Angie tried to turn her head to see how close she was to Ben’s back, but her body wouldn’t bend that way so she lifted first one leg then the other until she was sitting on the step parallel to her mount. “I think this is probably the safest thing to do.” She studied her options for a long moment then turned back to Jace with a light blush. “Would you mind standing on the other side of Ben just in case?”
Jace smiled stepping around the mounting block and resting a hand on Ben’s rump as he walked around to the far side of the horse. “Ready?”
Angie took a deep breath and lifted her right leg slipping it over the saddle where it slid down pulling her in that direction. For a second she felt off balance and scrabbled to grab the rails set into the front of the saddle, but once she balanced herself again, her confidence returned, and she quickly pulled herself into a seated position.
“I did it!” she squealed before slapping a hand over her mouth when Ben lifted his head. “Sorry,” she said more calmly, patting Ben with a reassuring hand. “That was pretty easy.” Her dark eyes sparkled with joy as she looked down at Jace whose hands were lifted as if to catch her if she fell.
“Looks like you hardly need me anymore,” he teased, but then grew serious when Angie gasped.
“Don’t say that. I still don’t know enough about horses to be left on my own.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Jace said patting her leg, but his eyes had gone sad, and she wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms and chase that sorrow away. “You’d better buckle up,” he added pointing to the strap that went around her middle. “Then we’ll go for a ride.”
Angie buckled the straps around her middle with a smile. She had managed to get on a horse by herself. She was thrilled, excited, and just a little disappointed at missing a chance to be close to Jace. She would forever be grateful to the kind cowboy who had taken time from his own life to help her overcome her fear. She was one step closer to her dreams.
Jace handed Angie Ben’s reins then swung into the saddle of his waiting bay, turning toward a trail at the far end of the pasture. They would have to ride past the other grazing horses, but he wasn’t worried about that. His heart swelled with pride for the young woman who fell in beside him, and he smiled at her warmly.
“You’ve made headway here at the Broken J,” he smiled. “I’m glad I’ve had the privilege to be here to help. God must have planned it that way.” Jace’s bright smile was warmer than the sun shining above.
Angie blinked at the cowboy for several minutes. She had prayed only hours ago that God would help her achieve her dreams and goals. Had he sent a handsome cowboy her way for just that purpose? “Thank you,” she said unable to think of anything else as they settled into a quiet ride. It was going to be very hard to leave behind the Broken J Dude Ranch on this visit, and especially a very special man named Jace.
Chapter 14
“When do you leave?” Jace’s question was jarring in the quiet of the trail. The words had bubbled up and burst forth before he could stop them, and now thinking about it, he was glad they had.
“Thursday,” Angie admitted. It was Monday now, and though she had made great progress with her goals, it felt that she hadn’t been on the ranch long enough.
Jace twisted in the saddle as his horse stopped and looked at Angie. She sat tall and straight in the specialized saddle, her legs positioned perfectly by the unique stirrup arrangement that provided balance and security. “I’ll be sad to see you go.”
Angie felt a blush heat her face but she didn’t look away. “I’ll miss you too.”
Jace studied the young woman for a few moments then urged his horse forward. “You know we could connect online, and maybe I can help you with questions or whatever when you get back home.”
“That would be nice.” Angie realized that Jace was being kind, true to his nature, and was grateful. She was also sad. Something deep inside wished that he would be interested in her for who she was, not for the challenges he had helped her with. Still having her wrangler on tap wouldn’t be so bad, and she already thought of him as a friend.
“We’ll exchange information when we get back to the ranch,” Jace grinned. He might have to say so long to the pretty woman riding next to him, but he wouldn’t have to say goodbye, at least not yet. She probably had a boyfriend back home, or at least someone she was interested in. He would have to be content to be her friend and know that he had helped her move forward with her dreams.
A soft breeze ruffled his horse’s mane and he grinned. “Do you think you would be up to trotting?” he asked. “It’s a little bouncy, but you can hold on to the bars. Then if that works we could canter.”
Angie thought about it for a moment then nodded. “I’m willing to try,” she said determined to do her best. This was as close to a crash course in riding as she was ever going to get, and if she had any hope of overcoming her handicap in getting the job she knew she wanted, she had to try.
Jace took a few moments to help Angie adjust for the faster gait, explaining how to hold on and what to expect then he clicked to his mount and broke into a trot.
Angie wrapped one hand over the bar on the saddle adjusting the
