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As if Liam’s words had the power to summon trouble, one of the hands appeared in the doorway. “Dean told me to stop by and see if you had an hour or so free. Sam is out sick,” the hand said. “Barry is off visiting his kid in Tulsa. We could use some help cutting the cows who aren’t pregnant.”
“Sure.” Liam shifted his weight in the direction of the door, but glanced at Hadley before taking a step. “Ever cut cattle?”
She shook her head, sensing what was coming and wondering why Liam, knowing what he did, would ask her to ride with him.
“Like to try?”
Hadley was surprised by her strong desire to say yes. “What about Maggie?”
“I’d be happy to watch her until you get back,” Ivy offered, cooing at the infant. “You’d like to hang out with Cousin Ivy until they get back, wouldn’t you?” Maggie waved her arms as if in agreement. “Or I can drive her back to the house if it gets too late.”
“See?” Liam’s eyes held a hard glint of challenge. “All settled. Let’s go find you a mount.”
While her gut clenched in happy anticipation of getting on a horse again, Hadley rationalized her agreement by telling herself it was work, not pleasure. She was doing something her employer requested. Never mind that he’d been trying to figure out a way to get her back in the saddle since she’d stepped into his home two and a half weeks ago.
Excitement built as he led her outside to the paddocks where they turned out the horses during the day. Twelve horses occupied four enclosures.
Liam nodded toward a palomino mare in the farthest right paddock. The only horse in the fenced-in area, she stood in the middle, tearing at the winter grass with strong white teeth. “Daisy could use some exercise. I don’t think she’s been ridden much in the last year. I’ll get one of the guys to saddle her for you.”
“I can saddle my own horse,” Hadley retorted, insulted. “Besides, I’d like to get to know her a little before I get o
n.”
“Okay. She’s a nice mare. You shouldn’t have any trouble with her on the ground.”
As Liam’s last three words registered, she glanced over at him, but discovered nothing in his expression to arouse her suspicions. Surely he wouldn’t put her on a green horse after such a long absence from the saddle. Once upon a time her skills might have been first-rate, but a decade had passed since she’d used those particular muscles. Riding a horse wasn’t the same as riding a bike.
“You said she hasn’t been ridden much in the last year?” Hadley decided a little clarification might be in order. “But she has been ridden, right?”
“Oh, sure.” Liam walked over to the fence and picked up the halter and lead rope hung on the gate. “We were going to breed her last year, but that didn’t work out. So she’s just been hanging around, waiting to become a mother.” He opened the gate and handed Hadley the halter. “She’s easy to catch. I’ll meet you in that barn over there.” He indicated the building that housed the horses in training. “You might want to do a couple circles in the indoor ring before we head out.”
Sensing something was up despite Liam’s neutral expression and bland tone, Hadley slipped the halter onto the mare and led her to the building Liam had indicated. He hadn’t yet arrived, so Hadley got busy with currycomb and brush. She smiled as the mare leaned into the grooming. Obviously Daisy appreciated Hadley’s efforts.
She would have preferred to take more time with the mare, but Liam showed up, leading a gorgeous bay stallion that was already saddled and ready to go. Hadley returned his nod before tossing the saddle onto Daisy’s back, settling it in just the right spot and tightening the cinch as if she’d done it last week instead of ten years earlier. Working just as efficiently, she slipped the bit into the mare’s mouth and fitted the headstall into place.
“Ready?”
All at once she became aware of Liam’s attention and grew self-conscious. “I think so.”
“Come on. I’ll work the kinks out of Buzzard while you try out Daisy.”
Leading Daisy, Hadley followed Liam and the bay into the arena. What if she made a complete hash of it and ended up getting dumped? While Hadley fussed with Daisy’s girth and grappled with her nerves, Liam swung up onto the stallion’s back. Buzzard took several steps sideways as Liam settled his weight, but quickly relaxed beneath the pressure of his rider’s legs and the steadiness of Liam’s hands on the reins.
The guy was an amazing rider, and Hadley felt a fangirl moment coming on. Embarrassed at her gawking, she set her foot in the stirrup. Daisy was a little shorter than Lolita, but she felt her muscles protest as she threw her leg up and over the mare’s back. Before she’d completely found her balance, Daisy’s muscles bunched beneath her and the mare crow-hopped a half dozen times while Hadley clung to the saddle horn, laughter puffing out of her with each jolt of Daisy’s four hoofs hitting the ground.
At last the mare got her silliness out of her system and stood still while Hadley retrieved her breath.
“You okay?”
“Fine.” Hadley could feel the broad smile on her face. “Is she going to be like this the whole time?”
“No. She just wanted to make sure you were going to stay on. You passed.”
“She was testing me?” The notion struck Hadley as ludicrous. What sort of horse had Liam put her on?
“She’s a smart horse.” His lips kicked up. “Needs a smart rider.”
Apparently Daisy wasn’t the only one doing the testing. Hadley keyed the mare into a walk and then took five minutes to work through all her gaits. Whoever had trained the palomino had done a fabulous job. She was a dream to ride.
