A Cowboy for Christmas by Stella Bagwell

Author:Stella Bagwell
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin Treasury
Published: 1994-09-18T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The first moment Lucinda stepped inside the huge structure, she noticed the pungent smell of alfalfa hay and the unfamiliar scent of horses. Sunlight slanted through the roof where sheets of corrugated iron had been replaced with a white, lighter weight material to create skylights at regular intervals.

Rows of stalls lined the back wall of the building, while to the front and the right of them was a closed-off room where, Lucinda guessed, feed and tack were stored. To the left of them were more empty stalls.

“The only time I keep all the horses in the barn is when the weather is as bad as it has been the past couple of days,” Chance told her as he guided her over to the nearest group of animals.

“Where do they stay in summer?” she asked.

“In warm weather, all the horses are turned out to pastures. Except for the stud. He has to be separated from the rest for his own safety, as well as that of the herd.”

She cast him a curious glance. “You raise horses, too?”

He nodded. “I’ve got about six or seven new foals coming this spring. Not a great amount. What we don’t keep to use here on the ranch, I’ll take to Clovis and sell.”

As she and Chance approached the stall nearest to them, a tall black horse with a blazed face hung his head over the metal gate that served as a door.

Chance gave the animal’s jaw an affectionate pat. “This is Big John. He’s one of the smartest cow ponies here on the ranch. I wouldn’t sell him for any amount of money.”

“What is a cow pony? He looks a lot bigger than a pony to me,” Lucinda said, carefully standing a good two feet away from Big John’s head.

Chance chuckled and Lucinda shot him a defensive look. “Obviously my ignorance about ranch life amuses you.”

Frowning, he shook his head. “I don’t think you’re ignorant about anything. I’d be just as lost if you showed me a dress pattern. As for your question about the cow pony, that’s just a term we cowboys use for a horse or mare that can be used on a ranch to head or cut cattle from another herd. Or if need be, we can rope off them.”

Lucinda’s chin lifted a fraction higher. “Well, something is making you laugh.”

Chance grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her toward him and the horse. “I’m laughing because you’re standing back there like Big John is going to take a bite out of you.”

“How do you know he won’t?”

Before Lucinda could protest, Chance took her hand and placed it on the horse’s face. “This horse wouldn’t bite a fly. Unless that fly was biting him. Go ahead, give him a good pat. He loves it.”

Cautiously at first, Lucinda stroked her hand down the horse’s nose. Big John didn’t bare his teeth at her, so she rubbed his face again. However, the moment she drew her hand away, the horse nudged her shoulder.

“Is he trying to tell me to keep petting him?” Lucinda asked with surprise.

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