Page 43 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

“Okay, Bikini. Now, be a nice horse,” he whispered. After untethering her, he led her outside. Bikini followed at a sedate pace behind him. Even though he’d wiped his damp hands on his jeans, there were still heavy sweat marks in the leather leads. His legs worked but his knees were like jelly. He made a conscious effort to maintain his breathing, although he did feel a tadwoozy.

Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all. Maybe just saddling a horse was a great step for thefirstday.

He was trying to find the words to suggest that when he got his first view of Marti on a horse. With the afternoon sun behind her, she sat high in the saddle, a warrior princess prepared tobattle.

“Ready?” she called from high in the air. He tilted back his head to look up at her…way, way up. His lightheadedness was taking on a headache companion. Uncertainty—not fear, he told himself—clawed athisgut.

“Eli? You okay? You’re a pale as my butt insummer.”

Her comment shook him out of his daze. “I’m fine,” he lied. “For the first time lesson, don’t you think just being able to saddle the horse isenough?”

She studied him and then swung down from Ransom. “You’llbefine.”

“I know I will,” he snapped. He fisted his hands, the leather strap biting into his palm. “I don’t need to learn to ride. This is stupid. I’ll be back in New York in a couple of months and I’ll never need to rideagain.”

Marti walked over and set a hand on his shoulder. “Eli,” she said on a long exhaledbreath.

He wanted to shrug her hand off his shoulder. He wanted to throw the damn strip of leather in his hand on the ground, get in his car, anddriveaway.

Looking into her eyes, he wanted to kiss her, to lose himself deepinsideher.

“Eli,” she said again. “Get on the horse.” Her voice was a sternorder.

“Excuseme?”

“Get on the horse,” she repeated. “Do you need me to tellyouhow?”

Now that just pissed him off. “No,” he snapped again. “You do not need to tell me how.” He crammed his left foot into the stirrup and pushed up until he could swing his right leg over. His behind settled heavily in thesaddleseat.

Marti stood holding Bikini’s halter, a little smile on her lips. “Save all that passion for later tonight.” She winked and walked back to her horse. She climbed on him with a grace that spoke of years ofexperience.

“How long have you been riding?” heasked.

“Don’t remember this of course, but Mom says Dad had me on a horse when I was six months old.” She chuckled. “She wasnothappy about that. Told him if he did it again, she was going to put concrete in his favorite pair of boots. He’d explained that I would grow up around horses my entire life and I’d better get used to them fast. Mom hadn’t liked his answer, but she understood his reasoning, so that was that. I could ride alone by two years old. Of course, my horse was an old pony who probably could barely walk. Still, for a kid, I was flying on the back of a racehorse. Now, quit killing time.” She clicked her tongue. “Come on,Bikini.”

Upon hearing her name, Bikini took a step. Eli’s heart took a leap. He latched onto the saddle horn, his hands too sweat-slickened to get a goodgrasp.

“Don’t hold on to the horn,” she said as Bikini walked up to where Ransom stood patiently. “Hold them like this.” She demonstrated how to hold the reins between twofingers.

He relocated his hold the reins, holding them tight between hisfingers.

“Loosen up,” she said. “Poor Bikini’s head ispulledback.”

He did asshesaid.

“Great.That’sit.”

“Okay, herewego.”

She clicked her tongue and Ransom took a step. Bikini followed. It wasn’t too bad. His butt slid left to right with each step. At least he wasn’t slamming his rear into the seat. His thighs cramped. Spreading them so wide wasn’t a normal positionforhim.

“You’re doing great,” Marti said. “I’m going to ride ahead and open a gate. You just continuethisway.”

Ransom took off in a gallop, Marti moving with the horse like they wereoneunit.

Bikini noticed, and picked up her pace. His butt bounced in the saddle, snapping his teeth together. Slap left cheek. Slap right cheek. Slap left cheek, and so it went. Reflexively, he tightened thereins.

“Slow down,”hesaid.

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