Savage Land (10 page)

'Misty likes you,’ Jase commented, while Danny stood back, silently shaking with ill-concealed humour. ‘Just a few turns around the corral wouldn't do any harm.'

'Oh, all right,’ Coley agreed, slightly ashamed of her reluctance. She turned a glowering eye on her brother. ‘But I don't need an audience.'

'I'll take my cue,’ Danny grinned, and moved off towards the stables with a wave and a dubious ‘good luck’ to Jase.

'Okay. Now what?’ Coley asked. Her anger was bolstering her courage.

'Come over here to the left side of the horse,’ Jase instructed, taking her by the hand as he spoke.

'Do you have to get on from this side?’ stalled Coley.

'It's best. It's the side that the horse is used seeing a rider approach, so if you come from the other side he won't be expecting you and might spook,’ he explained patiently.

'I thought a horse wouldn't let you get on him except from the one side.'

'No, that's not true. In fact, the Indians mounted their ponies on the opposite side,’ Jase smiled. ‘That peculiar quirk of theirs saved a cavalry patrol from ambush once.'

'Really?’ Coley asked, interested in spite of herself.

'Two patrols were supposed to link up at a designated point. The scout from one patrol spotted the second patrol waiting for them. He was just going to report his commanding officer that he had sighted the other patrol when he saw one of the so-called soldiers mount his horse—from the wrong side. He realized immediately that Indians must have wiped out the other patrol, stolen their uniforms and were waiting to ambush his patrol,’ Jase concluded. He stared at her rapt face. ‘But that little story isn't getting you on this horse, and that's what we're supposed be doing.'

Coley grinned at him shyly, and surprisingly he returned the smile. He threw the reins over the roan's head and turned back to Coley.

'Step over here,’ he said, indicating a place on the ground at the horse's side. ‘Place your right hand on the saddle horn and with your left hand grip the reins and rest your hand on the horse's neck.’ He guided her hands through the moves. ‘You always want to shorten the inside rein just a little so that the horse's head turns towards you. Never turn your back to the horse. Keep him in sight so that you know what he's doing. We have a few that take a playful nip here and there, or shy away when you try to mount.’ He glanced at her make sure she was taking it all in. ‘All right, now place your left foot in the stirrup.'

Coley did as she was told, although her balance was not too good. Luckily the roan wasn't a big horse and Coley was fairly tall.

'Okay, now pull yourself in the saddle,’ Jase finished.

It was a simple instruction, but not easy to carry out, as Coley soon discovered. She got halfway up, only to lose her balance and slip to the ground. She glanced at Jase and tried again. This time she got her leg over the saddle, straddled above it awkwardly for a second before receiving a shove from Jase that slipped her into the seat. She sat very still, her left hand clutching the saddle horn as well as her right, and stared at the ground so very far below her. If Jase noticed the little waves of panic that were numbing her, he made no mention of them. He stepped to the roan's head, took hold of the reins under the chin, still retaining a hold on his own horse's reins and began walking. His voice was very matter-of-fact when he began speaking again.

“I'll lead you over to the corral so you can get used to the movement of the horse,’ he said. ‘All you have to do is relax, don't hold your body too rigid and follow the motion of the horse.'

Coley stared at a point between the horse's ears and tried to do as she was told. It sounded so simple. Jase stopped at the corral gate, opened it, and led the group in, closing the gate behind them. He swung easily into his saddle and reined his horse over beside Coley. He reached over and removed Coley's hands from the saddle horn, his eyes twinkling as she swallowed nervously. He placed the reins in her left hand and instructed her to let her other arm fall to her side. Against her better judgement, she did as she was told.

He showed her how to lay the reins against the side of the horse's neck to get him to turn, the proper length of rein from the horse's mouth to her hands, and, most important as far as Coley was concerned, how to stop him.

'We'll walk around the corral now. Just squeeze your legs and heels a bit.’ He waited until she did it before starting his own horse out.

After several plodding rounds, Coley felt quite good. She even relaxed a little. Of course, the ground wasn't quite as far away now, or at least it didn't seem to be.

'Do you want to try a trot?’ Jase asked. She nodded confidently. ‘Do the same as before, squeeze your legs.'

She did. Her horse began shuffling his feet in a lazy semblance of a trot while Coley bounced all over the saddle and nearly off. Instinctively she pulled her horse back into a walk. Her hazel eyes were very round when she looked over to Jase.

