did you know the American Morgan can be traced back to one horse?” He watched carefully as Jumper let Bethany touch him. She had no idea how impressed he was. Jumper tried to nip everyone, including him sometimes. “Lucky guy."
"Jack.” She rolled her eyes at him. Apparently, he wasn't as funny as he thought he was.
"Come on before he bites you.” Jack tugged her by the hand as he headed to the next stall. “This is Sheba, a Tennessee walker. If you want to ride, this is the horse I would put you on."
"What if I wanted to ride Jumper? He looks so sweet.” She looked at Sheba and got the same expression of awe. “Look at her."
"She won't jump and throw you off. I'd like you to live long enough to meet the rest of my family, maybe grow old, have some kids. I put you on Jumper, all that is out the window.” Jack kissed Sheba above her nose. “You're a sweet girl, aren't you, darling? Yes, you are."
"She lets you get so close?” Bethany moved closer, and the horse mouthed her hand. No teeth just lips.
"She's kissing you. Very good sign.” He turned his attention to Jumper who neighed loudly. “Jealous, old boy? You were going to bite her."
"No, he was not,” she said with certainty. “You're not scaring me, Jack Johnson. These horses wouldn't hurt a soul."
He shrugged his shoulders. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to keep learning about animals the hard way. “Let's let them back out to the pasture. Come on."
He walked to the front of the barn and closed the door, leaving only the backside open. He then opened the stall next to Sheba's and then the next. Bethany watched him open two; then she opened the next one on her own, helping him.
"Why don't you let Jumper and Sheba out?” she asked as she worked the next gate.
"I'll show you.” He put a rope lead around the Arabian's long, white neck, and the line of horses came out of their stalls and followed his lead. “Stay with me. If they get antsy, you might get kicked."
"Jack,” Bethany said his name as though she were tired of him warning her, but the last thing he wanted was for her to find out today was horses kick, they bite, and if she got in their way, they would push her, especially if they knew they could. None of his animals were mean, not even Jumper, but they lived by a hierarchy, and Bethany wasn't established in their chain of command.
"Open the gate, will ya?” Jack pointed ahead. She jogged to the gate. Two reasons he asked her to do it. One, because the White Queen, the Arabian he had harnessed, didn't like to back up and wait for the gate to open, and two, Bethany bounced and jiggled in great places when she ran. “Thank you."
He let the White Queen go and smacked her on the hind quarter letting her know she could take off now. The horse loved to run, itched to do it, the reason why she went out first. She would plow through everyone else otherwise. “Watch out now."
The horses filed past. As they got to the end of the corral and made their way to the pasture, Jack turned to Bethany. She was smiling in wild wonderment, her eyes as big and bright as a kid on Christmas. “Wait here, when you see me coming, open the gate."
"Okay.” Bethany shrugged and looked back out toward the horses.
Jack disappeared back into the barn. She inhaled the crisp, clean air and looked around at the wide open space, now her home. Her home with horses, cabins, dogs, family, a beautiful house, walk in closet ... what more could a girl ask for?
"Open the gate, sweetheart,” he called, and she snapped out of her daydream, only everything still looked the same. She pulled open the gate, and Sheba walked past. Jumper followed. “Now, you made it seem like he's a handful. He's following her like a puppy dog."
"Yes, he is.” She watched him close the gate. They stood there next to each other, looking at the two horses as they made their way to the field. He leaned over. His scent carried on the breeze. Her stomach tingled with expectation. “Watch when
"Jack.” She rolled her eyes at him. Apparently, he wasn't as funny as he thought he was.
"Come on before he bites you.” Jack tugged her by the hand as he headed to the next stall. “This is Sheba, a Tennessee walker. If you want to ride, this is the horse I would put you on."
"What if I wanted to ride Jumper? He looks so sweet.” She looked at Sheba and got the same expression of awe. “Look at her."
"She won't jump and throw you off. I'd like you to live long enough to meet the rest of my family, maybe grow old, have some kids. I put you on Jumper, all that is out the window.” Jack kissed Sheba above her nose. “You're a sweet girl, aren't you, darling? Yes, you are."
"She lets you get so close?” Bethany moved closer, and the horse mouthed her hand. No teeth just lips.
"She's kissing you. Very good sign.” He turned his attention to Jumper who neighed loudly. “Jealous, old boy? You were going to bite her."
"No, he was not,” she said with certainty. “You're not scaring me, Jack Johnson. These horses wouldn't hurt a soul."
He shrugged his shoulders. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to keep learning about animals the hard way. “Let's let them back out to the pasture. Come on."
He walked to the front of the barn and closed the door, leaving only the backside open. He then opened the stall next to Sheba's and then the next. Bethany watched him open two; then she opened the next one on her own, helping him.
"Why don't you let Jumper and Sheba out?” she asked as she worked the next gate.
"I'll show you.” He put a rope lead around the Arabian's long, white neck, and the line of horses came out of their stalls and followed his lead. “Stay with me. If they get antsy, you might get kicked."
"Jack,” Bethany said his name as though she were tired of him warning her, but the last thing he wanted was for her to find out today was horses kick, they bite, and if she got in their way, they would push her, especially if they knew they could. None of his animals were mean, not even Jumper, but they lived by a hierarchy, and Bethany wasn't established in their chain of command.
"Open the gate, will ya?” Jack pointed ahead. She jogged to the gate. Two reasons he asked her to do it. One, because the White Queen, the Arabian he had harnessed, didn't like to back up and wait for the gate to open, and two, Bethany bounced and jiggled in great places when she ran. “Thank you."
He let the White Queen go and smacked her on the hind quarter letting her know she could take off now. The horse loved to run, itched to do it, the reason why she went out first. She would plow through everyone else otherwise. “Watch out now."
The horses filed past. As they got to the end of the corral and made their way to the pasture, Jack turned to Bethany. She was smiling in wild wonderment, her eyes as big and bright as a kid on Christmas. “Wait here, when you see me coming, open the gate."
"Okay.” Bethany shrugged and looked back out toward the horses.
Jack disappeared back into the barn. She inhaled the crisp, clean air and looked around at the wide open space, now her home. Her home with horses, cabins, dogs, family, a beautiful house, walk in closet ... what more could a girl ask for?
"Open the gate, sweetheart,” he called, and she snapped out of her daydream, only everything still looked the same. She pulled open the gate, and Sheba walked past. Jumper followed. “Now, you made it seem like he's a handful. He's following her like a puppy dog."
"Yes, he is.” She watched him close the gate. They stood there next to each other, looking at the two horses as they made their way to the field. He leaned over. His scent carried on the breeze. Her stomach tingled with expectation. “Watch when
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