much.
“Ready, city girl?”
“I’m ready, cowboy.” She pressed Tasha into a walk then straight into a bumpy trot. Her teeth rattled, her vertebrae knocked together. A jackhammer was smoother than this.
“C’mon, stick with it,” Caleb encouraged.
She bounced a little to the left, then to the right and started to slide toward the ground. She muscled herself back into place.
“That’s it!” Caleb called out.
Suddenly the hard jarring stopped and melted into pure motion. Tasha was galloping and the smooth roll of it was like flying low over the field. Not even sailing was this fun! Laughing out loud, she held on tight to the mare’s mane as they glided together on endless waves of green grass. She savored the sensation, the rhythmic beat of Tasha’s hooves on the ground, the whistle of the wind in her ears and the sting as the coarse ends of Tasha’s mane whipped her in the face. The ground blurred beneath her as Tasha stretched out and they went even faster.
Maybe too fast. She slipped a little to the left. She gripped with all her strength, from fingers to toes, gritted her teeth and held on.
“That’s it!” Caleb called out. “Hold tight! She’s gonna hit a trot when she slows. Be ready for it.”
The end of the pasture was coming up. The white fence flashed ahead. Laurencould feel the change in Tasha’s muscles and she tried to brace herself. But did it work? No, because there wasn’t a whole lot to hold on to. The horse slowed, she lost her center of balance. The awful jolting started again, rattling her to the bone marrow, tossing her straight up and straight down.
Oh no, she was slipping. Lauren clung more tightly to the horse but she kept sliding right. She tried to correct and slid left.
“Don’t worry.” Caleb’s shadow fell across her. His hand banded her elbow, holding her up, keeping her from falling. “I got ya.”
His presence was a balm to her spirit. His grip was rock-solid. He held her steady and safe, so why did she feel as if she were still falling?
Too much sugar for breakfast, that’s what. Lauren righted herself on Tasha’s broad back. “Thanks. I appreciate the rescue.”
“Anytime.”
Down deep, a little part of her sighed. Get a grip, Lauren, and not just on the horse. She was definitely going overboard when it came to Caleb. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to be president of his fan club.
She straightened up and he released her.“Why aren’t you married? I know you had a bad breakup. But a guy like you, one who isn’t afraid of commitment, I don’t get it.”
“There’s nothing to get. It might come as a shock to you—brace yourself—but I’m not that attractive of a guy. Women aren’t flocking around hoping I’ll propose to them.”
“I don’t believe that. You don’t have a hard time finding dates.”
“You’ve met me, right?” He chuckled and it was endearing that he was honestly humble.
Again, not the kind of trait in a man she was used to.
“Do you see any flocks of women around?” He shook his head. “I’m a little too serious for most women.”
“Too serious? I didn’t know that was a flaw.”
“I work. I have chores. I take care of the horses. My place. Mary’s place. Help out my brother and his family when they need it. I don’t have a big house. Or an expensive one. Wouldn’t want one even if I could afford it.”
“Well, then I like serious.” If she werethe marrying type, she’d be interested. And how scary was that? “I grew up in not the best part of the city. It wasn’t east L.A., but it was just above desperate. I saw too many families torn apart by substance abuse, abuse, violence, you name it. Mostly I saw a lot of men who didn’t want to take on the serious part of being an adult. Well, to be fair, women, too.”
“Yeah, I see that part of life, too, in my work. We don’t have a lot of that here. We’re a pretty sheltered town, but we have hardship and poverty. And I saw my share in
“Ready, city girl?”
“I’m ready, cowboy.” She pressed Tasha into a walk then straight into a bumpy trot. Her teeth rattled, her vertebrae knocked together. A jackhammer was smoother than this.
“C’mon, stick with it,” Caleb encouraged.
She bounced a little to the left, then to the right and started to slide toward the ground. She muscled herself back into place.
“That’s it!” Caleb called out.
Suddenly the hard jarring stopped and melted into pure motion. Tasha was galloping and the smooth roll of it was like flying low over the field. Not even sailing was this fun! Laughing out loud, she held on tight to the mare’s mane as they glided together on endless waves of green grass. She savored the sensation, the rhythmic beat of Tasha’s hooves on the ground, the whistle of the wind in her ears and the sting as the coarse ends of Tasha’s mane whipped her in the face. The ground blurred beneath her as Tasha stretched out and they went even faster.
Maybe too fast. She slipped a little to the left. She gripped with all her strength, from fingers to toes, gritted her teeth and held on.
“That’s it!” Caleb called out. “Hold tight! She’s gonna hit a trot when she slows. Be ready for it.”
The end of the pasture was coming up. The white fence flashed ahead. Laurencould feel the change in Tasha’s muscles and she tried to brace herself. But did it work? No, because there wasn’t a whole lot to hold on to. The horse slowed, she lost her center of balance. The awful jolting started again, rattling her to the bone marrow, tossing her straight up and straight down.
Oh no, she was slipping. Lauren clung more tightly to the horse but she kept sliding right. She tried to correct and slid left.
“Don’t worry.” Caleb’s shadow fell across her. His hand banded her elbow, holding her up, keeping her from falling. “I got ya.”
His presence was a balm to her spirit. His grip was rock-solid. He held her steady and safe, so why did she feel as if she were still falling?
Too much sugar for breakfast, that’s what. Lauren righted herself on Tasha’s broad back. “Thanks. I appreciate the rescue.”
“Anytime.”
Down deep, a little part of her sighed. Get a grip, Lauren, and not just on the horse. She was definitely going overboard when it came to Caleb. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to be president of his fan club.
She straightened up and he released her.“Why aren’t you married? I know you had a bad breakup. But a guy like you, one who isn’t afraid of commitment, I don’t get it.”
“There’s nothing to get. It might come as a shock to you—brace yourself—but I’m not that attractive of a guy. Women aren’t flocking around hoping I’ll propose to them.”
“I don’t believe that. You don’t have a hard time finding dates.”
“You’ve met me, right?” He chuckled and it was endearing that he was honestly humble.
Again, not the kind of trait in a man she was used to.
“Do you see any flocks of women around?” He shook his head. “I’m a little too serious for most women.”
“Too serious? I didn’t know that was a flaw.”
“I work. I have chores. I take care of the horses. My place. Mary’s place. Help out my brother and his family when they need it. I don’t have a big house. Or an expensive one. Wouldn’t want one even if I could afford it.”
“Well, then I like serious.” If she werethe marrying type, she’d be interested. And how scary was that? “I grew up in not the best part of the city. It wasn’t east L.A., but it was just above desperate. I saw too many families torn apart by substance abuse, abuse, violence, you name it. Mostly I saw a lot of men who didn’t want to take on the serious part of being an adult. Well, to be fair, women, too.”
“Yeah, I see that part of life, too, in my work. We don’t have a lot of that here. We’re a pretty sheltered town, but we have hardship and poverty. And I saw my share in
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