Free Everlasting Love by Valerie Hansen Page A

has met my mean old watchdog, let’s go see my horse, Buckets. Follow me.”
    Megan started toward the pens, her dog obediently trotting at heel on her left. The boys came along in a loose group, bouncing, skipping and jabbering excitedly. The only child who wasn’t acting his age was Zac.
    He hustled his walk to match her stride. “That’s a dumb name for a horse.”
    â€œOh, I don’t know. When I first got her, Buckets didn’t even have a regular name. She’d been starved till she could hardly stand up anymore. I started calling her Buckets because every time I saw her she had her nose stuck in a bucket of feed.”
    â€œIf she was so bad off, how come you took her?”
    â€œBecause she needed a friend. And I needed a horse like her. By the time I’d nursed her back to health we were good buddies.”
    â€œHorses don’t know stuff like that, do they?”
    â€œI’ll let you make up your own mind after you’ve taken care of Buckets for a little while. I think you’ll be surprised.”
    Zac snorted derisively. “Yeah, sure.”
    Megan noticed that although the boys had gathered outside the nearest railing of the horse pen, James was hanging back. Was he looking for errors in the way she kept the children safe? Perhaps. It didn’t really matter. At the moment, she had six boys to educate about the proper way to approach a horse, while keeping said horse from mistaking their fingers for snacks.
    She brought out a cube of sugar to demonstrate. “Now watch what I do so you’ll know how to give her treats. First, look at Buckets. See how her eyes are on the sides of her head instead of in front, likeours? That’s so she can see on both sides at the same time and stay safe from predators.”
    â€œLike mountain lions?” Bobby Joe asked, awed.
    â€œIf there were any left in Arkansas, yes.” She looked to James. “Are there?”
    â€œNot according to Game and Fish.”
    â€œThat’s a relief.” Megan smiled. “I’m sure Buckets is glad, too.”
    She paused, held her hand perfectly flat, palm up, and bent to show the boys. “Always offer food like this. When you get close, Buckets can’t see what’s right in front of her nose. If something smells good, she’ll nibble at it to see if it tastes good, too. She’s not being mean, she’s just confused. If your fingers are in the way, they can get tasted before she realizes it’s you she’s biting.”
    â€œEeew,” Zac said. “Finger food.”
    Megan had to work to keep from laughing. “Right. That’s why it’s best to always present a treat on a flat palm.” She reached into her pocket. “I have plenty of sugar cubes. Who wants to go first?”
    No one came forward. A mere fourteen hands tall, Buckets wasn’t big for a full-grown horse but Megan knew the mare would appear impressive viewed from the perspective of a child. All they’dneed was one boy brave enough to feed her and the others would line up to do the same.
    Megan demonstrated how gently the mare lipped the treat off her palm, then looked at Zac. “How about you?”
    He raised both hands in front of him and backed away. “Not me, lady. I don’t want no horse spit all over me.”
    â€œHer nose tickles.”
    â€œUh-uh. No way.” Safely distant, he shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head insistently.
    Megan could see that none of the others were willing to step forward when their eldest peer had set such a strong negative example.
    â€œOkay,” she said, smiling. “No problem. Let’s have Mr. Harris do it first to show you how easy it is.”
    If she had looked at James’s face before speaking, she wouldn’t have tried to draft him. A person didn’t need a degree in psychology to see that the man was displeased to have been included in her presentation.