Page 60 of The Wedding Ranch
“I bet it’s beautiful in the spring too.”
“Yes. It’s great every season, even in the dead of winter when most of the leaves have dropped and the trees are bare. The white haze on frosty mornings when the fog hangs just above the pasture. Nothing like it.”
“Sounds pretty.”
“It is.” He slugged back some water. “You ready to go down to the mill?”
“Definitely.”
Both horses were already saddled in hopes she’d agree. “All right. You’re going to mount from the left side. Come on over here.”
She went over to the horse. “Now what?”
“Put your left foot in the stirrup.” He steadied her as she got her foot into position, and placed her hands. “Okay, now you’re going to take a little hop and lift that back leg up and over.”
“Seriously? I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Doubt arched in her brow as her head tilted to the back of the horse.
“I’ll help you.”
“Okay. Here we… go!” With a teensy extra nudge from him she was sitting tall in the saddle.
“How’s that feel?”
“High.” Her giggle wavered, exposing her nerves, but she leaned forward and stroked Dottie’s neck. “You’re going to take good care of me, right, Dottie?”
“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here.” He spent the next few minutes getting her set in her stirrups and walking her forward, to the left and right and backing Dottie up. “She neck reins. Just slight movements of the reins will tell her where you want to go. Nothing to it.”
“Seems easy enough.”
“She knows what to do. All you have to do is sit and enjoy the ride.”
She let out a breath. “I’m so excited.”
He swung up onto Thunder with ease. “Here we go.”
Lorri was a quick study. No one would ever believe it was her first time in the saddle.
“Those are some nice boots you’ve got on. I was going to take us down to the creek and ride that path most of the way, but I’d hate to ruin them.”
“Don’t worry about these boots. Let’s take the horses in the water. Oh my gosh, this is like a dream. I can’t believe we’re riding.” She stretched her arms above her head. “I love this.”
He turned Thunder toward the creek’s edge, and Dottie fell right in line behind him.
He heard Lorri gasp as the sound of the rushing water became louder. It always took his breath away too.
Dottie stepped down the bank and leaned forward to drink. Lorri squealed. “Am I going to slide off?”
“I hope not. She’s not a giraffe. Lean back.”
She straightened, noticeably relaxing.
“There you go,” he said. “You’re fine. She’s just thirsty.”
The horses drank and then they began clip-clopping through the creek side by side.
He reached up and bent back a low-hanging twig as the path narrowed and he moved in front of her. “You doing okay?”
“Perfect.”
