Free Dream Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #1) by Verna Clay Page B

he hoisted her
atop Safety Blanket. She sure hoped the horse's name was an accurate depiction
of his personality. She squealed and grabbed the pommel.
    "Now
you don't need to be so stiff. Try to relax and hold the reins."
    Inhaling
a calming breath, Sarah forced her muscles to relax. After a minute she felt
better…and proud of her accomplishment. This was a real experience for
her book.
    Newt
made a clicking sound and Safety Blanket started forward. Sarah's muscles
tensed again and she bit her bottom lip. The horse followed Newt around the
corral while he gave Sarah instructions about handling the beast. On her third
circle she was getting the hang of it. She glanced toward the barn to see Sage
leaning against the siding. His lips twitched and he tipped his hat. She
inadvertently pulled back on the reins and the horse stopped. Okay how do I
make him go again? Her brain wouldn't function clearly. Oh, yeah, nudge
him with my feet. She looked up again to see Sage was gone. Thank goodness. For the next hour, Newt taught her the basics of horseback riding.
    The
day after her riding lesson a van that had Triple T Ranch written on the side,
arrived with costumes. Mindy and Mandy spotted some saloon girl outfits and
snagged them out of the hands of Jackson who was hauling them into the great
room to hang on racks.
    Sage
called for everyone's attention, "Listen up, cowboys and cowgirls, Newt
and I put together some role playing assignments and here's what we've come up
with. Mindy and Mandy, you'll be saloon gals headed for San Francisco."
    The
girls giggled and one of them said, "Sage, you can be our first
customer."
    Mrs.
Tully coughed and Mr. Tully patted her back.
    Sage
sorta looked like he smiled, but Sarah wasn't sure. He continued, "Mr. and
Mrs. Hackstetter, you're farmers traveling west with your son to stake a claim
on some of that free land in California."
    Mrs.
Hackstetter grinned and nudged her husband. Mr. Hackstetter didn't so much as
crack a smile. Obviously, he didn't want to participate. Sarah watched him
snarl at Jackson across the room.
    The
next role was given to Mr. and Mrs. Tully. "You two are hoping to strike
it rich in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The wild mining town
of Placerville is your final destination."
    The
elderly couple grinned at each other with such love that Sarah felt a pang of
jealousy for their adoration.
    Sage
turned his attention to Sarah. "And Sarah, you're a wealthy widow hoping
to start a new life in the new territory and you haven't decided on your final
destination."
    Sarah
politely smiled and nodded.
    "Okay,
is everyone happy with their role? If not, speak up now." Sage waited a
few seconds. "I guess that's it then. Have fun choosing your costumes. You
can select two so you'll have a change of clothing. One outfit you'll wear the
day we leave, the other will be packed in a trunk in your wagon." He grinned.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about my role and some of the other cowboys.
As I said the other night, I'm the wagon master. It's my job to get ya'll to
Cali in one piece and not scalped or robbed."
    Mindy
and Mandy gasped and feigned shock. Everyone laughed.
    Sage
pointed to Jackson. "And Jackson is the hired gunslinger sworn to protect
us. He's slick-as-snot with his six-shooter."
    Everyone's
attention shifted to Jackson as he straightened away from the wall and tipped
his Stetson. Unexpectedly, he pulled his hand from an imaginary holster, shaped
his index finger and thumb into a gun, and then shot with his thumb toward Mrs.
Hackstetter. He mouthed the word "bang" and blew on the top of his
finger as if cooling it.
    The
guests loved it and clapped. Sage frowned. The M girls pretended swooning.
    Jackson
bowed slightly. "Ladies, gents, my pleasure."
    Sarah
jotted notes and looked up to see Sage watching her. She quickly looked back at
her notebook.
    Sage
said, "As for the rest of the hands, they're seasoned cowboys used to
making the trek from Colorado to