reins, and her small face closed up all over again.
Maggie felt tears sting her eyes. She'd have to tell him, later, how great a step that was for Becky, who avoided any physical contact with people she didn't know—especially men. Just the inclination to reach out was a milestone in the child's life.
But he seemed to know, because when he looked toward Maggie he wasn't laughing. And the eyes that met hers were dark with a kind of pain.
“Can we go now? Right now?” Becky asked excitedly. “Can we get a puppy today?”
“First we go riding,” Gabe said. “Then we'll see.”
“All right,” Becky sighed.
“Becky,” Maggie chided. “Where are your manners?”
“In my back pocket.” Becky grinned. “Want to see?”
It was a sharp and delightful change to see her shy little daughter so vividly happy and outgoing. Maggie smiled up at Gabe, the sunlight turning her eyes as green as grass.
He winked at her before he turned to give her the reins of her own mount. “Can you get up all by yourself?” he asked in a gently mocking tone of voice.
She glared at him. “I know how to ride,” she replied indignantly—and then ruined everything by missing the stirrup.
He caught her arm with his good hand and kept her upright. “Pilgrim,” he accused. He steadied her while she got her booted foot into the stirrup and threw the other leg over gracefully. The steely hand on her arm wasn't doing a lot for her nerves, but she didn't refuse the offer of assistance.
He gathered the reins of his own horse and stepped easily into the saddle, looking so much at home up there that Maggie just stared at him.
“Stay right with me, honey,” Gabe told Becky, moving into step with her horse. “There's nothing to worry about. I'll take care of you.”
“All right,” Becky said. Her small hands gripped the reins just as Gabe had taught her to. She glanced at him to make sure she was doing it right, and he nodded.
Maggie trailed along beside Gabe on the wide farm road, drinking in the beauty of vast horizons and grazing cattle and the feel of the warm spring breeze in her hair. There had been other times like this, long ago, when she and his sisters had gone riding. Sometimes they'd meet him unexpectedly on the trail, and her heart would run wild. It might have been only a schoolgirl crush, but it had hurt when she hadn't seen him again. Her eyes adored him unconsciously, admiring the powerful length of his body, the straightness of his carriage, the lean hands so deft and strong on the reins. He was exceptional. He always had been. And she might marry him….
The thought disturbed her. She'd been wrong about Dennis. What if she was wrong about Gabe? It was different, living with someone. You never knew people until you lived with them.
He turned his head, studying her in a somber silence. “You're too quiet,” he said. “Say something.”
“She's always quiet,” Becky told him. “She doesn't talk much.”
“She used to,” Gabe returned with a grin. “She never shut up, in fact.”
“I only blabbered because you made me nervous,” she shot back, and then cleared her throat when she realized what she'd confessed.
“Your mama had a crush on me,” Gabe said arrogantly, lifting his chin at a cocky angle as he studied Maggie with knowing eyes. “She thought I was the best thing since buttered bread.”
Becky giggled, and Becky's mama ground her teeth together. “Why didn't you marry my mama, Uncle Gabe?” Becky asked suddenly.
Maggie wanted to get under the horse. She bit her lower lip while Gabe stared at her under the wide brim of his hat and pursed his lips thoughtfully.
“I was afraid she wouldn't be happy with what I had to offer her, back then,” he said matter-of-factly and without embarrassment. “We weren't always well-to-do, young lady,” he added with a gentle smile. “We had some hard times here for a while. It was during those hard times that I lost track of your mother.”
Maggie
Maggie felt tears sting her eyes. She'd have to tell him, later, how great a step that was for Becky, who avoided any physical contact with people she didn't know—especially men. Just the inclination to reach out was a milestone in the child's life.
But he seemed to know, because when he looked toward Maggie he wasn't laughing. And the eyes that met hers were dark with a kind of pain.
“Can we go now? Right now?” Becky asked excitedly. “Can we get a puppy today?”
“First we go riding,” Gabe said. “Then we'll see.”
“All right,” Becky sighed.
“Becky,” Maggie chided. “Where are your manners?”
“In my back pocket.” Becky grinned. “Want to see?”
It was a sharp and delightful change to see her shy little daughter so vividly happy and outgoing. Maggie smiled up at Gabe, the sunlight turning her eyes as green as grass.
He winked at her before he turned to give her the reins of her own mount. “Can you get up all by yourself?” he asked in a gently mocking tone of voice.
She glared at him. “I know how to ride,” she replied indignantly—and then ruined everything by missing the stirrup.
He caught her arm with his good hand and kept her upright. “Pilgrim,” he accused. He steadied her while she got her booted foot into the stirrup and threw the other leg over gracefully. The steely hand on her arm wasn't doing a lot for her nerves, but she didn't refuse the offer of assistance.
He gathered the reins of his own horse and stepped easily into the saddle, looking so much at home up there that Maggie just stared at him.
“Stay right with me, honey,” Gabe told Becky, moving into step with her horse. “There's nothing to worry about. I'll take care of you.”
“All right,” Becky said. Her small hands gripped the reins just as Gabe had taught her to. She glanced at him to make sure she was doing it right, and he nodded.
Maggie trailed along beside Gabe on the wide farm road, drinking in the beauty of vast horizons and grazing cattle and the feel of the warm spring breeze in her hair. There had been other times like this, long ago, when she and his sisters had gone riding. Sometimes they'd meet him unexpectedly on the trail, and her heart would run wild. It might have been only a schoolgirl crush, but it had hurt when she hadn't seen him again. Her eyes adored him unconsciously, admiring the powerful length of his body, the straightness of his carriage, the lean hands so deft and strong on the reins. He was exceptional. He always had been. And she might marry him….
The thought disturbed her. She'd been wrong about Dennis. What if she was wrong about Gabe? It was different, living with someone. You never knew people until you lived with them.
He turned his head, studying her in a somber silence. “You're too quiet,” he said. “Say something.”
“She's always quiet,” Becky told him. “She doesn't talk much.”
“She used to,” Gabe returned with a grin. “She never shut up, in fact.”
“I only blabbered because you made me nervous,” she shot back, and then cleared her throat when she realized what she'd confessed.
“Your mama had a crush on me,” Gabe said arrogantly, lifting his chin at a cocky angle as he studied Maggie with knowing eyes. “She thought I was the best thing since buttered bread.”
Becky giggled, and Becky's mama ground her teeth together. “Why didn't you marry my mama, Uncle Gabe?” Becky asked suddenly.
Maggie wanted to get under the horse. She bit her lower lip while Gabe stared at her under the wide brim of his hat and pursed his lips thoughtfully.
“I was afraid she wouldn't be happy with what I had to offer her, back then,” he said matter-of-factly and without embarrassment. “We weren't always well-to-do, young lady,” he added with a gentle smile. “We had some hard times here for a while. It was during those hard times that I lost track of your mother.”
Maggie
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