of getting hurt?”
“It goes with the sport. You know, ‘no pain, no gain.’ ”
“The parade part seems more my speed. Waving at people from the back of a beautiful horse—yes, that’s more like it.”
“You need fancy gear for that—expensive saddles, clothing—lots of flash. Tourists like to see movie-star cowboys. The real thing isn’t very glamorous.”
She thought the real thing was very glamorous. “I’ve never been to a rodeo. It sounds like fun.”
“Platte City has its Pioneer Days celebration soon. As part of it, there’s a rodeo. I’ll be riding in it.”
“Pioneer Days? Can I come?”
“Sure. The whole ranch attends. You’ll have a good time.” He looked sideways at her. “After I ride, we could do something together—if you want to, that is.”
If I
want to!
Anne could hardly keep from shouting. “I’d like that,” she said calmly.
Morgan clucked, and his horse quickened his pace. “Come on. Let’s catch up to Skip and Marti. If we’re not careful, Skip will eat all the food before we get a bite.”
Anne urged Golden Star to keep up, all the while smiling to herself. She was with daredevil Morgan on a golden Colorado afternoon. He’d invited her to a rodeo. She wished she could bottle the afternoon. Life was beautiful. If only she could make it last.
Nine
T HEY RODE ACROSS grassy fields, up rocky terrain, through narrow rocky inclines. The ground flattened out again, and they crossed through a creek that gurgled over sparkling stones. The sun was setting when they came to a lone tree in the middle of a flower-studded field.
“We’re here,” Skip announced, reining in and dismounting.
“Where’s ‘here’?” Marti asked.
“Heaven,” Morgan replied, swinging down from his horse.
Anne swung off Golden Star and glanced in every direction. She wanted to race across the field. She wanted to embrace the sky. “You’re right—this place is heaven,” she told him.
They removed the saddles from the horses and allowed the animals to graze. Skip spread out a blanket,and they opened a picnic basket. “How long did you plan to stay, Skip—until the next Ice Age? There’s so much to eat!” Anne exclaimed.
He plopped down on the blanket, across from Morgan, who’d already staked his claim. “I wasn’t sure what everybody’d want to eat, I brought fried chicken, tortillas, burritos—do you like these things?” he asked.
Marti made a face. “Never touch the stuff. I prefer lobster.”
Skip looked crestfallen, and Marti laughed playfully. “Everything looks delicious.”
Anne placed the tip of a chili pepper on her tongue. Immediately, her mouth felt on fire and her eyes began to water. “No fair! They’re too hot!”
“Everything Spanish is hot,” Marti said with a flirtatious, sidelong glance toward Skip.
He flopped backward dramatically. “I’m in love.”
By the time they’d finished eating, the sun nestled between two mountain peaks. Morgan pulled Anne to her feet. “Let’s take a walk.”
They crossed the field, walking toward the setting sun. “Do you suppose poets could write about this view?” Morgan asked, pointing to the hues of pink and lavender in the sky.
“The world is so beautiful sometimes that I can hardly stand it.” Anne kept thinking about the generous, anonymous benefactor who had given her the means to be in Colorado. How she longed to thank JWC. How she wished she could meet and know this person. Anne bent and gathered a handful of colored blossoms.
“You really like flowers, don’t you?”
“I always have. My father told me that he first fell in love with my mother because she reminded him of an English garden.” Anne laughed. “When I was little and hated taking baths, he’d say, ‘Anne, one can always distinguish a great lady—the air around her smells like flowers.’ ”
“Did it get you in the tub?”
“Every time.” She smiled at him.
“Marti told me that your mother died when you were
“It goes with the sport. You know, ‘no pain, no gain.’ ”
“The parade part seems more my speed. Waving at people from the back of a beautiful horse—yes, that’s more like it.”
“You need fancy gear for that—expensive saddles, clothing—lots of flash. Tourists like to see movie-star cowboys. The real thing isn’t very glamorous.”
She thought the real thing was very glamorous. “I’ve never been to a rodeo. It sounds like fun.”
“Platte City has its Pioneer Days celebration soon. As part of it, there’s a rodeo. I’ll be riding in it.”
“Pioneer Days? Can I come?”
“Sure. The whole ranch attends. You’ll have a good time.” He looked sideways at her. “After I ride, we could do something together—if you want to, that is.”
If I
want to!
Anne could hardly keep from shouting. “I’d like that,” she said calmly.
Morgan clucked, and his horse quickened his pace. “Come on. Let’s catch up to Skip and Marti. If we’re not careful, Skip will eat all the food before we get a bite.”
Anne urged Golden Star to keep up, all the while smiling to herself. She was with daredevil Morgan on a golden Colorado afternoon. He’d invited her to a rodeo. She wished she could bottle the afternoon. Life was beautiful. If only she could make it last.
Nine
T HEY RODE ACROSS grassy fields, up rocky terrain, through narrow rocky inclines. The ground flattened out again, and they crossed through a creek that gurgled over sparkling stones. The sun was setting when they came to a lone tree in the middle of a flower-studded field.
“We’re here,” Skip announced, reining in and dismounting.
“Where’s ‘here’?” Marti asked.
“Heaven,” Morgan replied, swinging down from his horse.
Anne swung off Golden Star and glanced in every direction. She wanted to race across the field. She wanted to embrace the sky. “You’re right—this place is heaven,” she told him.
They removed the saddles from the horses and allowed the animals to graze. Skip spread out a blanket,and they opened a picnic basket. “How long did you plan to stay, Skip—until the next Ice Age? There’s so much to eat!” Anne exclaimed.
He plopped down on the blanket, across from Morgan, who’d already staked his claim. “I wasn’t sure what everybody’d want to eat, I brought fried chicken, tortillas, burritos—do you like these things?” he asked.
Marti made a face. “Never touch the stuff. I prefer lobster.”
Skip looked crestfallen, and Marti laughed playfully. “Everything looks delicious.”
Anne placed the tip of a chili pepper on her tongue. Immediately, her mouth felt on fire and her eyes began to water. “No fair! They’re too hot!”
“Everything Spanish is hot,” Marti said with a flirtatious, sidelong glance toward Skip.
He flopped backward dramatically. “I’m in love.”
By the time they’d finished eating, the sun nestled between two mountain peaks. Morgan pulled Anne to her feet. “Let’s take a walk.”
They crossed the field, walking toward the setting sun. “Do you suppose poets could write about this view?” Morgan asked, pointing to the hues of pink and lavender in the sky.
“The world is so beautiful sometimes that I can hardly stand it.” Anne kept thinking about the generous, anonymous benefactor who had given her the means to be in Colorado. How she longed to thank JWC. How she wished she could meet and know this person. Anne bent and gathered a handful of colored blossoms.
“You really like flowers, don’t you?”
“I always have. My father told me that he first fell in love with my mother because she reminded him of an English garden.” Anne laughed. “When I was little and hated taking baths, he’d say, ‘Anne, one can always distinguish a great lady—the air around her smells like flowers.’ ”
“Did it get you in the tub?”
“Every time.” She smiled at him.
“Marti told me that your mother died when you were
Similar Books
