“Do things happen often?” Angie felt her chest tighten at the thought. Could the horse drag her over if it tried? Would it?
“You should always be prepared,” Jace offered with a warm smile. “That way everyone stays safe.”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” Angie chewed her bottom lip with worry, her mind racing ahead to all the terrible things that might happen to her if a horse got out of control. They had rolled around the edge of the big barn coming out into the field on the other side and the smaller corral at the back of the barn.
Angie could feel the familiar panic setting in and wanted to turn around, heading to the safe confines of her cabin.
Jace dropped to one knee in front of her taking her face in his hands and forcing her to look at him. “Just breathe,” he drawled. “You’re tougher than this. Don’t give up before you’ve even tried.”
Tears stung Angie’s eyes, but she couldn’t look away. Jace’s blue eyes bore into hers with an intensity that filled her with white-hot heat. She pulled in a deep breath letting it out slowly and then another one while Jace’s eyes never wavered. “That’s it,” his warm, rich voice soothed. “You’ve already come so far, don’t give up now.”
Angie leaned forward closing her eyes as Jace lowered his head touching his forehead to hers for several long soothing seconds. “Darlin’ no matter where you are or what you’re doing things can go wrong. That’s life. We think we know which way we’re going and then the next second we’re turned around and everything is upside down.” He pulled back capturing her eyes once more. “Now, are you ready?”
Angie nodded feeling determination steel her spine. “Thank you,” she sighed.
Chapter 13
They were on their third try to get Angie into the saddle. Tears threatened once more but this time with anger and frustration. Each time she would get into the sling and push the button that raised and lowered it, she would get halfway up and start to panic again.
Her chest ached from battling the scream of frustration that welled inside, but she bit down on her lip and lowered herself back to her chair. “It’s no use,” she spat. “I’m too weak. I can’t do it. Every time I’m halfway there I get so scared I can’t breathe. I’m done. This isn’t going to happen.”
Jace reached out taking Angie into his arms and giving her a tight hug. “Do you trust me?” he whispered into her ear as his warmth and strength engulfed her.
“I do,” she admitted, her words a mere breathe.
“We’re going to try one more thing.” Jace pulled back his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. “Give me a minute and I’ll get things ready.” His heart ached for the pain he saw in her eyes, and he prayed his decision would be right.
Angie sniffed feeling the tears spill down her face but nodded. “I’ll try.” Anger warred with her fear in the pit of her stomach and the pain threatened to overwhelm her, but Jace’s steady hand and warm touch centered her.
“Stay right here,” Jace whispered placing a chaste kiss on her brow.
Angie sat in her chair, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she pleaded with God to give her strength. Jace seemed to be gone forever, and she felt alone and vulnerable.
The soft creak of wheels caught her ears and her troubled mind thought a grocery buggy with a squeaky wheel was approaching, but there wouldn’t be anything like that on the ranch.
A moment later Jace came into view pushing a set of molded green fiberglass stairs that trundled along on rusty wheels.
“We’re going to try the mounting block.” Jace’s voice was firm and confident even as Angie shook her head.
“Jace,” she hiccupped gesturing to her legs. “I can’t walk upstairs.”
“You don’t need to walk, you can scoot.” Jace’s smile was like the sun breaking through clouds and the confidence in his voice washed over her carrying her along on it like a wave.
“It can’t hurt to try,” Jace continued. “Every stable has a mounting block and ours is a little taller than some to accommodate folks of all heights. Let’s give it a try.” Jace pushed the step up to Ben, who stood placidly by, then turned grasping Angie’s chair and wheeling her to the bottom step. “Ready?”
Angie pushed herself up using her arms to leverage her body out of the chair and onto the bottom step. Jace hovered nearby but let her work on her own. As her bottom connected with the step, she looked up catching his intense stare.
As a kid, this was very much how she had gotten herself in and out of her parent’s SUV. “This is like getting into my mom’s car,” she said. “At least so far anyway.”
“Now put your arms on the next step and pull yourself up.” Jace took a half step closer his voice even and full of encouragement.
Angie placed her hands on the stair behind her and hefted herself up to sit on it. Years of shifting her body with nothing but her arms had given Angie great upper body strength and the slide upward was familiar and easy.
“That’s one.” Jace’s voice was teasing and Angie felt some of the tension fall away from her chest. The next step was as easy as the first and this time she didn’t hesitate to move to the top.
“Now what?” Angie said. She was at the top step, almost parallel with the saddle but her back was to Ben and she couldn’t see what she was doing.
“I guess you have two choices.” Jace nodded toward his horse. “First you could scoot on to the saddle then swing a leg over, but I’d worry you might slide off the other side, or you could turn sideways with your legs on the step and just shimmy over until you can
