Page 34 of Moonlight Over Montana

“Bottom line, she told me that the guilt I’ve been wrestling with was a waste of time and she never blamed me for what happened. In fact, she’s been carrying a mess of guilt that I got hurt, so we hugged it out and agreed to put it behind us, permanently.”

“Now that, I would have liked to see.”

Her voice held a light teasing sound and it put Jed at ease. “I do know how to hug, you know, and even more than that.”

Her eyes twinkled. “I’m sure you know how to do all kinds of things. Maybe it’s time you come out of that shell of yours and ask a woman on a date.”

He opened his mouth with a quick comeback, but it died as he locked his eyes on Susie. She was racing down the length of the paddock in their direction and with daylight fading fast, he wasn’t sure if she had control over Nahla or if the horse was controlling the situation. In this particular case, he hoped Nahla did.

Just as they were about to crash into the fence, and Susie wasn’t pulling up on the reins, Nahla came to a skidding halt. Susie lost her seat and was falling from the horse. Maggie scrambled up and over the top of the fence, dropping to a dead run with Jed right beside her.

Maggie sank to her knees. “Susie, are you okay?”

Sitting up, she grinned. “I’m gonna be a little sore on my backside tomorrow, but the good news is, I got my first fall over.” She looked at Jed and her grin faded.

“Just what were you thinking coming in that fast? Do you know in this light, Nahla could have had a misstep and what if she’d broken a leg?”

Susie scrambled to her feet and looked at the horse, and that is when it hit her. “Jed, I am so sorry. I never thought that anything bad could happen.” She grasped the reins and kissed the mare’s neck, all the while murmuring how sorry she was.

“Take her back to the barn and cool her down. Don’t forget her oats and maybe even an apple.” He knew his voice was gruff, but he needed to be stern. These animals were his responsibility and if something had happened to Nahla or Susie, he’d never forgive himself.

“Jed?” Maggie said as Susie led Nahla into the barn. “She made a mistake. Did you need to be so harsh?”

He turned his gaze to her. “Yes.”

She started to say something, but one look at his face and her words died. Continuing to stare at him, she finally said, “I’m very sorry.”

He turned and strode to the barn, leaving her to follow behind him or not.

17

The next morning Maggie knocked on Susie’s bedroom door. “Get a move on because before we leave, you’re going to find Jed and apologize again.” It was quiet on the other side of the door. Dang it, had she overslept? They were going to be late for school. She tapped on the door again and eased it open. The bed was a rumpled pile of blankets, but no Susie.

She stepped back into the hallway and glanced at the bathroom door which was standing open and no sounds were coming from inside the small room. Where the heck was Susie?

Walking back into the kitchen, she noticed Susie’s backpack wasn’t near the door. Now worry began to sneak in. Grabbing a coat from the peg near the door, Maggie pulled it open and jogged down the front porch steps. Her new SUV was in its parking place so at least Susie hadn’t decided to drive herself to town. Looking up and down the gravel road that went deeper into the ranch or lead back to the road, she glanced in the direction of the horse barn. Was it possible her daughter had gotten it in her head to ride this morning?

She crossed the gravel road, her steps filled with a new purpose. Once she reached the barn, she slid back the heavy door and stepped inside. The smell of sweet hay teased her senses and she listened, wondering if she’d figure out where to look first. All she heard was the sound of a rake and shovel scraping against the cement floor. Maggie assumed Zak was cleaning a stall. She was about to turn around when she noticed a familiar-looking backpack propped against a wooden bench. It was Susie’s so she had to be in here. She wouldn’t have taken Nahla out for a ride without Jed around, would she? Ever since she got the idea to learn how to barrel race, all she had talked about was learning to ride better so she could get her own horse.

Propelled by a rising sense of anger, Maggie hurried deeper into the barn, not looking right or left until she got to Nahla’s stall. There she saw Susie shoveling a pile of manure into the wheelbarrow just inside the stall door.

“What are you doing?” Maggie asked.

Susie snapped her head up. “Mom. What does it look like? I’m taking care of Nahla. Since I’ve been the only person riding her lately, I thought it was the right thing to do to pitch in and help out.”

The anger that flared in Maggie immediately was doused. “Does Jed know you’re out here?”

With a quick nod, Susie turned her attention back to shoveling. “I asked him if it was okay to pitch in and he said if I wanted to have my own horse, I needed to put in the effort. Like proving I’m capable, not just a kid begging her mom for a horse and then not doing my part.”

This was an interesting turn of events, but why hadn’t Jed given her a heads-up?

Susie leaned into lifting the shovel and the last bits of hay and manure were cleaned up. “I know that look and can guess what you’re thinking.”

She quirked a brow. “Really. Do tell.”

“You think Jed should have told you that he and I talked and he agreed it was a good idea. In his opinion, taking initiative is the best way to show that I’m ready.”

Maggie crossed her arms over her midsection. He had been right, although one day doing chores in the barn didn’t make a huge impact, but it was a start. “You should leave yourself enough time to get cleaned up before school. And now we need to leave in ten minutes.”

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