she’d begun to realize some part of the real danger a man faced when he pitted his strength against an animal’s. She understood how to manage a ranch, what it took to keep one going, but she knew very little about the actual work it took to support the luxurious life she and her grandmother enjoyed.
She’d begun to doubt that Laveau could ever do this work even if he tried, that his return wouldn’t restore the life she had known.
“The secret is to relax, just let your body fall naturally,” Broc said.
Pilar couldn’t imagine how anybody could
fall naturally,
but it was obvious that Cade was unhurt. He didn’t even limp.
“I’m ready to go again,” he said.
The buckskin eyed him fearfully and attempted to backaway, but Rafe twisted his ear and the horse stood still long enough for Cade to mount.
The moment Cade’s boots were in the stirrups, he shouted, “Stand back!”
Rafe ducked toward the rail, and the buckskin turned his mind to bucking.
Pilar couldn’t begin to remember the names of all the jumps, twists, turns, stops, starts, and feints Earl called out as the buckskin did his level best to get rid of Cade, but Cade stayed on. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself. He smiled, even laughed as he dared the buckskin to try something more dangerous, bragging that the animal was his from this moment.
The buckskin finally came to a halt, its trembling legs spread wide, white lather flecking its neck and shoulders, its breath coming in huge gulps, its sides heaving. But unlike the other horses, the buckskin didn’t hang his head in submission when Cade dismounted. He stared back at Cade, momentarily defeated but still defiant.
“That horse will go after you the minute you turn your back,” his grandfather said.
“He’s the best of the bunch,” Cade said as he unbuckled the cinch and pulled off the saddle and bridle. “One of these days he’s going to save my life.”
“Right now he wants to take it,” Holt said.
“He won’t try now,” Rafe said, speaking for one of the few times that day. “He’s rethinking the situation, trying to figure out what to do next time.”
Cade laughed. “You boys trying to spook me?”
“Naw, just keeping you on your toes,” Broc said. “Seeing as how you were the last man to get thrown into the dirt, I suppose you ought to be the first one to get a bath.”
Holt tried to argue his own case, but after Earl refusedto have anything to do with submerging his body in hot water, it was unanimously decided that Cade should go first.
Pilar stopped breathing the moment Cade released the second button and a small patch of chest hair came into view. His nimble fingers didn’t stop until all the buttons were undone. He pulled his shirttail out of his pants and took off the shirt.
Pilar felt her heart lurch into her throat. Her limbs felt as shaky as those of the buckskin, her breath just as labored. She had never seen a man’s body. The sight mesmerized her.
“You going to strip naked in front of this girl?” his grandfather asked.
Cade turned to Pilar, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “If that’s what she wants.”
Cade was laughing at her. Pilar refused to let him see just how strongly he’d affected her. She managed to pull herself together. “It’s time I started supper. Put your dirty clothes in the wash pot, but wait until
after
I get inside.”
“Doesn’t sound like you’ve made a very good impression on the lady,” Owen crowed. “Maybe she’d like it better if I undressed first.”
“I don’t want to see anybody undress,” Pilar said, able to speak more decisively now that she had herself in hand. “I’m not one of your camp followers.”
“So you’ve heard about them, have you?” Owen said, his eyes alight with devilment. “None of them were as lovely as you.”
Pilar headed to the house, spurred on by laughter and whispered comments. She didn’t know what all their comments meant—her grandmother said love
She’d begun to doubt that Laveau could ever do this work even if he tried, that his return wouldn’t restore the life she had known.
“The secret is to relax, just let your body fall naturally,” Broc said.
Pilar couldn’t imagine how anybody could
fall naturally,
but it was obvious that Cade was unhurt. He didn’t even limp.
“I’m ready to go again,” he said.
The buckskin eyed him fearfully and attempted to backaway, but Rafe twisted his ear and the horse stood still long enough for Cade to mount.
The moment Cade’s boots were in the stirrups, he shouted, “Stand back!”
Rafe ducked toward the rail, and the buckskin turned his mind to bucking.
Pilar couldn’t begin to remember the names of all the jumps, twists, turns, stops, starts, and feints Earl called out as the buckskin did his level best to get rid of Cade, but Cade stayed on. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself. He smiled, even laughed as he dared the buckskin to try something more dangerous, bragging that the animal was his from this moment.
The buckskin finally came to a halt, its trembling legs spread wide, white lather flecking its neck and shoulders, its breath coming in huge gulps, its sides heaving. But unlike the other horses, the buckskin didn’t hang his head in submission when Cade dismounted. He stared back at Cade, momentarily defeated but still defiant.
“That horse will go after you the minute you turn your back,” his grandfather said.
“He’s the best of the bunch,” Cade said as he unbuckled the cinch and pulled off the saddle and bridle. “One of these days he’s going to save my life.”
“Right now he wants to take it,” Holt said.
“He won’t try now,” Rafe said, speaking for one of the few times that day. “He’s rethinking the situation, trying to figure out what to do next time.”
Cade laughed. “You boys trying to spook me?”
“Naw, just keeping you on your toes,” Broc said. “Seeing as how you were the last man to get thrown into the dirt, I suppose you ought to be the first one to get a bath.”
Holt tried to argue his own case, but after Earl refusedto have anything to do with submerging his body in hot water, it was unanimously decided that Cade should go first.
Pilar stopped breathing the moment Cade released the second button and a small patch of chest hair came into view. His nimble fingers didn’t stop until all the buttons were undone. He pulled his shirttail out of his pants and took off the shirt.
Pilar felt her heart lurch into her throat. Her limbs felt as shaky as those of the buckskin, her breath just as labored. She had never seen a man’s body. The sight mesmerized her.
“You going to strip naked in front of this girl?” his grandfather asked.
Cade turned to Pilar, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “If that’s what she wants.”
Cade was laughing at her. Pilar refused to let him see just how strongly he’d affected her. She managed to pull herself together. “It’s time I started supper. Put your dirty clothes in the wash pot, but wait until
after
I get inside.”
“Doesn’t sound like you’ve made a very good impression on the lady,” Owen crowed. “Maybe she’d like it better if I undressed first.”
“I don’t want to see anybody undress,” Pilar said, able to speak more decisively now that she had herself in hand. “I’m not one of your camp followers.”
“So you’ve heard about them, have you?” Owen said, his eyes alight with devilment. “None of them were as lovely as you.”
Pilar headed to the house, spurred on by laughter and whispered comments. She didn’t know what all their comments meant—her grandmother said love
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