baby.”
“You have to make friends with her mother first. Take off your gloves.” He took them from her and stuck them in her coat pocket. “Now, reach out and rub her nose.”
She hesitantly did so. “She won’t bite me?”
“Nope, not Marmie. We have a few horses that might do that, but not her.”
Isabella rubbed her hand back and forth. “You’re right. Her nose is very soft.”
“Yeah. Now that you’ve got his mama’s scent on you, the colt might let you pet him.” He reached out slowly to the colt and put a firm hand on his back. “Try him.”
She stretched her hand out and gently rubbed thecolt’s nose even as he stepped back toward his mother. The mare moved several steps, too, which scared Isabella and she jumped back, landing against Russ’s solid body.
“Easy there. You’re okay.”
“I th-think I’ve petted him enough.” She pressed even closer to Russ.
He put his arm around her and moved them both out of the stall. “You did fine for the first time. Did you like it?”
“Yes, but the mother is so big! What if she steps on me?”
Russ grinned at her. “You’ll walk with a limp for a few days.”
“Oh.”
She looked so worried, even though they’d left the stall, he couldn’t resist kissing her. His lips touched hers, and this kiss was a little longer, a little more intimate and definitely hotter than the last kiss.
He turned her around and pulled her against him, and he kissed her again. When he raised his head, he said, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“It’s very nice, but…but it worries me.”
“Why does it worry you?”
“We’re not supposed to…to…you know.”
“We didn’t say we couldn’t. Just that we weren’t planning on it. But we’re going to be married a long time. Are we going to do without for the rest of our lives?”
“I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Well, I think you’d better think about it. Because if you don’t like me kissing you, you probably won’t like anything else.”
Isabella gave him a quick look. Then she stepped away. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. But I’ve had a lot of changes. I just hadn’t thought… Do we have to right away?”
“No, I guess not. Come on, let’s go put you on a horse.”
“Why?”
“How else will you learn to ride?”
“Why do I have to learn to ride?”
“Well, when Angel grows some and we’re going on a camping trip, are you going to want to stay at home every time?”
“Can’t we go camping in a truck?”
He took her hand and pulled her to the door of the barn. Then he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward the ridge of mountains that ran along the western horizon. “See those mountains? That’s where we like to go camping. A truck can’t get up them. There are no roads.”
“Oh. But can’t we take things more slowly? I have so much to worry about that I can’t think about horses now.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t realize it required so much thought.”
“It’s hard to learn new things when you’re an adult.” She shivered in the cold air.
“Okay, I guess we can wait until after we’remarried. After all, Angel isn’t likely to ask to go camping in the next two years.”
“But when she’s three, she will? I don’t think that will happen. And even if it does, I won’t let her go when she’s that young.”
“You’re not going to mollycoddle her, are you?”
“What does that mean, mollycoddle?”
“It means treat her like a baby.”
Isabella frowned at him, her hands on her hips. “She is a baby. Of course I’m going to treat her like one!”
“I don’t want her to be afraid of her own shadow.”
“And I don’t want her to get hurt!”
“I’m not going to hurt her. What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me! You’re the crazy one, the one not keeping his promises! I’m beginning to think I’ve made a huge mistake!”
By now they were both shouting.
“If you
“You have to make friends with her mother first. Take off your gloves.” He took them from her and stuck them in her coat pocket. “Now, reach out and rub her nose.”
She hesitantly did so. “She won’t bite me?”
“Nope, not Marmie. We have a few horses that might do that, but not her.”
Isabella rubbed her hand back and forth. “You’re right. Her nose is very soft.”
“Yeah. Now that you’ve got his mama’s scent on you, the colt might let you pet him.” He reached out slowly to the colt and put a firm hand on his back. “Try him.”
She stretched her hand out and gently rubbed thecolt’s nose even as he stepped back toward his mother. The mare moved several steps, too, which scared Isabella and she jumped back, landing against Russ’s solid body.
“Easy there. You’re okay.”
“I th-think I’ve petted him enough.” She pressed even closer to Russ.
He put his arm around her and moved them both out of the stall. “You did fine for the first time. Did you like it?”
“Yes, but the mother is so big! What if she steps on me?”
Russ grinned at her. “You’ll walk with a limp for a few days.”
“Oh.”
She looked so worried, even though they’d left the stall, he couldn’t resist kissing her. His lips touched hers, and this kiss was a little longer, a little more intimate and definitely hotter than the last kiss.
He turned her around and pulled her against him, and he kissed her again. When he raised his head, he said, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“It’s very nice, but…but it worries me.”
“Why does it worry you?”
“We’re not supposed to…to…you know.”
“We didn’t say we couldn’t. Just that we weren’t planning on it. But we’re going to be married a long time. Are we going to do without for the rest of our lives?”
“I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Well, I think you’d better think about it. Because if you don’t like me kissing you, you probably won’t like anything else.”
Isabella gave him a quick look. Then she stepped away. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. But I’ve had a lot of changes. I just hadn’t thought… Do we have to right away?”
“No, I guess not. Come on, let’s go put you on a horse.”
“Why?”
“How else will you learn to ride?”
“Why do I have to learn to ride?”
“Well, when Angel grows some and we’re going on a camping trip, are you going to want to stay at home every time?”
“Can’t we go camping in a truck?”
He took her hand and pulled her to the door of the barn. Then he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward the ridge of mountains that ran along the western horizon. “See those mountains? That’s where we like to go camping. A truck can’t get up them. There are no roads.”
“Oh. But can’t we take things more slowly? I have so much to worry about that I can’t think about horses now.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t realize it required so much thought.”
“It’s hard to learn new things when you’re an adult.” She shivered in the cold air.
“Okay, I guess we can wait until after we’remarried. After all, Angel isn’t likely to ask to go camping in the next two years.”
“But when she’s three, she will? I don’t think that will happen. And even if it does, I won’t let her go when she’s that young.”
“You’re not going to mollycoddle her, are you?”
“What does that mean, mollycoddle?”
“It means treat her like a baby.”
Isabella frowned at him, her hands on her hips. “She is a baby. Of course I’m going to treat her like one!”
“I don’t want her to be afraid of her own shadow.”
“And I don’t want her to get hurt!”
“I’m not going to hurt her. What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me! You’re the crazy one, the one not keeping his promises! I’m beginning to think I’ve made a huge mistake!”
By now they were both shouting.
“If you
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