you and Feather for bringing my horse all the way from Idaho.”
A smile spread
his lips as he took her hand, revealing straight white teeth. When his hand
closed around hers, she felt a surprising strength and warmth wash over her.
“My sister and
I are grateful to you for allowin’ us to keep our horses here until we can find
a place. I assure you, it won’t take long, because I plan to start
lookin’ tomorrow,” he said. His voice was deep with an almost velvet
smooth drawl to it. His hand swallowed hers. Besides the strength
she felt in his grip, there was something else she felt there. She felt
kindness and a powerful animal attraction unlike anything she’d ever felt
before. Surprised at her reaction to him, she looked up and found herself
captured by startling blue eyes.
Jordan slowly
withdrew her hand and looked away from him to the back of the trailer, her hand
still radiating his warmth. She did not notice him flexing his own hand
in surprise.
It was then
that she thought of Bhrandii and glanced around to locate her dog. He was
standing next to the man, his tail making circles of welcome as he looked up at
this stranger. She gasped in surprise.
“He has that
effect on most animals,” Feather explained as she stopped beside her brother
and noted the look of surprise on Jordan’s face.
“He never
welcomes people until I let him know it’s okay. He’s usually hesitant
then.” Jordan was totally astonished at her dog’s immediate acceptance of
this man. It was as strange as her attraction to him.
Daniel Chetan
looked down at the dog and smiled. “They have a way of knowin’ who likes
them and who doesn’t. I’ve never met a dog that wasn’t friendly toward me.
It’s just part of bein’ who I am.”
“I hope you
don’t take this personally, but I’m not sure I like his reaction to you,” or
mine, she thought silently. “He’s my watchdog. He really shouldn’t
make anyone welcome.” Jordan frowned at her former protector. “I’m
not sure how trust worthy he is now.”
Again the man
flashed those straight white teeth in a smile directed at her. “If I
came, with meanness in my heart, he’d know and, I’m sure he’d not hesitate to
give you plenty of warnin’.” He looked at the dog and as he looked into
the amber depths of the dog’s eyes, his dark brows arched. “In fact, he’d
probably tear me to bits, if he felt I was any danger to you.”
Jordan snapped
her fingers and the dog obediently stepped over and sat down beside her.
“Really?” She said. “You must
really understand animals.”
Feather
stepped forward and began to unfasten the back gate of the trailer. She
knew Wolf was not likely to lie about his connection with animals and that
usually made most people uncomfortable. She wanted to avoid that if it
was possible, at least for now. As the gate swung open, she stepped in
and snapped a lead rope to the halter of the leggy buckskin paint
gelding. “Wolf, please tie Music to the trailer for me. I know
Jordan is anxious to get her hands on Pride.”
The gelding
stepped back carefully to the end of the trailer and felt around with one hind
foot for the edge. Finding it, he lowered that hoof to the dirt and
followed it with the other hind hoof. Then he casually backed out until he
was standing next to the man holding the lead rope. The horse raised his
head and looked around curiously. When the man led the animal it followed
trustingly around to the side where it was able to turn and look all around
while the man secured the lead rope to the trailer.
The next horse
Jordan saw almost took her breath away. She knew this would be
Pride. She watched as powerful hind legs backed slowly toward the end of
the trailer. As the hind feet neared the edge, Feather spoke
softly. “Step down.” As the horse before her had done, the filly
felt about with one hind foot until she located the edge,
A smile spread
his lips as he took her hand, revealing straight white teeth. When his hand
closed around hers, she felt a surprising strength and warmth wash over her.
“My sister and
I are grateful to you for allowin’ us to keep our horses here until we can find
a place. I assure you, it won’t take long, because I plan to start
lookin’ tomorrow,” he said. His voice was deep with an almost velvet
smooth drawl to it. His hand swallowed hers. Besides the strength
she felt in his grip, there was something else she felt there. She felt
kindness and a powerful animal attraction unlike anything she’d ever felt
before. Surprised at her reaction to him, she looked up and found herself
captured by startling blue eyes.
Jordan slowly
withdrew her hand and looked away from him to the back of the trailer, her hand
still radiating his warmth. She did not notice him flexing his own hand
in surprise.
It was then
that she thought of Bhrandii and glanced around to locate her dog. He was
standing next to the man, his tail making circles of welcome as he looked up at
this stranger. She gasped in surprise.
“He has that
effect on most animals,” Feather explained as she stopped beside her brother
and noted the look of surprise on Jordan’s face.
“He never
welcomes people until I let him know it’s okay. He’s usually hesitant
then.” Jordan was totally astonished at her dog’s immediate acceptance of
this man. It was as strange as her attraction to him.
Daniel Chetan
looked down at the dog and smiled. “They have a way of knowin’ who likes
them and who doesn’t. I’ve never met a dog that wasn’t friendly toward me.
It’s just part of bein’ who I am.”
“I hope you
don’t take this personally, but I’m not sure I like his reaction to you,” or
mine, she thought silently. “He’s my watchdog. He really shouldn’t
make anyone welcome.” Jordan frowned at her former protector. “I’m
not sure how trust worthy he is now.”
Again the man
flashed those straight white teeth in a smile directed at her. “If I
came, with meanness in my heart, he’d know and, I’m sure he’d not hesitate to
give you plenty of warnin’.” He looked at the dog and as he looked into
the amber depths of the dog’s eyes, his dark brows arched. “In fact, he’d
probably tear me to bits, if he felt I was any danger to you.”
Jordan snapped
her fingers and the dog obediently stepped over and sat down beside her.
“Really?” She said. “You must
really understand animals.”
Feather
stepped forward and began to unfasten the back gate of the trailer. She
knew Wolf was not likely to lie about his connection with animals and that
usually made most people uncomfortable. She wanted to avoid that if it
was possible, at least for now. As the gate swung open, she stepped in
and snapped a lead rope to the halter of the leggy buckskin paint
gelding. “Wolf, please tie Music to the trailer for me. I know
Jordan is anxious to get her hands on Pride.”
The gelding
stepped back carefully to the end of the trailer and felt around with one hind
foot for the edge. Finding it, he lowered that hoof to the dirt and
followed it with the other hind hoof. Then he casually backed out until he
was standing next to the man holding the lead rope. The horse raised his
head and looked around curiously. When the man led the animal it followed
trustingly around to the side where it was able to turn and look all around
while the man secured the lead rope to the trailer.
The next horse
Jordan saw almost took her breath away. She knew this would be
Pride. She watched as powerful hind legs backed slowly toward the end of
the trailer. As the hind feet neared the edge, Feather spoke
softly. “Step down.” As the horse before her had done, the filly
felt about with one hind foot until she located the edge,
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