[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
brown molasses. Maybe she'd hook a man yet, though as long as she was stuck at the Kincaid, her
chances of getting hitched would be zilch. But then, she didn't seem to be a woman who d be eager to
warm a man's bed, so maybe she was happy enough with her lot.
Which pleased him. Annie needed a woman to relate to, and he had a gut feeling Ruth Crawford could
be that woman
"Is something wrong?" Ruth stared at him, unblinking.
He snapped out of his musing. "Why do you ask?"
"The way you're looking at me. You seem puzzled."
"Just trying to figure out what makes you tick. I keep getting mixed messages."
She bristled. "I'm not meaning to send you any messages at all. I'm here to look after Annie, pure and
simple."
"Yeah, well, I wasn't meaning you were sending me messages. You just seem to switch moods
midstream. It's damn baffling at times."
"Maybe that's because I'm not used to being studied like I was something in a curio shop,"
she said. "I know I'm out of my element here, but like I said, I'm a fast learner, so maybe it's time you
stopped trying to figure me out and started showing me how to ride a horse.
"Right." He scooted his chair back and jammed his hat on his head feeling like a school kid who'd just
been put in his place by his teacher, and that didn't sit well with him, made him want to take Miss
Crawford down a notch or two. Or kiss the hell out of her, just to see her reaction.
Now that was an idea worth considering.
***
Ruth peered up at her mount. Until now she'd had no idea how tall a horse actually was. Her only
experience had been with a pony at the fair when she was eight. The thought of sitting atop this giant
did nothing to calm her nerves. But she'd be damned if she'd let the boisterous bunch straddling the
corral fence, or their little sidekick, know. She'd conquer the beast or die trying.
"What's his name?" she asked the cowboy holding the reins.
"Dynamite."
A tremor of fear rushed through her. "Why is he named that?"
"Don't know, ma'am. I'm new around here and don't know all the horses yet.
"Are you sure this is the horse I'm supposed to ride?"
"Yes ma'am."
"What about that one?" She pointed to a dozing, sway-back horse tied to the hitching rail in front of
the stables.
"You mean old Judd? You wouldn't want to ride him, ma'am. He's ornerier than a mule with a burr
under his blanket."
Dynamite pawed the ground and bobbed his head. "Why is he doing that?" she asked, growing
increasingly apprehensive.
"I guess he's ready to go."
Snickers rustled among the onlookers. She eyed Dynamite with mounting trepidation. Surely Matt
wouldn't deliberately put her up on an unmanageable horse.
A muffled guffaw from one of the fence sitters, followed by sniggers from the rest, brought her head
around. She pursed her lips. Maybe Matt wouldn't do it, but she didn't doubt for a moment that the
cocky bunch on the fence would. In fact, she suspected there was nothing they'd enjoy more than
seeing the old maid nanny from the city lying sprawled on the ground. She vowed she would not give
them that pleasure.
"Hey! Why are you boys hanging around here?" Matt yelled. "Get off your butts and get to work. Seth,
get the auger mounted on the tractor so we can set the fence posts for the new corral.
Tanner, there's fencing that needs mending over in the south pasture. Deke and Slade, get done cutting
those young bulls or they ll be mounting everything in sight." The men scattered, leaving Annie sitting
alone on the fence. You too, bucko. You've got a stall to muck out and hens to feed. And Skeeter's got
more burrs in his coat than a dog's got fleas. Get on over there and brush him down or he'll get saddle
sores. JT's waiting for you." He took the reins from the young cowboy. "I'll be taking over, Randy. Go
help Slade with the auger." The young man strode off.
Matt turned to Ruth. "You ready?"
She looked at him with a start. "You mean, I really am supposed get on this horse?"
Unless you can think of another way to ride him."
Ruth glared at him. "I told you I was willing to learn to ride and that I'm not afraid of horses, but I'm
not willing to risk breaking my neck just to prove a point."
Tiny lines gathered between Matt's brows. "You want to run that past me again?"
Which part do you find confusing?"
The whole damn thing. From what I make of it, you intend to master riding a horse without getting
on."
Ruth stabbed a finger in the direction of Dynamite. "Without getting on that horse!"
Matt snatched his hat off his head, mumbled a string of expletives under his breath and said,
"I've met illogical females in my time, but you beat everything. Mind telling me what you have against
this horse, or is it too complicated to explain."
