Free Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) by Grace Brannigan

looked toward the driveway. She caught her breath and gave Ben a
disbelieving look. She moved carefully down the ramp toward his truck and the
familiar fire-engine-red horse trailer hitched behind. Her horse trailer.
    "Jake
figured right about now you'd be missing your babies," Ben said, following
her to the back gate of the trailer. "So I stopped at Mom's place first
and brought you ―" the horse inside the trailer whinnied loudly.
    "―
Pongo," Tye finished excitedly, immediately recognizing her Paint's voice.
As Tye moved toward the back of the trailer, steel shoes moved restlessly on
the wooden flooring. Tye unlatched the back gate with trembling fingers. She
wanted to cry and run away at the same time. It had been an eternity since she
had ridden.
    "Pongo!"
she called. "Hello there, you black beauty." Indescribable joy filled
her as she looked through the metal slats and saw Pongo's wide black
hindquarters with their splash of white. She swallowed the tightness in her
throat, emotion very close to the surface. She almost couldn’t control
the urge to cry. Ben had caught her totally off guard. Tye blinked rapidly as
she swung the back door open.
    "Here,
let me bring him out." Ben moved past her and pulled the quick-release
knot on the lead line where he had tied the horse to the front trailer rail.
    Tye held
the door open as Ben backed Pongo down the ramp. Once on the driveway, Pongo
turned toward her and softly rumbled a greeting. Immediately, she slung an arm
over her gelding's neck and buried her face in his smooth black coat. Tye
inhaled deeply the lingering smell of hay and the warm scent of horse. How had
she stayed away from him so long?
    "You
remembered me, Pongo. I've all but ignored you and you forgive me, don't
you?" Tye whispered into his neck, stretching her arm to stroke lovingly
under his jaw.
    "I
see you didn't come alone, Ben," Jake said from behind Tye. Tye didn't
move her arm from her horse's neck, but turned her head to look at him. Some of
her excitement dimmed.
    "Why
did you do it, Jake?" She felt her hackles rise, disrupting her previously
excited mood.
    "I
think you need him."
    "Since
when do you know what I need?" she blurted, unable to still her tongue.
All these years Jake had never questioned her decision to leave, yet now he
suddenly knew what she needed! Tye looked away from Jake as Pongo nickered
softly, standing perfectly still as she leaned her weight against him.
    For a
moment a wild urge took hold of Tye. She wanted to jump on his back and ride
off. There was a small hedge at the end of the drive. Pongo loved to jump; he
could clear the hedge with room to spare. Tye grabbed a handful of black mane
and her gaze met Jake's. She hesitated, her fingers gripping the long hair
tightly. Fear sliced into her.
    If
circumstances had been different, that's what she would have done. It's what
she had done countless times in the past ― jumped on a horse's back when
the urge struck her. She had been riding bareback since she was four years old.
    Now,
things were different. Uncertainty stabbed through her, attacking her
confidence in her riding skills. With Ben and Jake as witnesses, she could do
nothing but stand beside Pongo. Tye loosened her grip on the gelding's mane and
smoothed the hair with shaking fingers. Apprehension she didn’t want to
acknowledge twisted through her. She could no longer measure up to her own standards.
What was happening to her?
    When she
rode her beauty, she’d have to be by herself. If she was going to
humiliate herself, she wanted no witnesses. Still, the urge to run was not
easily suppressed, and Tye fought an inner battle for several more moments.
    Jake, as
if guessing her thoughts, gave voice to the desire riding her so hard.
"You look like you want to jump on Pongo. Come on, I'll give you a leg
up."
    "No!"
she said sharply. Tye took a jerky step away from Jake. "No." She
lowered her voice. "Pongo hates to be trailered and I want to give him
time to settle down.