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Chapter Nine
“It’s okay,” Luke said later that afternoon as he stepped in behind Kaylee. “Just think of her as a bigger Marigold.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Kaylee said, trying to calm her shaky nerves. Brushing the mini horse was easy. She was so cute and seemed to enjoy it. But switching to the full-size horse was much scarier. It was one thing to be outside the gate petting their noses, it was another to beinthe stall standing next to them.
And the fact that Luke was standing behind her and less than a foot away only amped up the already nerve-wracking situation.
It was mid-afternoon, and the barn was warm. Cooper and Gladys were sprawled out in a patch of sunlight in front of the door. This should have felt perfect. Instead, Kaylee’s heart was racing and her palms were so sweaty, she could barely hold onto the brush as she raised it to the horse’s side.
The morning had flown by. She’d had a great time brushing and playing with Marigold. The little horse had so much personality. And things had felt back to normal—whatever normal was—with Luke as they’d made sandwiches in the kitchen together.
It had been her idea to eat lunch out on the front porch, and maybe it was the fact that they were sitting side-by-side instead of facing each other that helped to smooth their conversation back into the easy dialogue they’d shared the day before.
Which was maybe why Luke had asked her if she wanted to go for a walk after lunch. They’d strolled through the pastures, the dog’s running ahead then racing back to check on them. She’d never seen Gladys so active, but the corgi seemed to be having the time of her life.
And so was she.
She was enamored by the vast green fields leading up to the base of a purple snow-capped mountain range. And she loved hearing Luke talk about ranching and the land. As an introvert, she was skilled in the art of asking questions to avoid having to talk about herself, but in this case, she was truly interested in the answers as she peppered Luke with questions about the animals and the price of beef and how the fall harvest worked. She only wished she’d brought her notebook. It would be full by now. Instead, she took mental notes and felt excited about incorporating it all into her books.
If she were honest, at times when Luke was talking, she forgot all about her books and her research and just fell into the easy rhythm of listening to his voice as she kept pace next to him. He spoke with a passion and fervor for the subject of the ranch, but also shared stories of his childhood and what it was like to grow up there with Faye and their other brother.
Those were the stories she liked the best—the ones that caused him to softly chuckle or belt out an occasional laugh. She sometimes forgot he was talking about her workaholic boss as he shared tales of horseback rides and county fairs and sibling pranks.
They’d walked for over an hour before making it back to the barn. Kaylee had enjoyed it so much, she could have walked across Montana with him. She didn’t want it to end. Especially not with her shaking and trembling as she tried to muster the courage to face her fear of horses.
Luke had been patient and kind as he introduced her to Scarlett, a huge mare with a silky brown coat and big gorgeous hazel eyes. “She’s a sweet old gal,” he’d said. “Probably close to twenty now. She was Faye’s horse, so we’ve had her forever. She got her name from my sister’s favorite book at the time. She went through such aGone With the Windphase.”
“I couldn’t help but notice a bit of a literary theme as you introduced me to Mr. Darcy and Atticus.”
“And don’t forget Anne,” he’d said.
“Of Green Gables?” she guessed.
“You got it.”
“Did you and your brother get to pick any of your horse’s names?”
He gave her a sideways look. “We got to name our own. But otherwise, have you met my sister?”
“Yes,” she said with a chuckle. “Believe me, yes, I have.”
Her chuckle died on her lips though as he opened the stall and ushered her inside. And now her bangs stuck to her damp forehead, and her knuckles were white as she clutched the brush in her hand.
“You’ve got this,” Luke said, his deep voice calm and soothing. “And I’m right here.”
Hewasright there. She could practically feel his breath on her neck. “I know this has to seem irrational to you. I’m not even trying to ride her. I’m just standing next to her. Why am I so scared?”
He rested a hand on her shoulder and gently massaged the tense muscle. “It’s okay, Kaylee. It doesn’t have to make sense to me. And just because the fear seems irrational or whatever, doesn’t make it any less real.”
She nodded, trying to focus on her breathing instead of the warm pressure of his hand on her shoulder.
“Let’s try something else,” he offered, prying the brush from her hand and setting it on the side of the stall gate. “Don’t worry about brushing her for now. How about you just focus on getting to know her.” He took her hand and rested it gently on the side of the horse’s neck. “Kaylee, this is Scarlett. She likes long walks in the moonlight, galloping, and butterscotch candies.”
“Butterscotch candies?”
“Oh yeah, she loves them. You can give her one in a bit, but for now I just want you to focus on stroking her neck and getting to know her.” His hand stayed on top of hers as she drew her palm across the horse’s soft coat. “It’s your turn now. Tell her about yourself.”
She turned her head toward him, but with one finger on her chin, he directed it back toward Scarlett. “Don’t tellme. Tellher.”
