Bed of Grass (The Americana Series Book 20) by Janet Dailey

Author:Janet Dailey [Dailey, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2014-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

A RESTLESSNESS RACED THROUGH VALERIE. She tried to contain it as she had for the last several days, but it wouldn't be suppressed. There had been too much time on her hands lately, she reasoned. She was accustomed to working eight hours, coming home and working eight hours more with meals, housework and wash. But here the workload of the house was shared with Clara and she had no job except to play with Tadd.

One of the painters had a radio blaring a raucous brand of music that scraped at her nerves. Of the half a dozen men painting the barns and stables, there always seemed to be one walking around, getting paint, moving ladders, doing something, which was more than Valerie could say for herself.

Sighing, she left the porch and entered the house. Clara was in the living room, watching her favorite soap opera on television. Her gaze was glued to the screen and she didn't even glance up when Valerie entered the room.

"Clara," Valerie began, only to be silenced by an upraised hand. A couple of minutes later a commercial came on and she was allowed to finish what she had started to say. "I'm going to take Ginger out for a ride. Tadd is upstairs having a nap. Will you keep an eye on him while I'm gone?"

"Sure. Go ahead," her friend agreed readily.

Outside, Valerie dodged the gauntlet of ladders and paint cans to retrieve the bridle and saddle from the tack room. Several people had been out to look at the bay mare Mickey Flanners had suggested she sell privately, but so far no one had bought her. Valerie didn't mind. One horse wasn't that difficult to take care of and Tadd enjoyed the rides she took him on.

The bay mare trotted eagerly to the pasture fence when she approached. Lonely without her former equine companionship, the mare readily sought human company. There was never any difficulty catching her and she accepted the bit between her teeth as if it were sugar.

Astride the animal, Valerie turned the brown head toward the rolling land of the empty pasture. The mare stepped out quickly, moving into a brisk canter at a slight touch from Valerie's heel. She had no destination in mind. Her only intention was to try to run off this restlessness that plagued her.

The long-legged thoroughbred mare seemed prepared to run forever, clearing pasture fences like the born jumper Mickey had claimed she was. Valerie rode without concentrating on anything but the rhythmic stride of the animal beneath her and the pointed ears of its bobbing head.

When the bay horse slowed to a walk, Valerie wasn't aware that it was responding to her pressure on the reins. They entered a stand of trees and she ducked her head to avoid a low-hanging branch. When she straightened, it was in a clearing. Her fingers tightened on the reins, stopping the bay, as the blood drained from her face.

Unconsciously she had guided the mare to the place where she and Judd had met.

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