can be sure they’ll spread the word that you’re offering lessons.”
“Thanks, Ned, I’ll write one up tonight.” Returning her attention to her sisters, she said, “It’ll be fun teaching riding. It’s important to instill good riding fundamentals early on.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Ned chimed in. “Some of the kids entering horse shows have no business sitting in the saddle. Sloppy riding at such a young age becomes a real hard habit to break. Who better to teach what hunt seat equitation’s about than Miss Jade? After all, she has plenty of experience. I still remember her coaching Kate over her first crossbar jump.”
“And have you guys considered that when these kids get older, their parents are going to be buying them horses? Where do you suppose they’ll shop for that first gorgeous hunter?” Jade asked with an arch of her brows.
“Are you thinking Rosewood Farm?” Andy asked with a grin.
“Excellent deduction, Andy.”
Travis laughed. “I gotta say, Jade’s plan is scarily brilliant. Kind of like the kid herself.”
Jade blew him a kiss. “Have I told you lately how much you rock as a bro-in-law?”
“Hold it right there,” Owen said. “I refuse to be cast as the bro-in-law who does not rock. It’s time we show Jade her graduation present.”
“You mean you’ve finished the pony barn?” she asked. “I was so hungry—I decided I needed my sleep more than breakfast at the hotel—that I drove straight up to the house. This I gotta check out.” Brimming with excitement, she jumped up from the table.
Ned, who was carrying his namesake, stood up and shifted the toddler to his chino-covered hip. “It’s awful good to have you back, Miss Jade.” His pale-blue eyes twinkled beneath his shaggy silver brows.
“Isn’t it, though?”
As the other adults hastily downed the last dregs of coffee and rose to their feet, Jade cupped her hands and gave a shout to her four older nieces and nephew gamboling on the lawn. “Come on, kids. We’re going to inspect the new barn. Here, Georgie, you can ride piggyback and tell me everything Mommy’s been teaching you on Doc Holliday.”
Owen had pulled off the new construction beautifully, Jade thought. Nestled between the main barn and the broodmares’s barn, and painted the same soft weathered white with a matching gray roof and squared cupola, the pony barn blended seamlessly.
While she drank in the details of the barn, her heart did funny things inside her chest. Seeing the first part of her idea for a riding program at Rosewood Farm become a physical reality meant so much, not simply because her dream was being realized but because itrepresented the wholehearted support of her family. When she’d proposed the idea of opening the farm to teach the local kids to ride, she hadn’t expected their enthusiastic response. As one, they’d urged her to go for it. And now they’d done even more.
They’d gone and built a
barn
for her. Her very own barn.
She swallowed to make sure her voice sounded normal. “It looks perfect, Owen. Even better, it looks like it’s always been here. Dad would be happy.”
“Yup. RJ would be real pleased. Your mom too,” Ned added. “She was always proud of your riding, Miss Jade.”
Bless Ned for saying that. Most likely Ned would have choked on the words if he’d ever read a page from her mother’s diary. Thank God Margot and Jordan had never shown it to him, for then he’d know what her mom had really thought about her—
Stop it. Do not go there
, she counseled herself.
Don’t let her spoil this moment for you
.
With a bright smile, she turned to Owen. “You most definitely rock with the best of all brothers-in-law. The barn’s great, just fantastic. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, kid.” Owen smiled. He had a killer smile. It was the thing she’d first liked about him. That he was perceptive enough to recognize that Jordan was an amazing woman was the second.
“Don’t rush
“Thanks, Ned, I’ll write one up tonight.” Returning her attention to her sisters, she said, “It’ll be fun teaching riding. It’s important to instill good riding fundamentals early on.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Ned chimed in. “Some of the kids entering horse shows have no business sitting in the saddle. Sloppy riding at such a young age becomes a real hard habit to break. Who better to teach what hunt seat equitation’s about than Miss Jade? After all, she has plenty of experience. I still remember her coaching Kate over her first crossbar jump.”
“And have you guys considered that when these kids get older, their parents are going to be buying them horses? Where do you suppose they’ll shop for that first gorgeous hunter?” Jade asked with an arch of her brows.
“Are you thinking Rosewood Farm?” Andy asked with a grin.
“Excellent deduction, Andy.”
Travis laughed. “I gotta say, Jade’s plan is scarily brilliant. Kind of like the kid herself.”
Jade blew him a kiss. “Have I told you lately how much you rock as a bro-in-law?”
“Hold it right there,” Owen said. “I refuse to be cast as the bro-in-law who does not rock. It’s time we show Jade her graduation present.”
“You mean you’ve finished the pony barn?” she asked. “I was so hungry—I decided I needed my sleep more than breakfast at the hotel—that I drove straight up to the house. This I gotta check out.” Brimming with excitement, she jumped up from the table.
Ned, who was carrying his namesake, stood up and shifted the toddler to his chino-covered hip. “It’s awful good to have you back, Miss Jade.” His pale-blue eyes twinkled beneath his shaggy silver brows.
“Isn’t it, though?”
As the other adults hastily downed the last dregs of coffee and rose to their feet, Jade cupped her hands and gave a shout to her four older nieces and nephew gamboling on the lawn. “Come on, kids. We’re going to inspect the new barn. Here, Georgie, you can ride piggyback and tell me everything Mommy’s been teaching you on Doc Holliday.”
Owen had pulled off the new construction beautifully, Jade thought. Nestled between the main barn and the broodmares’s barn, and painted the same soft weathered white with a matching gray roof and squared cupola, the pony barn blended seamlessly.
While she drank in the details of the barn, her heart did funny things inside her chest. Seeing the first part of her idea for a riding program at Rosewood Farm become a physical reality meant so much, not simply because her dream was being realized but because itrepresented the wholehearted support of her family. When she’d proposed the idea of opening the farm to teach the local kids to ride, she hadn’t expected their enthusiastic response. As one, they’d urged her to go for it. And now they’d done even more.
They’d gone and built a
barn
for her. Her very own barn.
She swallowed to make sure her voice sounded normal. “It looks perfect, Owen. Even better, it looks like it’s always been here. Dad would be happy.”
“Yup. RJ would be real pleased. Your mom too,” Ned added. “She was always proud of your riding, Miss Jade.”
Bless Ned for saying that. Most likely Ned would have choked on the words if he’d ever read a page from her mother’s diary. Thank God Margot and Jordan had never shown it to him, for then he’d know what her mom had really thought about her—
Stop it. Do not go there
, she counseled herself.
Don’t let her spoil this moment for you
.
With a bright smile, she turned to Owen. “You most definitely rock with the best of all brothers-in-law. The barn’s great, just fantastic. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, kid.” Owen smiled. He had a killer smile. It was the thing she’d first liked about him. That he was perceptive enough to recognize that Jordan was an amazing woman was the second.
“Don’t rush
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