followed Maddox to Rosalind’s stall and watched as he approached the mare on the left side. He lifted the pad onto the mare’s back and glanced back at Chanel for reassurance on his placement. She nodded with encouragement, so he swung the saddle up. He was a quick study when he wanted to be, and he wasn’t resisting tonight. She only had to coach him when it came to fastening the breast collar, which drew her in close. Her senses were overwhelmed with the scent of leather and Maddox’s unique blend of detergent and warm male. His thick fingers were a bit clumsy working the tongue of the buckle through the hole in the strap, but he grinned in triumph once it was secure. That smile lit a blaze in Chanel’s stomach that almost knocked the air right out of her. With a sharp inhale, she stood and backed out of the stall.
“Nice work,” she mumbled as she started fumbling around on a hook, looking for a couple of bridles. “Now lead her out of here, and I’ll bring you a bridle.”
Without a word, Maddox pulled the end of the lead rope to release the slipknot tethering Rosalind to the manger and exited the barn. Finally locating her own bridle and an extra for Maddox, Chanel grabbed the roan, tucking his lead rope into her waistband. Her nerves were too raw for a lesson on bridling, so she slipped both bits into the horses’ mouths. She just wanted to get mounted and go for a ride. The rocking motion of a horse never failed to steady her.
“Before we get on, we need to tighten our cinches. We don’t want our saddles slipping around and dumping us on our butts.” Chanel tightened the girth around her gelding, nodding at Maddox to do the same.
He gave the strap a strong tug that made Rosalind fart and leap to the side. “Hold still!” Maddox hollered at the horse.
“Whoa! I think you overdid it there. She’s telling you it’s too tight.” Chanel stepped between Maddox and the mare.
“How do you know? I suppose you speak horse too.” His nostrils were flared, face red. This was not going to work until he settled down and conjured some patience.
Eyebrows drawn into a frown, Chanel shot him a look before loosening the cinch a couple of notches.
“Did my horse fart and jump around like I goosed him when I tightened his cinch? Now feel this.” Chanel took Maddox’s hand and guided it to the strap circling Rosalind’s belly. She knew she should have had him feel hers before turning him loose, but she’d been discombobulated at the moment. Her skin prickled as it touched Maddox’s, and he jerked his hand away like he felt it too.
Maddox forked his fingers through his hair. “Okay, the horse is dressed. Let’s ride. Isn’t that the point of all this?”
Chanel led Rosalind forward a few steps. “Don’t forget to lead your horse forward a bit to make sure it’s comfortable. Some of them will buck if things aren’t sitting right. Okay, get on. I’ll adjust your stirrups.” Chanel made a mental note to tell her father to designate this saddle as Maddox’s for the rest of the season. She didn’t want to go through these adjustments again. Forcing herself into autopilot, Chanel pretended she couldn’t feel the muscles through Maddox’s jeans as she moved his legs out of the way to set the stirrups to the proper length. He was just another dude at the stable where she worked during the school year.
“Can you stand in them?” Chanel asked taking a step back to study his legs.
He stood.
“Good. Now, think of the reins as your steering wheel. If you want to go right, press the left rein onto her neck, like this.” Chanel gathered the reins in her hand in front of the saddle horn and guided the horse from the ground. Just as the leather touched her neck, Rosalind began to turn her head. “If you want her to do more than look that way, you need to squeeze your legs to tell her to go.”
Maddox took the reins and squeezed. Rosalind walked in a slow circle.
“Now gently pull back
“Nice work,” she mumbled as she started fumbling around on a hook, looking for a couple of bridles. “Now lead her out of here, and I’ll bring you a bridle.”
Without a word, Maddox pulled the end of the lead rope to release the slipknot tethering Rosalind to the manger and exited the barn. Finally locating her own bridle and an extra for Maddox, Chanel grabbed the roan, tucking his lead rope into her waistband. Her nerves were too raw for a lesson on bridling, so she slipped both bits into the horses’ mouths. She just wanted to get mounted and go for a ride. The rocking motion of a horse never failed to steady her.
“Before we get on, we need to tighten our cinches. We don’t want our saddles slipping around and dumping us on our butts.” Chanel tightened the girth around her gelding, nodding at Maddox to do the same.
He gave the strap a strong tug that made Rosalind fart and leap to the side. “Hold still!” Maddox hollered at the horse.
“Whoa! I think you overdid it there. She’s telling you it’s too tight.” Chanel stepped between Maddox and the mare.
“How do you know? I suppose you speak horse too.” His nostrils were flared, face red. This was not going to work until he settled down and conjured some patience.
Eyebrows drawn into a frown, Chanel shot him a look before loosening the cinch a couple of notches.
“Did my horse fart and jump around like I goosed him when I tightened his cinch? Now feel this.” Chanel took Maddox’s hand and guided it to the strap circling Rosalind’s belly. She knew she should have had him feel hers before turning him loose, but she’d been discombobulated at the moment. Her skin prickled as it touched Maddox’s, and he jerked his hand away like he felt it too.
Maddox forked his fingers through his hair. “Okay, the horse is dressed. Let’s ride. Isn’t that the point of all this?”
Chanel led Rosalind forward a few steps. “Don’t forget to lead your horse forward a bit to make sure it’s comfortable. Some of them will buck if things aren’t sitting right. Okay, get on. I’ll adjust your stirrups.” Chanel made a mental note to tell her father to designate this saddle as Maddox’s for the rest of the season. She didn’t want to go through these adjustments again. Forcing herself into autopilot, Chanel pretended she couldn’t feel the muscles through Maddox’s jeans as she moved his legs out of the way to set the stirrups to the proper length. He was just another dude at the stable where she worked during the school year.
“Can you stand in them?” Chanel asked taking a step back to study his legs.
He stood.
“Good. Now, think of the reins as your steering wheel. If you want to go right, press the left rein onto her neck, like this.” Chanel gathered the reins in her hand in front of the saddle horn and guided the horse from the ground. Just as the leather touched her neck, Rosalind began to turn her head. “If you want her to do more than look that way, you need to squeeze your legs to tell her to go.”
Maddox took the reins and squeezed. Rosalind walked in a slow circle.
“Now gently pull back
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