Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“ Y ou’re a natural, buddy.”
“Thanks. Don’t feel like one.” Kieran glanced over at Rance standing next to Sara. Lani had gone into the house, but Rance had stayed to see how the greenhorn managed the first ride of his life.
Or maybe his goal was a conversation with Sara. Kieran couldn’t hear what it was about since he only caught pieces of it when Pie wandered over that way. He could guess, though.
Rance wanted Sara to move to the ranch almost as much as he did. The fella clearly hoped this relationship would have a happy ending. He might be luring Sara with the prospect of trading in her car for a truck like his. Or the joy of having a horse of her own.
Maybe he’d tried that approach with Lani and that’s how they’d ended up arseways with each other. Bribery wasn’t in Kieran’s nature. He didn’t plan to lay out reasons she should sacrifice her chosen path for him. Bad enough his granny had made that sacrifice.
He needed to hear that story. She could’ve started teaching once his mum was in school. That would have given her sixteen or seventeen years in the classroom. Why hadn’t she gone back once he was in school? Grief. That was his best guess.
“Kieran!” Sara called over to him. “He’s heading for the flowers by the porch! Don’t let him eat them!”
He brought his focus back to the horse under him. Pie was going straight for a bed of flowers. He pulled back on the reins and called out whoa . Pie stopped. Now what?
“Turn him around!”
“Got it!” What had Sara told him about changing direction? Feck it all, he couldn’t remember. “D’ya know voice commands, then, Pie?”
Turning his head, the horse gazed at him.
“Ya look like ya do and whoa worked.” He swept his hand out. “ Right .” He pointed again. “ Right, lad . ”
Pie shook his head and stayed where he was.
“Ya don’t fancy that direction? Fair enough. Left .” He swept out his other arm. “ Left , laddie. That way.”
Rance’s laughter told him he might be making an eejit of himself. He swiveled in the saddle and here came that fella, striding toward him, a grin on his puss.
“I see the problem, buddy.”
“I’m an eejit who can’t ride?”
“Nope. This routine is boring. It’s not holding your attention. Take your left foot out of the stirrup. I’m coming up.”
“Where?” But he did as he was told. “I take up the whole saddle, mate.”
“But not the whole horse.” Shoving his boot in the stirrup, Rance swung up behind him. “You can put your foot back in.”
“Where are you putting yours?”
“Don’t need to put them anywhere.”
“You won’t fall off?”
“Not with this horse.” He put his arms around Keiran’s waist. “Give me the reins.”
He handed them over and like magic Pie turned around and pointed toward the ranch road. “How’d you do that?”
“Neck reining. Pie, um, doesn’t respond to hand signals.” His voice sounded funny.
“I learned that, yeah.” He looked for Sara. She had her mobile out pointed at him.
“Grab hold of the horn and grip with your legs. We’re going for a ride.”
Kieran barely had time to do that before Pie took off. His arse left the saddle, smacked down and lifted again. “Feck, mate! Ya out ta b-banjax my s-sex life?”
“Use your thigh muscles and engage your core.”
Ignoring that advice, he stood in the stirrups so his arse didn’t make contact at all. It was a wonder his hat was still on. “Are we g-galloping?”
“Trotting.”
“That’s it? Feels f-faster.”
“It’s a fast trot. Tricky to learn.”
“I b-believe ya.”
“Next one’s more fun. Cantering.”
“Then g-galloping?”
“Not today. Cantering’s enough. There’s a rhythm to it. It’s like sex. Match the horse’s rhythm and you’re golden.”
“How d’ya switch g-gears?”
“I squeeze with my legs and nudge his side with my heels. Ready?”
“If it’s s-smoother than this, I’m m-more than r-ready.”
“Then here we go.”
In an instant, Pie transformed from a jackhammer to a rocking chair. Kieran slowly lowered his arse to the saddle with a happy sigh. He savored the breeze in his face and the scenery flashing by as his body moved with the fluid motions of the horse.
“Like it?”
“It’s craic, this is. Couldn’t ya just skip over the trot and go straight to the canter?”
“Not if you wanna be a cowboy. Cowboys do it all.”
“I was afraid of that.”
Rance laughed. “You’ll learn fast, once you’re here for good and can practice. Any idea how soon that’ll be?”
“Before snow comes, that’s for sure.”
“You and Granny will be here for Christmas?”
“We will.”
“Awesome.”
He hadn’t put that together. Sara would be here for Christmas, too. She’d already said as much. Something to look forward to, even if it was only a few days. “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you and Sara?—”
“We were talking about you.”
“Were you, now?”
“Just kidding. I was tossing out possibilities, hoping to get her thinking outside the box. I’m all for the principle that her folks taught her and Lani, but I don’t believe in straitjackets, either.”
“Did she fancy any of the things you mentioned?”
“We’ll see.” He drew back on the reins and guided Pie in a half circle. “Time to wrap this up. Clint’ll be here soon.”
“If you’re in a hurry, we’d better stick with the canter.”
He chuckled. “Sorry, buddy. Pie needs to cool down. We’ll be trotting back.”