getting worried.”
Jake nodded, his eyes still perusing the area for movement. Turning for the road Jake caught sight of the swish of Applesauce’s tail in the trailer, and his mind grasped an idea. “I’ll take Applesauce,” he shouted over his shoulder to Miriam, “I’ll see if I can get them back here before you leave.”
Miriam smiled warmly at him as he pulled the gray mare from the trailer and bridled the animal.
“I appreciate you letting us come today, Jake. You were great with Kyle, and … except for that mishap with the frog can, he is impressed with you, too.”
Jake blushed deeply, seeing those few minutes in his mind outlined like Cassie in his memory.
“I … he …” Jake gulped and coiled the bridle in his hand as he shifted on the gravel. “Tell him I’m sorry about that.” He stammered, unsure why a lost bait can seem so important. Miriam smiled again and squeezed his arm tenderly.
“It’s fine, Jake, you weren’t dangerously distracted, just … a man.”
Jake’s blue eyes flashed briefly as he realized Miriam had clearly seen the reason for his lost focus, and he grimaced guiltily until she laughed at his discomfort.
“Give it a shot, Jake,” she said quietly gesturing with her head toward the meadows. “They don’t all turn out like Melinda.”
Jake tightened his jaw and took a shaky breath, “I’ll be right back,” he promised, vaulting bareback onto Applesauce and prodding the old horse down the winding dirt road.
• • •
Jake cursed under his breath. The methodical plod of the tired horse wove memories of Melinda through his head; her dark hair tangling in the wind, riding bareback through knee-high grass, the fullness of her fleshy pink lips. The hollow place inside his heart throbbed as thoughts of Cassie overshadowed memories of Melinda. It was almost painful to see her … here. The picture he had carried in his mind for so long was of another dark-haired beauty who would never visit this place, never spend an afternoon in the reservoir, and never ride the high aspens with him ever again.
Coming to the edge of the meadow, he saw the woman whose presence now claimed his thoughts. Jake slid from Applesauce’s back and walked toward Cassie. Heidi and Jackpot were with her. The mare was Cassie’s specially trained horse. According to some of the girls at The Rocking J, Cassie had worked in Albuquerque with a group of Natchez Indians who had taught her and the horse special signals for communicating.
Heidi was standing in the long, green-yellow grass watching as Jackpot grazed and Cassie showed her how to stroke the neck of the animal, but Heidi would do nothing more than look apprehensively at the horse. As Heidi looked up to see him approach through the meadow, Jackpot’s ears twitched and perked. Cassie immediately stood facing the blaze of western sky and listened for some indication of who moved toward them in the grasses.
“It’s Jake,” he called out knowing both Cassie and Heidi would not be able to tell who was moving toward them in the setting sun.
“Yake,” Heidi called out with a frown. “Where have you been?”
Jake stopped short of where they stood, dropping Applesauce’s reins into the grass and letting the horse graze contentedly. “I told you, Heidi, I made promises to someone else, and what kind of a big brother would I be if I didn’t keep my promises to everyone, not just you?”
Jake smiled as he looked at Cassie, silent beside his sister. Her face remained blank, and the brief smiles he had seen earlier were still holding their position behind her brilliant blue eyes. He felt stupid; what was he thinking, smiling at Cassie? He didn’t even want to charm her, not to mention waste a perfect smile on a woman who couldn’t even appreciate it.
“Miriam is packing up to go. She has to get the kids back before sunset.”
Cassie lifted her chin slightly and focused into the disappearing light. “Wow!” she exclaimed, clicking
Jake nodded, his eyes still perusing the area for movement. Turning for the road Jake caught sight of the swish of Applesauce’s tail in the trailer, and his mind grasped an idea. “I’ll take Applesauce,” he shouted over his shoulder to Miriam, “I’ll see if I can get them back here before you leave.”
Miriam smiled warmly at him as he pulled the gray mare from the trailer and bridled the animal.
“I appreciate you letting us come today, Jake. You were great with Kyle, and … except for that mishap with the frog can, he is impressed with you, too.”
Jake blushed deeply, seeing those few minutes in his mind outlined like Cassie in his memory.
“I … he …” Jake gulped and coiled the bridle in his hand as he shifted on the gravel. “Tell him I’m sorry about that.” He stammered, unsure why a lost bait can seem so important. Miriam smiled again and squeezed his arm tenderly.
“It’s fine, Jake, you weren’t dangerously distracted, just … a man.”
Jake’s blue eyes flashed briefly as he realized Miriam had clearly seen the reason for his lost focus, and he grimaced guiltily until she laughed at his discomfort.
“Give it a shot, Jake,” she said quietly gesturing with her head toward the meadows. “They don’t all turn out like Melinda.”
Jake tightened his jaw and took a shaky breath, “I’ll be right back,” he promised, vaulting bareback onto Applesauce and prodding the old horse down the winding dirt road.
• • •
Jake cursed under his breath. The methodical plod of the tired horse wove memories of Melinda through his head; her dark hair tangling in the wind, riding bareback through knee-high grass, the fullness of her fleshy pink lips. The hollow place inside his heart throbbed as thoughts of Cassie overshadowed memories of Melinda. It was almost painful to see her … here. The picture he had carried in his mind for so long was of another dark-haired beauty who would never visit this place, never spend an afternoon in the reservoir, and never ride the high aspens with him ever again.
Coming to the edge of the meadow, he saw the woman whose presence now claimed his thoughts. Jake slid from Applesauce’s back and walked toward Cassie. Heidi and Jackpot were with her. The mare was Cassie’s specially trained horse. According to some of the girls at The Rocking J, Cassie had worked in Albuquerque with a group of Natchez Indians who had taught her and the horse special signals for communicating.
Heidi was standing in the long, green-yellow grass watching as Jackpot grazed and Cassie showed her how to stroke the neck of the animal, but Heidi would do nothing more than look apprehensively at the horse. As Heidi looked up to see him approach through the meadow, Jackpot’s ears twitched and perked. Cassie immediately stood facing the blaze of western sky and listened for some indication of who moved toward them in the grasses.
“It’s Jake,” he called out knowing both Cassie and Heidi would not be able to tell who was moving toward them in the setting sun.
“Yake,” Heidi called out with a frown. “Where have you been?”
Jake stopped short of where they stood, dropping Applesauce’s reins into the grass and letting the horse graze contentedly. “I told you, Heidi, I made promises to someone else, and what kind of a big brother would I be if I didn’t keep my promises to everyone, not just you?”
Jake smiled as he looked at Cassie, silent beside his sister. Her face remained blank, and the brief smiles he had seen earlier were still holding their position behind her brilliant blue eyes. He felt stupid; what was he thinking, smiling at Cassie? He didn’t even want to charm her, not to mention waste a perfect smile on a woman who couldn’t even appreciate it.
“Miriam is packing up to go. She has to get the kids back before sunset.”
Cassie lifted her chin slightly and focused into the disappearing light. “Wow!” she exclaimed, clicking
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