Broken Spurs by James BJ

Author:James, BJ [James, BJ]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-09-28T11:49:03+00:00

“Ho! Ho! Good girl.” Hank leaned forward in the saddle, raked her hand down the mare’s bowed neck, petting and stroking her until she settled down. “Good girl. Easy does it.”

Steve watched from the fence, so engrossed in the woman and the horse and the intricate move they were practicing, he forgot to feel like excess baggage. After days of watching, he knew this low, comforting monotone by heart. The same familiar words chanted endlessly, until the bewildered animal began to understand what it was she asked of it, and understood approval. For this reason, Steve, knew the guiding hand would be firm, the signals clear, but the breathy song would never be sharp or impatient. This rider would never ask more of the horse than it was ready to give.

A second maneuver was not added until the first was accomplished with relative comfort that became second nature. As natural for the horse as the switch of its tail.

Then, and only then, the new exercise would be introduced, the same patient method employed. When the horse was ready, the two were integrated. Hours of more practice followed, until the horse responded to knee and hand signals, segueing from one task into another, quickly and competently.

When she was completely satisfied the horse was ready, she introduced it to yet another technique. And the patiently repetitive routine began all over again.

He’d watched her, admiration and approval grudging at first. Now he simply enjoyed.

“Good girl!” A pat accompanied the approval. “That’s it.”

The lilting praise marked the end of the morning’s session, and Steve found himself waiting for the moment Hank Benedict would swing from the saddle, turning to him as she slipped her gloves from her hands. He didn’t realize that he stood with his breath caught in his throat as he waited for her smile.

“This one’s a lady, and she’s going to be something.” Hank tossed the words over her shoulder as she dismounted. Standing by the horse, she kept her back to him, one hand resting on the pommel of the saddle, the other stroking and petting. “One of the best.”

“Yes,” Steve muttered, his attention focused on the woman. With her head barely level with the saddle, and her braid tumbling down her back, she seemed far too small and fragile to hold such complete command over a creature nearly ten times her size and strength. Yet when she turned, worn jeans clinging to narrow hips and booted heels buried firmly in the dust, a look of sheer joy on her face, he knew size and strength were the least of it.

“Good morning.” She offered the belated greeting with the smile for which he’d waited.

“Good morning,” he responded.

And it was.

Looping the reins over the saddle, Hank left the horse to rest as she approached the fence. “How are you?”

“Better. I managed to put on my pants this morning without cussing once.”

Hank laughed. A low, deep chuckle that made him think again of blues and smoke and silver eyes.

“That’s progress, more than I expected.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.