with fire. Unfortunately, if we continue like this, one of us is going to get burned.â
Russ closed his eyes and nodded. âYouâre right, of course.â He inhaled deeply. âDoes this mean you want me to leave?â
âNo,â she said, smiling at her own lack of willpower. âBut I think you should, anyway.â
Five
âM andy, Iâm not going near that horse.â
âTaylor, please. I want to do something to thank you for all the sewing lessons youâve given me.â
As far as Taylor was concerned, the chestnut gelding looked as huge as the Trojan horse. He didnât seem all that friendly, either. Her palms were sweating, and her throat felt dry from arguing with the persistent teen.
âShadow is as gentle as they come,â Mandy assured her, stroking the white markings on the horseâs face. âYou donât have a thing to worry about.â
âThatâs what they said to Custer, too,â Taylor muttered under her breath. This whole episode had started out so innocuously. Taylor had spent an hour after school helping Mandy cut out the pattern for a vest. Then, because Russ was busy with an errand in Miles City, Taylor had dropped her off at the ranch. One of the men had been exercising a horse, and Taylor had innocently inquired about the stock. Before she knew how it had happened, Mandy was insisting on teaching her to ride, claiming she couldnât accept sewing lessons from Taylor without giving her something in return.
âOnce you climb into the saddle, youâll feel a whole lot better about it,â Mandy told her.
âIâm not much of a horse person,â Taylor said.
âThat doesnât matter. Shadowâs gentle. I promise you.â
âAnother time perhaps,â Taylor murmured.
âBut todayâs perfect for riding.â
Before Taylor could answer, she saw Russâs truck speeding down the driveway, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. Taylor hadnât seen Russ since the night of the Grange dance, and she hated the way her pulse immediately started to race.
Russ pulled to a stop and leaped out of the truck, but he paused when he saw Taylorâs Cabriolet parked near the barn. Setting his hat farther back on his head, he changed his direction and walked toward them.
âHello, Taylor,â he said, bowing his head slightly.
âRuss.â
âMaybe you can talk some sense into her.â Mandy gestured toward Taylor, looking wistful. âI think she should learn to ride. Here she is giving me all these sewing lessons, and I want to repay her.â
âYouâve already had me over for dinner,â Taylor reminded the girl. âReally, horses just arenât my thing. The last time I sat on a horse was on a carousel when I was ten years old.â
âIf Taylorâs afraidâ¦â
âWhat makes you say that?â Taylor demanded. âIâm not afraid of horses. Itâs just that Iâm unfamiliar with them. I donât think now is the time for me to do more than gain a nodding acquaintance with Shadow here, but I most certainly am not afraid.â
âThen prove it,â Russ challenged. He patted Shadow on the rump. The gelding returned the greeting with a nicker and a swish of his thick tail.
âI promise youâll enjoy it,â Mandy said.
Grumbling under her breath, Taylor took the reins from Mandyâs hands. âWhy do I have the sinking suspicion Iâm going to regret this?â
âYou wonât,â Mandy vowed.
âThis kid is much too free with her promises,â Taylor told Russ. Lifting her left foot and placing it in the stirrup, Taylor reached for the saddle horn and heaved herself up.
âYou might need some help,â Mandy said. âRuss, help her.â
âShe seems to be doing fine without me.â
Taylor had hoisted her weight halfway up when she started to lose her grip. Russ was behind
Landon Dixon, Giselle Renarde, Beverly Langland