Free The Horseman by Marcia Lynn McClure Page B

head, and explained that the teapot was
just a thing—an object—and that no teapot would ever be more
important to her than making sure her grandchildren knew she loved
and cherished them.
    Nope, Gunner had never known anyone as
kindhearted and as willing to do for others as his grandma had
been, and he missed her. He’d missed her every day of the past ten
years since she’d passed on.
    As he scraped the last bit of peach pie and
cream from his plate, he thought to himself that even he was a bit
surprised that he’d told Briney Thress the story of his grandma’s
past. In truth, it was the sort of story that would cause most
women to faint of shock, right there on the spot. But Briney
hadn’t. Her eyes had widened a bit, but that was all of it.
    Maybe it was because, as an orphan, she’d
known unkindness in her own life. Or maybe Briney just wasn’t the
sort of person to judge. But whatever the reason, Gunner still
wondered why he’d told her about his grandmother at all. He thought
it was to put her at ease about her being an orphan. But in his
gut, he felt maybe it was more than that. Truth was, he’d been as
instantly drawn to Briney as Sassafras had been—more so, in fact.
Maybe the reason he’d mentioned his own family background was
simply to see exactly what Briney’s reaction would be—to see
whether she would find a man who was the grandson of a once-harlot
repulsive or not.
    Gunner smiled and mumbled to himself, “Or
not.” Briney was as easy to read as any horse Gunner had ever
met—he found most people were—and she hadn’t been disgusted by him
or his grandmother.
    He wondered whether she were feeling any
better, if Bethanne had managed to draw a warm bath for Briney, and
if she were already soaking the soreness of her muscles. He hoped
so, for he wanted her to heal quickly so that she could return to
the stables to spend time with Sassy.
    Gunner chuckled as a vision of Briney riding
up on Sassy came to his mind—hair a wild mess of a mane, face as
red as a summer beet, and looking as if she’d never been happier.
There was a certain rare and wonderful beauty in a woman who could
enjoy a ride so much that she abandoned any care for her
appearance. In fact, in all his life, he’d only known two other
women with that quality—the ability to toss inhibition to the wind
and savor life no matter what others thought. One was his mother,
and the other was his Grandma Cole.
    *
    “And when I think of the manner in which I
just tossed all propriety to the wind, Bethanne,” Briney said,
slapping one hand to her forehead in consternation. “I mean…I rode
off with my skirt and petticoats clear up to my knees! What he must
think of me!”
    But Bethanne only giggled. “I think the
Horseman was quite impressed with you, Briney,” she said. “I mean,
look at it the way he must’ve—a very proper lady arrives at his
stables dressed in her very proper attire.” Bethanne paused as she
struggled to comb a knot from Briney’s long, very tangled hair.
“And what does this proper lady do? Does she wilt like a spring
violet in the summer sun? No! She finds a horse fitted to her and
rides off confidently, careless of pride and prissiness…rides off
to a three-hour adventure all on her own.”
    “Do you really think so?” Briney asked.
    “Of course!” Bethanne struggled with another
tangle of hair and then said, “I’ve known Gunner Cole for near to
five years now, and I’ve never seen him display such obvious
admiration toward a woman as he did you today.” Bethanne smiled
coyly. “And the way he lifted you from his buggy…as if you weighed
no more than a butterfly.”
    Briney smiled, warmed all over by the memory.
“And yet I was too miserable to really enjoy the moment.” She
glanced at the mirror in front of her where she sat at the small,
simple vanity table. “I look like…I look like…”
    “Folks around here would say you looked just
like somethin’ the cat dragged in,”