Ruth felt blood pumping through her veins. "For starters, his name!" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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brown molasses. Maybe she'd hook a man yet, though as long as she was stuck at the Kincaid, her
chances of getting hitched would be zilch. But then, she didn't seem to be a woman who d be eager to
warm a man's bed, so maybe she was happy enough with her lot.
Which pleased him. Annie needed a woman to relate to, and he had a gut feeling Ruth Crawford could
be that woman
"Is something wrong?" Ruth stared at him, unblinking.
He snapped out of his musing. "Why do you ask?"
"The way you're looking at me. You seem puzzled."
"Just trying to figure out what makes you tick. I keep getting mixed messages."
She bristled. "I'm not meaning to send you any messages at all. I'm here to look after Annie, pure and
simple."
"Yeah, well, I wasn't meaning you were sending me messages. You just seem to switch moods
midstream. It's damn baffling at times."
"Maybe that's because I'm not used to being studied like I was something in a curio shop,"
she said. "I know I'm out of my element here, but like I said, I'm a fast learner, so maybe it's time you
stopped trying to figure me out and started showing me how to ride a horse.
"Right." He scooted his chair back and jammed his hat on his head feeling like a school kid who'd just
been put in his place by his teacher, and that didn't sit well with him, made him want to take Miss
Crawford down a notch or two. Or kiss the hell out of her, just to see her reaction.
Now that was an idea worth considering.
***
Ruth peered up at her mount. Until now she'd had no idea how tall a horse actually was. Her only
experience had been with a pony at the fair when she was eight. The thought of sitting atop this giant
did nothing to calm her nerves. But she'd be damned if she'd let the boisterous bunch straddling the
corral fence, or their little sidekick, know. She'd conquer the beast or die trying.
"What's his name?" she asked the cowboy holding the reins.
"Dynamite."
A tremor of fear rushed through her. "Why is he named that?"
"Don't know, ma'am. I'm new around here and don't know all the horses yet.
"Are you sure this is the horse I'm supposed to ride?"
"Yes ma'am."
"What about that one?" She pointed to a dozing, sway-back horse tied to the hitching rail in front of
the stables.
"You mean old Judd? You wouldn't want to ride him, ma'am. He's ornerier than a mule with a burr
under his blanket."
Dynamite pawed the ground and bobbed his head. "Why is he doing that?" she asked, growing
increasingly apprehensive.
"I guess he's ready to go."
Snickers rustled among the onlookers. She eyed Dynamite with mounting trepidation. Surely Matt
wouldn't deliberately put her up on an unmanageable horse.
A muffled guffaw from one of the fence sitters, followed by sniggers from the rest, brought her head
around. She pursed her lips. Maybe Matt wouldn't do it, but she didn't doubt for a moment that the
cocky bunch on the fence would. In fact, she suspected there was nothing they'd enjoy more than
seeing the old maid nanny from the city lying sprawled on the ground. She vowed she would not give
them that pleasure.
"Hey! Why are you boys hanging around here?" Matt yelled. "Get off your butts and get to work. Seth,
get the auger mounted on the tractor so we can set the fence posts for the new corral.
Tanner, there's fencing that needs mending over in the south pasture. Deke and Slade, get done cutting
those young bulls or they ll be mounting everything in sight." The men scattered, leaving Annie sitting
alone on the fence. You too, bucko. You've got a stall to muck out and hens to feed. And Skeeter's got
more burrs in his coat than a dog's got fleas. Get on over there and brush him down or he'll get saddle
sores. JT's waiting for you." He took the reins from the young cowboy. "I'll be taking over, Randy. Go
help Slade with the auger." The young man strode off.
Matt turned to Ruth. "You ready?"
She looked at him with a start. "You mean, I really am supposed get on this horse?"
Unless you can think of another way to ride him."
Ruth glared at him. "I told you I was willing to learn to ride and that I'm not afraid of horses, but I'm
not willing to risk breaking my neck just to prove a point."
Tiny lines gathered between Matt's brows. "You want to run that past me again?"
Which part do you find confusing?"
The whole damn thing. From what I make of it, you intend to master riding a horse without getting
on."
Ruth stabbed a finger in the direction of Dynamite. "Without getting on that horse!"
Matt snatched his hat off his head, mumbled a string of expletives under his breath and said,
"I've met illogical females in my time, but you beat everything. Mind telling me what you have against
this horse, or is it too complicated to explain."
Ruth felt blood pumping through her veins. "For starters, his name!" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]