Free Because You Love Me by Mari Carr Page A

“You’re on. But be warned, we’re not going to take it easy on you.”
    A dare. Oh my. He sure did know the way to her heart. “Bring it on, cowboy.”
     
     
    The day passed in a blur of activity and hard work. It was an eye-opening experience for a city girl whose idea of working with her hands prior to meeting the James twins had basically meant sitting at a computer and typing eighty words a minute. They’d begun the day by feeding all the horses. Matt and Mark had nearly twenty-five different types of horses at the ranch—Appaloosas, paints, thoroughbreds, even one that was part Arabian. Some they owned, others they simply boarded and trained. She toted two tons of water and feed. When she groaned, Mark told to count her blessings that the temperature wasn’t below freezing, or they’d be chopping ice instead as their water heater was on the fritz. After the horses were supplied with food and water, they cleaned out stalls.
    Matt and Mark teased her when she sat down on a bale of hay, thinking they were finished.
    “Wow. I think I have hay in every crevice in my body. It’s even in my ass. How the hell could I get it there?”
    Matt laughed as he plopped down beside her. “Well, you are sitting on a hay bale.”
    “Smart-ass. It was there before I sat down.”
    Matt reached over and picked a strand of the prickly stuff out of her hair. “You wield a mean pitchfork. You had that shit flying everywhere. Literally.”
    She narrowed her gaze. “Very funny. I have blisters and I itch.”
    “Ready to cry uncle, city girl?” Matt asked.
    She looked at him with disbelief. “We aren’t finished?”
    Mark chuckled and offered her a hand, helping her stand. “We haven’t even started. That was just the preliminary stuff.”
    Matt rose as well and dusted off the back of his jeans. “Don’t worry, Bridget. We won’t think less of you if you go inside and warm up with Jacob and Rodney. Ranching life isn’t for everyone.”
    Why didn’t he just double-dog dare her to keep working?
    “What’s next?” she asked, ignoring her sore fingers, the twinge in her back and the three dozen itches begging to be scratched. Fucking hay.
    Mark grasped her hand and led her to a stall. “Now we do the fun work.”
    For the next few hours, they worked the horses, taking the animals through their paces. Matt explained the learned routine to her, educating her on training techniques and reining patterns. Bridget was put in charge of walking the horses during their cooldowns, then brushing them before they were put back in their stalls. She spent most of the afternoon in quiet contemplation, simply enjoying the company of the horses and the view of Matt and Mark as they worked. She was surprised to discover how late it had gotten when Mark declared they were finished for the day. Her days of work at the newspaper never flew by so quickly.
    Mark wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulder. “Damn. Sure was nice having some help. We finished up almost an hour earlier than usual thanks to you.”
    She glanced at her watch. It was nearly five p.m. and they’d told her that they typically started at five a.m. “Really? Wow. That’s a damn long day for you guys. You do that every day?”
    Mark nodded as they walked toward the house. “We do an abbreviated routine on Sundays. Day of rest and all that.”
    They walked into the house together.
    “Hey, Bridge,” Rodney said as they entered the living room. He and Jacob were watching TV. Bridget noticed Rodney was sitting in his usual chair by the front window—the one that gave him a bird’s-eye view of her and the stable. “I was starting to worry these guys were going to keep you out there all night.”
    She grinned. Her whole body ached, but it was a good pain. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she’d actually accomplished something with her day. “Ranching work is tough.”
    “Why don’t you two stay for dinner?” Matt asked.
    Jacob pulled his feet off