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She stared at his hand as if it were a rattler, ready to strike, then lifted her gaze to meet his. “What?”
He chuckled. Oh, how she wished he’d stop doing that. Every time she heard his laugh, it made her heart feel like it had up and morphed into a butterfly right there in her chest. “Let me help you up.”
A refusal was on the tip of her tongue. She could do this herself. Only it might take a bit longer than if he was there. Sarah thrust aside the exhilarated voice in her head that seemed to insist he might actually like her.Wrong. He was just being nice. Sarah slipped her hand into his and lifted her left foot into the stirrup.
Dax’s hand tightened around hers, steadying her. Strength and assurance emanated from his hold on her, and another thrill shot through her. Sarah yanked away her hand, furious for even thinking such things. Even if she wasn’t going to leave in a few months. Even if he wasn’t her boss. He had been involved with Brielle, and she clearly still had a thing for him.
Her eyes followed Dax as he swiftly settled into his saddle. He adjusted his hat on his head and then grinned at her. “We’ll take it nice and easy. No running off.”
She nodded. That was something she’d never attempt again. He led the way outside, and she followed. The horse she rode wasn’t the same as the one that had bucked her last time, though she didn’t know if that would have mattered. Being up this high was messing with her head again. Her pulse quickened and she held so tight to the reins that her hands turned white.
“You need to relax.”
Sarah jumped, her eyes widening as her head swiveled around to where she’d last seen him ahead of her. How had he managed to get beside her?
Dax nodded to the reins. “The horse can sense everything you’re feeling. And the way you have those reins so tight in your hands is going to put her on edge.”
“Well,I amon edge.”
“Remember when we discussed developing trust between you and your horse?” He motioned to the reins in his hands. “I have a firm hold, not too tight and not too loose. I want the horse to know I’m confident and in charge but that there’s a mutual respect. I’m going to remain consistent in the way I’m carrying them. If I change too quickly, it can signal to the horse that they shouldn’t trust me.”
“First of all, I’m nowhere near being confident.”
He directed his horse so that they rode closer together. “Just try to do what I’m doing. Release slightly, almost like you’re pushing the reins forward.”
She glanced down and made the adjustment, her whole body going stiff, preparing for something bad to happen. But nothing did. She eased her head up and grinned at him.
A smile stretched across his face. “Good. Now you need to relax your stance. Try not to be too stiff in the shoulders or in your legs.”
That direction was easier said than done. She shook her head. “I can’t do that. I’m going to fall.”
“No, you’re not.” Dax’s eyes met hers. “Lila is a good horse. She’s the one we use when we’re giving riding lessons. She’s not going to just take off.”
“Oh, so you gave me a training horse.”
His crooked grin was almost enough to distract her from the realization that he was just as nervous about her getting back on the horse. “Let’s start with your shoulders. Just release all the tension you’re carrying there. In the unlikely event that you fall again, you don’t want to be so tense. Try rolling your shoulders back.”
She did as she was told, and surprisingly it helped. He didn’t give her any more instruction as they rode, though he did stay close. She glanced in his direction more than once. And occasionally, she found him watching her.
It was hard to decipher if he was watching her because he was worried she’d end up having another accident or if he was proud of how she was doing. Each time, he gave her an encouraging smile.
They settled into an easy rhythm, and she lost track of the direction they’d come from with all the turns and forks they’d taken. Strangely, she was okay with it. Somehow, Dax being at her side gave her more confidence than she thought was possible.
14
Dax
“You’re a very good teacher, you know that?”
Dax smiled, glancing toward Sarah. The compliment was a nice change of pace from where they had started. “Thanks.”
She continued. “Have you ever considered doing it full-time? You know, teaching kids how to train and ride their own horses?”
One brow lifted. “I don’t think their parents would be all that pleased to have me as their teacher.” Not only did he have a colored background, but some of the people who saw him at AA probably wouldn’t approve of him working with children.
She shot him a baffled look. “Why not?”
If there was one thing he knew, it was that people—more specifically women—were more judgmental when it came to that sort of stuff. How could he tell her without actually telling her?
