think. The walking thing is working. We’ll keep doing the walking thing.” Her voice was fast, still nervous.
They set off again around the corral, but this time Cole let his hand slip from the lead when she wasn’t looking. He kept his body solidly between her and the horse, because eventhough there was no way Goldie was going to make a break for it, he knew Elise needed the reassurance.
Four laps later, she realized he’d dropped the lead. Her eyes went wide for a moment, and he saw her hands tighten on the rope. “Don’t let go!”
“I let go four laps ago.”
She looked down at her hands, then at the rope, then at Goldie. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. You are leading this horse, Elise.Not me.”
She was quiet for a few moments, and again Cole could see the smile sneaking onto her face. “I totally am, aren’t I?”
Twenty minutes later, Elise had finally taken Goldie for a few laps on her own, and Cole could tell she was actually a little itchy to get on the horse. She pulled up to the gate and put a piece of carrot awkwardly on her palm, feeding it gingerly to Goldie.
“She reallyis a good horse,” she said as she petted Goldie’s nose, trying to pretend like she wasn’t still nervous.
“One of the best we have.”
“Looks like the others aren’t back from the trail ride yet.”
“Nope. They’ll be out until lunchtime.” Cole leaned against the fence, waiting for her to ask, knowing she was battling herself inside.
“Do you think—is there any chance—oh, never mind.”
“Do I thinkwhat?”
Elise toed the dirt again. “Do you think maybe I could get up on her? Just for a minute? Just to try?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “I promised you wouldn’t have to ride today.”
“But I think maybe I’m ready to try. Maybe?”
Cole reached for Goldie’s lead, rubbing her nose. “Tomorrow you can ride, if you think you’re ready.”
“Okay.” She looked disappointed, but relieved at the same time.
“Listen,”—he met her eyes—“I know what I’m doing here. Trust me.” He unlocked the gate and motioned her through. “Tomorrow. Or the next day. It doesn’t matter. We’ll ride when you’re ready.”
“But—”
He put a finger up to interrupt her. “Trust me.”
“All right.” She smiled. “I’ll see you at dinner, then.”
As she headed toward the row of cabins, Cole couldn’t help but smile as he took off Goldie’ssaddle. Yep, Elise had come to Whisper Creek scared silly of horses, but he’d be damned if she’d leave that way.
—
“Hey, cowgirl.” After Elise was out of earshot, Cole set Goldie’s saddle on the top rail of the corral fence, just inches from Jess’s elbow. “Are you looking for a lesson, too?”
She smiled. They both knew she rode just as well as he did, if not better, thanks to four years of tradingbarn duty for lessons all through college. “I think I’m good, but thanks…though you were really good with her. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you. She’ll be asking to take Goldie home by the end of the week. I guarantee it.”
“You’re pretty confident of your skills, cowboy.”
He winked. “I’m pretty good with her type.”
“And that would be? Young, beautiful, and scared?”
Oh, eesh.
Where had that jealoustone come from?
“Actually, I was going with scared. You tagged the rest on.”
Jess cleared her throat, hoping the flush she felt in her neck wasn’t obvious. “So why didn’t you let her get on the horse? I’m curious. She was ready.”
“Nope,”—he shook his head—“she wasn’t.”
“A-and yet—she said she was.”
“I know. But she wasn’t.” He pointed to his head. “She wanted me to think she was ready, becauseshe was afraid to make me feel like our whole hour walking in circles had been a waste.”
“But maybe she
was
ready. How can you tell for sure?”
This time Cole pointed to his shoulders, then his eyes. “Body language. Her shoulders were still hiked up practically to
They set off again around the corral, but this time Cole let his hand slip from the lead when she wasn’t looking. He kept his body solidly between her and the horse, because eventhough there was no way Goldie was going to make a break for it, he knew Elise needed the reassurance.
Four laps later, she realized he’d dropped the lead. Her eyes went wide for a moment, and he saw her hands tighten on the rope. “Don’t let go!”
“I let go four laps ago.”
She looked down at her hands, then at the rope, then at Goldie. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. You are leading this horse, Elise.Not me.”
She was quiet for a few moments, and again Cole could see the smile sneaking onto her face. “I totally am, aren’t I?”
Twenty minutes later, Elise had finally taken Goldie for a few laps on her own, and Cole could tell she was actually a little itchy to get on the horse. She pulled up to the gate and put a piece of carrot awkwardly on her palm, feeding it gingerly to Goldie.
“She reallyis a good horse,” she said as she petted Goldie’s nose, trying to pretend like she wasn’t still nervous.
“One of the best we have.”
“Looks like the others aren’t back from the trail ride yet.”
“Nope. They’ll be out until lunchtime.” Cole leaned against the fence, waiting for her to ask, knowing she was battling herself inside.
“Do you think—is there any chance—oh, never mind.”
“Do I thinkwhat?”
Elise toed the dirt again. “Do you think maybe I could get up on her? Just for a minute? Just to try?”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “I promised you wouldn’t have to ride today.”
“But I think maybe I’m ready to try. Maybe?”
Cole reached for Goldie’s lead, rubbing her nose. “Tomorrow you can ride, if you think you’re ready.”
“Okay.” She looked disappointed, but relieved at the same time.
“Listen,”—he met her eyes—“I know what I’m doing here. Trust me.” He unlocked the gate and motioned her through. “Tomorrow. Or the next day. It doesn’t matter. We’ll ride when you’re ready.”
“But—”
He put a finger up to interrupt her. “Trust me.”
“All right.” She smiled. “I’ll see you at dinner, then.”
As she headed toward the row of cabins, Cole couldn’t help but smile as he took off Goldie’ssaddle. Yep, Elise had come to Whisper Creek scared silly of horses, but he’d be damned if she’d leave that way.
—
“Hey, cowgirl.” After Elise was out of earshot, Cole set Goldie’s saddle on the top rail of the corral fence, just inches from Jess’s elbow. “Are you looking for a lesson, too?”
She smiled. They both knew she rode just as well as he did, if not better, thanks to four years of tradingbarn duty for lessons all through college. “I think I’m good, but thanks…though you were really good with her. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you. She’ll be asking to take Goldie home by the end of the week. I guarantee it.”
“You’re pretty confident of your skills, cowboy.”
He winked. “I’m pretty good with her type.”
“And that would be? Young, beautiful, and scared?”
Oh, eesh.
Where had that jealoustone come from?
“Actually, I was going with scared. You tagged the rest on.”
Jess cleared her throat, hoping the flush she felt in her neck wasn’t obvious. “So why didn’t you let her get on the horse? I’m curious. She was ready.”
“Nope,”—he shook his head—“she wasn’t.”
“A-and yet—she said she was.”
“I know. But she wasn’t.” He pointed to his head. “She wanted me to think she was ready, becauseshe was afraid to make me feel like our whole hour walking in circles had been a waste.”
“But maybe she
was
ready. How can you tell for sure?”
This time Cole pointed to his shoulders, then his eyes. “Body language. Her shoulders were still hiked up practically to
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