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To her astonishment, Ladybelle walked. The horse followed Jack and Sam. Holly’s bottom bounced a little in the saddle. Jack and Sam seemed to be sitting comfortably. What was she doing wrong?
"Pull back the reins now," Jack said. "We need to stop and check the girth."
"My girth is just fine, thank you."
"Oh sugar, your girth is lovely. But we’re checking Ladybelle’s girth."
Holly pulled on the reins and Ladybelle jerked to a stop.
"A little lighter pull next time," Jack said. "Now watch me." Jack slid his fingers beneath the band that went under the horse and held the saddle in place. At least that’s what it looked like it was doing. Holly didn’t have a clue. "If you can get more than two fingers under the girth, you need to tighten it."
Her hands shaking, Holly replicated Jack’s actions. Barely one finger fit between the girth and the horse. "Good to go, I guess," she said.
"Excellent. Let’s try a slow walk again. You know what to do."
"Jack, I—" She stopped. How exactly could she say her ass was bumping in the saddle? Not very sexy. "Never mind."
"How’re you doing, sugar? You ready to trot?"
"I’m not sure."
"Sure she is, Dad." Little Sam sped forward.
"He’s quite the horseman," Holly said.
"Sam would rather ride than just about anything else. Now, for the trot. While we’re walking, squeeze her side with your legs again, and she’ll move to a faster pace. Just a warning, though. It’s gonna get bumpy."
Bumpy? Bumpier than it was already? She was going to need a sitz bath for sure. Epsom salts, here I come. She squeezed her calves and Ladybelle started to trot. At least Holly assumed it was a trot. The way her ass was plunking up and down didn’t bear any resemblance at all to what Jack and Sam were doing ahead of her.
Jack slowed down and soon rode beside her. "Uncomfortable?"
"Just a touch."
"Try to move with her movement. I know it’s hard at first."
"Hard doesn’t even begin to describe it."
"I’ll massage you later." His dark eyes gleamed.
While a massage with his master hands sounded like heaven on earth, Holly wasn’t anxious for him to see her bruised behind. "No thanks."
He laughed. "Don’t underestimate the therapeutic value of a good butt massage. Try to post to the movements. Post up and down in the saddle in time to the beats of the trot."
"Right."
"Sometimes it helps to say ‘up, down, up, down.’"
"You’re kidding, right?"
"Nope. That’s how I learned."
"But you weren’t forty years old."
"True enough. I was four. Just like Sam was."
"I’m afraid I’m old and set in my ways. I love horses, I really do. They’re noble and beautiful animals but I’m not sure I was meant to ride one." Up, down, up, down.
It wasn’t working.
