny of Applesauce’s lips and teeth in the palm of her hand and noticed Jake, arms crossed over his chest, waiting behind Cassie.
Jake’s sudden appearance startled Heidi, and she dropped the remnants of the half eaten carrots to the ground with a shaky smile. “Hi, Yake,” she whispered loudly. “Do you see I’m feeding the horse?”
Jake smiled widely at her, and then took two more steps to stand beside Cassie at the rail.
“She’s not even scared of me or anything. Cassie says she trusts me, and if I trust her there isn’t anything we can’t do, even ride … fast.”
Applesauce finished the carrot in her mouth, and the girl, bright-eyed and eager, pulled back from the horse. Jake shot Cassie a crooked smile; now she would see him truly, not in a bar, not sullen and avoiding Natalie. Just that unmistakable, palpable presence she could not fight.
Heidi moved the rail from the corral behind her to let the horse back into the field, and then turned for approval from Jake.
Jake grinned widely at her, “You are so good with that horse, Heidi. I think you might be ready to come break mustangs in Wyoming with me.”
Jake saw his mistake at once, as Heidi turned wild eyed to look at him, fear running rampant in her face.
He meant to encourage her progress, as he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Her brimming eyes and trembling shoulders made it clear he had failed. He was usually so careful with his words, especially where Heidi was concerned. Distracted by his plans for charming Cassie, he hadn’t been thinking. Cassie was not charmed, though. Her back stiffened at Heidi’s response.
“No, Yake, no,” she said pushing away from him. “You said you’re not leaving until September, and then the snow will be too deep in Wyoming for riding horses. You promised me, Yake. You promised me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said over and over again, rubbing her bare arms and looking directly into her overflowing eyes. “You’re right. No Wyoming, no mustangs. I’m sorry I said that. Calm down, sweetie, there’s no reason to panic. I was being stupid, I’m not going, you’re not going. I wasn’t thinking.”
Heidi buried her head against Jake’s chest, and he threw an apologetic smile at Cassie, who stood stone-faced. After Jake had assured Heidi they were not going to Wyoming another hundred times, she wiped her eyes and leaned exhausted against his shoulder. Jake smiled brokenly at Cassie, still trying to get a flicker of something from her unyielding features, but her expression remained unwavering.
“I hope I didn’t just set you back,” Jake mumbled apologetically. “I really am impressed with how far you have gotten her.”
“It’s not me, Jake. Heidi is like most people … and horses too. She is remarkable when she is partnered with someone … or something …” Cassie said gesturing toward the pasture, “that she trusts.”
Jake made no movement and his mouth fought back another sharp retort, as if Cassie had just accused him of something, but he didn’t know what.
Cassie tossed her hair, now copper in the sunlight, over her shoulder and turned her back to them. “You better take her home, Jake. She’s had a long day, and I think she needs you to hang onto her for awhile.”
Jake nodded, forgetting his ulterior motives for being there. That distant all-seeing look was in her eyes, and this was not the time to try and
Jake stood quietly a broad smile across his face; she hadn’t even seen him. She had sensed that distraction Miriam had complained to him about earlier, and his expression became smug at her inability to ignore him when he was near.
“Heidi,” Jake heard Cassie say softly. “When she’s finished, let’s let her run back out in the pasture. Your brother is here to get you.” Heidi looked up from her scrutiny of Applesauce’s lips and teeth in the palm of her hand and noticed Jake, arms crossed over his chest, waiting behind Cassie.
Jake’s sudden appearance startled Heidi, and she dropped the remnants of the half eaten carrots to the ground with a shaky smile. “Hi, Yake,” she whispered loudly. “Do you see I’m feeding the horse?”
Jake smiled widely at her, and then took two more steps to stand beside Cassie at the rail.
“She’s not even scared of me or anything. Cassie says she trusts me, and if I trust her there isn’t anything we can’t do, even ride … fast.”
Applesauce finished the carrot in her mouth, and the girl, bright-eyed and eager, pulled back from the horse. Jake shot Cassie a crooked smile; now she would see him truly, not in a bar, not sullen and avoiding Natalie. Just that unmistakable, palpable presence she could not fight.
Heidi moved the rail from the corral behind her to let the horse back into the field, and then turned for approval from Jake.
Jake grinned widely at her, “You are so good with that horse, Heidi. I think you might be ready to come break mustangs in Wyoming with me.”
Jake saw his mistake at once, as Heidi turned wild eyed to look at him, fear running rampant in her face.
He meant to encourage her progress, as he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Her brimming eyes and trembling shoulders made it clear he had failed. He was usually so careful with his words, especially where Heidi was concerned. Distracted by his plans for charming Cassie, he hadn’t been thinking. Cassie was not charmed, though. Her back stiffened at Heidi’s response.
“No, Yake, no,” she said pushing away from him. “You said you’re not leaving until September, and then the snow will be too deep in Wyoming for riding horses. You promised me, Yake. You promised me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said over and over again, rubbing her bare arms and looking directly into her overflowing eyes. “You’re right. No Wyoming, no mustangs. I’m sorry I said that. Calm down, sweetie, there’s no reason to panic. I was being stupid, I’m not going, you’re not going. I wasn’t thinking.”
Heidi buried her head against Jake’s chest, and he threw an apologetic smile at Cassie, who stood stone-faced. After Jake had assured Heidi they were not going to Wyoming another hundred times, she wiped her eyes and leaned exhausted against his shoulder. Jake smiled brokenly at Cassie, still trying to get a flicker of something from her unyielding features, but her expression remained unwavering.
“I hope I didn’t just set you back,” Jake mumbled apologetically. “I really am impressed with how far you have gotten her.”
“It’s not me, Jake. Heidi is like most people … and horses too. She is remarkable when she is partnered with someone … or something …” Cassie said gesturing toward the pasture, “that she trusts.”
Jake made no movement and his mouth fought back another sharp retort, as if Cassie had just accused him of something, but he didn’t know what.
Cassie tossed her hair, now copper in the sunlight, over her shoulder and turned her back to them. “You better take her home, Jake. She’s had a long day, and I think she needs you to hang onto her for awhile.”
Jake nodded, forgetting his ulterior motives for being there. That distant all-seeing look was in her eyes, and this was not the time to try and
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