Taking the Reins by Dayle Campbell Gaetz

man only smiled, not really seeing her at all. He lifted himself up on his toes and down again. “I had a feeling she would make a good horse for a young lady. That’s why I bought her for Emma here.” He turned around.
    His shoulders sagged when he saw the empty fence. He looked back at Katherine. Almost hidden in his dark beard, his mouth was set in a grim line.
    Katherine was not surprised by Emma’s disappearance. She wondered why this Joseph Bentley chose to buy Nugget for the girl at all. “Did Emma say she wanted Nugget?”
    Mr. Bentley’s dark eyebrows raised. He shook his head. “No.”
    â€œThen she only mentioned she would like a horse of her own?”
    His eyebrows lowered, he crossed his arms. “She didn’t say that either.”
    â€œI see.” Katherine nodded as if she understood perfectly, but in truth she had a lot more questions. She wondered whether this girl, Emma Curtis, was a friend of Mr. Bentley or perhaps his niece? The girl was tall and had a look about her that made it difficult to estimate her age, but Katherine guessed she must be several years older than herself. There was a worldliness about Emma; those big, dark eyes of hers held a knowledge and maturity that came only with time and experience.
    Katherine opened her mouth, another question formed and ready to spill out: Why would you purchase a horse for a girl who, by the look of her, doesn’t even like them? But something in the way Joseph Bentley looked down at her, in the way his black eyes flashed with a promise of anger, warned her to keep quiet. If this man were anything like her father, he would not welcome being interrogated by a young girl such as herself, especially after the way she went on about riding sidesaddle. So she closed her mouth, cut off the question.
    The “Wh...” had escaped though, before she could stop it. Katherine covered her mouth, pretended to cough. She looked at the young man and was surprised to see him suppress a smile. He winked at her, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
    This Edward had a way about him that made Katherine feel she could trust him on first sight. His friendly face was almost perfectly round and so open and amiable she wondered if he had ever been angry a minute in his life. And the way he moved reminded Katherine of that half-grown bear cub in her garden, loping along on legs that had grown so long its body needed time to catch up. In spite of his height and broad shoulders, she was certain he was younger than her brother. Katherine expected Edward was one of those people everyone liked, whether they were young, old, or in between.
    â€œUh, sir?” Edward ventured. “Could I speak to you for a moment, sir?”
    When Bentley turned his way, Edward nodded toward the open stable door.
    â€œRight, good idea,” Bentley murmured. “It’s time we all got out of this rain, in any event.” He looked at Katherine as if wondering what to do with her.
    â€œIf you don’t mind, Mr. Bentley, might I bring Nugget into the stable and give her a rub down?”
    The man’s eyebrows rose and a crease appeared between them. “But are you certain you want to? Edward is here to take care of such dirty tasks.”
    Katherine nodded. “Yes, sir, I really would like to.”
    She followed the men into the barn and led Nugget to the stall Edward pointed out. While she set to work removing Nugget’s saddle, the men moved farther away. She could hear their murmured conversation as she rubbed Nugget’s coat with the curry comb, but was far more interested in her horse than anything they had to say. “Did you miss me, Nugget? You must be lonely with no one to ride you and take proper care of you.”
    She brushed away dirt and bits of mud loosened by the comb. “I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl, Emma. She looks so cross I suspect she must be spoiled to the core.