as Elgerson pulled the boy up behind him.
They descended slowly down the mountain, Elgerson becoming increasingly aware that Rebecca did not ride well and when the boy dozed off behind him Elgerson pulled his horse up beside the chestnut, fearful that Rebecca would slip from her saddle.
“You need to settle into the saddle more,” he instructed. “If you tense up like that the horse gets skittish and she might unseat you. Feel her movement and ease into her.”
Rebecca tried relaxing into the saddle.
Elgerson studied the girl curiously and Rebecca felt embarrassed by his searching gaze.
“Of course, she may upset you no matter how well you ride, just from the look of that hat you’ve got on there.” Elgerson looked straight ahead and chuckled.
Rebecca, at first mortified, began to laugh herself.
“Does that hat have a purpose?” he asked still chuckling. “I mean other than to scare horses?”
“There’s an awfully bad cut there.” Rebecca indicated her forehead with embarrassment.
“Well, I can’t imagine that even a split skull could be more frightening than that hat.” Elgerson’s hearty laughter was contagious and Rebecca began giggling, in spite of her self-consciousness.
Rebecca pulled the cap from her head briskly and gave her head a shake dropping the length of her hair onto her shoulders and tumbling down her back. She sat upright, turned towards him, grinned pleasantly, and remarked, “Is that better?”
The big man gasped and felt his breath catch in his throat as her hair fell free about her and he saw her smile for the first time. He saw her petite nose, touched with freckles, wrinkling slightly as she turned away. Elgerson steadied himself and stared at her in disbelief. The young woman’s beauty was striking and startling and very disconcerting. Thoughts of having wrestled her suddenly came back to him and he pulled his eyes away from her and stared down at his hands.
Rebecca thought that the wound on her forehead must look as awful as she feared and she tried to steady herself on the mare while attempting awkwardly to replace the hat, stuffing her hair up inside with one hand.
“What is your name?” she asked nervously, hoping to cover the scar without further embarrassment. “I only know you as ‘Pa’ and I don’t suppose that will do.” Rebecca wished her remark might return the man to his friendly mood.
“Timothy,” he replied uneasily.
“Timothy,” Rebecca repeated as the man pulled his horse ahead of her.
Rebecca was mortified. The man had tried to help her, was even being friendly and she had upset him. She considered apologizing but decided not to embarrass either of them further. The shock on his face had been quite clear and a warm tear rolled down her cheek and she studied the figure before her.
The man was solidly built, broad in the shoulders upon which tumbled his golden hair. Not quite the giant she first feared, she could see he was trim and distinguished for a man of his height and he rode with an easy grace and perfect posture. The young boy riding easy against his father’s back, dozing in complete trust, which Rebecca had enjoyed herself. She recalled how warm and safe she had felt against him as they rode from the hideout and she blushed, and attempted to focus on the road ahead of her instead of the figure of the man before her.
They rode in silence until the boy awoke and began a steady stream of cheerful chatter in anticipation of returning home. He talked about cousins and friends and attempted to engage both adults in his excitement. Puzzled by Rebecca’s mood, he finally took to whistling a silly polka, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
Rebecca’s thoughts teetered between concern over what would happen when they actually arrived in
They descended slowly down the mountain, Elgerson becoming increasingly aware that Rebecca did not ride well and when the boy dozed off behind him Elgerson pulled his horse up beside the chestnut, fearful that Rebecca would slip from her saddle.
“You need to settle into the saddle more,” he instructed. “If you tense up like that the horse gets skittish and she might unseat you. Feel her movement and ease into her.”
Rebecca tried relaxing into the saddle.
Elgerson studied the girl curiously and Rebecca felt embarrassed by his searching gaze.
“Of course, she may upset you no matter how well you ride, just from the look of that hat you’ve got on there.” Elgerson looked straight ahead and chuckled.
Rebecca, at first mortified, began to laugh herself.
“Does that hat have a purpose?” he asked still chuckling. “I mean other than to scare horses?”
“There’s an awfully bad cut there.” Rebecca indicated her forehead with embarrassment.
“Well, I can’t imagine that even a split skull could be more frightening than that hat.” Elgerson’s hearty laughter was contagious and Rebecca began giggling, in spite of her self-consciousness.
Rebecca pulled the cap from her head briskly and gave her head a shake dropping the length of her hair onto her shoulders and tumbling down her back. She sat upright, turned towards him, grinned pleasantly, and remarked, “Is that better?”
The big man gasped and felt his breath catch in his throat as her hair fell free about her and he saw her smile for the first time. He saw her petite nose, touched with freckles, wrinkling slightly as she turned away. Elgerson steadied himself and stared at her in disbelief. The young woman’s beauty was striking and startling and very disconcerting. Thoughts of having wrestled her suddenly came back to him and he pulled his eyes away from her and stared down at his hands.
Rebecca thought that the wound on her forehead must look as awful as she feared and she tried to steady herself on the mare while attempting awkwardly to replace the hat, stuffing her hair up inside with one hand.
“What is your name?” she asked nervously, hoping to cover the scar without further embarrassment. “I only know you as ‘Pa’ and I don’t suppose that will do.” Rebecca wished her remark might return the man to his friendly mood.
“Timothy,” he replied uneasily.
“Timothy,” Rebecca repeated as the man pulled his horse ahead of her.
Rebecca was mortified. The man had tried to help her, was even being friendly and she had upset him. She considered apologizing but decided not to embarrass either of them further. The shock on his face had been quite clear and a warm tear rolled down her cheek and she studied the figure before her.
The man was solidly built, broad in the shoulders upon which tumbled his golden hair. Not quite the giant she first feared, she could see he was trim and distinguished for a man of his height and he rode with an easy grace and perfect posture. The young boy riding easy against his father’s back, dozing in complete trust, which Rebecca had enjoyed herself. She recalled how warm and safe she had felt against him as they rode from the hideout and she blushed, and attempted to focus on the road ahead of her instead of the figure of the man before her.
They rode in silence until the boy awoke and began a steady stream of cheerful chatter in anticipation of returning home. He talked about cousins and friends and attempted to engage both adults in his excitement. Puzzled by Rebecca’s mood, he finally took to whistling a silly polka, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
Rebecca’s thoughts teetered between concern over what would happen when they actually arrived in
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