Free The Bull Rider's Homecoming by Jeannie Watt

on.”
    â€œThen let’s hope it’s the easy fix.” The three-hundred-dollar easy fix—and that was with Marlo charging her his cost for the part, despite the fact that she’d offered to pay more.
    â€œCan you fix it, Mom?” Katie asked when Annie got back into the car.
    â€œNot until Saturday when the part comes in.”
    Kristen counted on her fingers. “Five days of eating dollars.”
    â€œLet’s be thankful it’s not six,” Annie said as she started the car.
    â€œOr seven,” Katie said.
    â€œOr seven,” Annie agreed with a smile. Or eight or nine or ten.

Chapter Six
    Annie Owen’s daughterswere beyond cute. Trace hadn’t spent a lot of time around children—and next to no time around them in a one-on-one manner—and even though he was still a touch intimidated by the twins, he assumed that if he treated them like small adults, he’d be okay. So far it seemed to be working.
    â€œMr. D’laney,” the twin in the blue coat—Katie?—said in a serious tone, “you gotta be careful saddling Lacey because she blows.”
    â€œWould you like to walk her while I saddle Snuff?”
    The twin took the reins from him and started leading the old mare in a circle while Trace tossed the saddle up on the cranky old gelding he was going to ride. Trace was well aware that the mare blew—puffed out her belly when being saddled, which resulted in a loose cinch later—but it impressed him that the little girl was aware. Both girls took their horsemanship extremely seriously.
    Annie was busy saddling Daphne for the twin in the red coat, while her own mount pawed the ground impatiently, digging a good-sized hole. Trace gave Snuff a pat on the rump, intercepted the twin leading Lacey in a circle, stopped the mare and quickly tightened the cinch.
    â€œI think we’re set.”
    The girl put her fingers under the cinch and pulled, testing the snugness, then gave an approving nod. Trace fought a smile as she said, “Would you hold my horse’s head while I mount?”
    â€œAt the fence?”
    â€œYes.” He held the mare’s head while the twin clambered up onto the fence and leaped into the saddle. The mare twitched an ear and Trace handed the girl the reins.
    â€œKatie, right?”
    She beamed at him. “I’m the blue twin. Kristen is the red twin.”
    â€œI can remember that. Katie Blue.”
    Annie’s mare pawed nervously as she helped her other daughter into the saddle.
    â€œWhen’s the last time you rode?” he asked, nodding at the impatient pinto mare.
    â€œI can handle her.”
    Trace took her at her word. The mare he’d borrowed from Cliff, the neighbor who usually took care of Lex and Grady’s chores when they were on the road, was fresh off pasture and hadn’t been ridden in a while. He’d planned to ride her until Annie told him that she’d prefer not to ride Snuff.
    He waited to mount the gelding until Annie was in the saddle, just in case. The pinto skittered and danced and threw her head, but Annie sat deep and Trace decided to keep his mouth shut rather than offer once again to trade mounts.
    The ride up the trail took longer than it did when Trace rode it alone, but he liked the slower pace, liked listening to the girls chat with one another and talk to their horses. Big plans were discussed—tree forts, their future as ropers and barrel racers—as well as social issues—the mean kid in first recess and whether the best teacher was Mrs. Bell or Mrs. Lawrence.
    â€œI have them in different classes,” Annie explained.
    â€œHow’s that working out?” Annie’s mare had settled almost as soon as they’d hit the trail and she’d had to work a little.
    â€œThey weren’t at all in favor at first, but now they can tell each other about their day... I think it’s working out. Or I’m scarring