'This time, sit well back in the saddle so you don't get the motion of both the front and back legs of the horse. Don't move against the motion, ride with it. Try it again,’ he said.

She'd gone too far to quit now, Coley thought, and resolutely tightened her legs against the horse's sides and off they went. She really tried to do as he said and succeeded to a certain extent, but she still bounced, although not quite as bad. Around and around the corral they went, Jase holding back his bay to stay along side the slow, shuffling roan.

'Let's canter now,’ he ordered, and held back again until Coley had urged her horse to the faster pace.

'That's easy!’ Coley exclaimed delightedly as Jase rode along side. The rhythmic, rocking motion was such a snap after the bouncing, jarring trot. ‘This is fun!'

He pulled his horse into the centre of the corral and stopped. He watched her circle several times before he called to her that that was all for day. She pulled the roan up and turned him into the centre towards Jase.

'You've had enough for today. Any more riding and you'll be stiff as a board,’ he smiled, and Coley smiled back. ‘I'll tell the boys that Misty is yours. You can ride her whenever you like, but only in the corral for the next week or so until you get used to it.'

'Thanks,’ Coley cried, rubbing the side of the roan's neck happily. She slid out of the saddle to the ground, leading her new mount over to the fence with Jase following suit. ‘I never thought I could ride. I always got so frightened. But you didn't give me a chance.'

'That was the general idea,’ he replied, leaning against a fence post.

'Still, I want to thank you. You've taught me swim. Though I don't know how yet, I know I'm going to learn. And you've now taught me to ride,’ Coley trailed off breathlessly. Then she glanced over at him with a sudden stab of guilt. ‘I'm sorry about the way I behaved this morning. At the pool, I mean.'

'Nothing happened at the pool this morning,’ Jase said coldly, turning his head to Coley where her gaze subsequently rested on his scar. ‘Except in Tony's imagination.'

'I didn't mean that,’ said Coley, lowering her head to watch her boot scuff the dirt of the corral. ‘I meant that I didn't mean to make things more difficult for you.'

'How could you do that?’ he asked, eyeing her speculatively.

'Well,’ Coley's face was red now as she struggled over the words, ‘I know you're in some sort of awkward position here on the ranch. I don't know why, only that it's something about your brother, and I don't want to do anything that would make things harder for you.’ She searched his inscrutable face for some sign of understanding, ‘You've been so good to me, teaching me things and all, that I don't want to get you in trouble over it.'

'I won't,’ Jase answered, staring down at bet with a very grim expression on his face. Seeing the anxious eyes dwelling on him, he smiled. ‘So don't worry about me, my little yellow rose.'

Coley laughed and joined in step as he started towards the corral gate.

'You know you're really a very good teacher,’ she smiled up at him. ‘I can just see you teaching your sons and daughters.'

Her imagination painted bright little pictures as she spoke, of dark-haired little boys with blue eyes.

'There won't be any!’ His voice was cold and hard. The biting tone brought Coley to a complete halt as she stared into his cold eyes filled with contempt. ‘Because there won't be any wife.'

'Why ever not?’ Coley asked. Her eyes grew sound and just a trifle fearful at the anger and coldness in his face.

'I have nothing to offer a wife. Not a home, not a future, not an inheritance for children. Nothing!’ Jase exclaimed bitterly. Coley stared at his cheek where the jagged scar seemed to be throbbing the rapid pulse of his temper. His hand reached up and touched the scar lightly with his fingertips. ‘I have this for my wife,’ he mocked. ‘The mark of Cain.'

And he was gone while Coley stood silently within the backlash of his words.

Chapter Five

COLEY paddled idly in the water, enjoying the refreshing coolness of the pool in the afternoon sun. She could swim now, after a fashion, thanks to a week of intensive lessons from Jase. Of course, she had been restricted, like a child, to the shallow end of the pool whenever she swam alone. She could handle Misty pretty well now, too, but there again he wouldn't let her ride alone except in the corral. She grimaced disgustedly.

He treated her so differently. He had become distant and aloof since that first riding lesson. It was as if she was a total stranger. And all because of her big mouth, Coley thought. He had left yesterday to go into San Antoine for something or other and she hadn't even known he was going or even gone until she asked where he was at the dinner table last night. He could have at least said good-bye.

Depressed and hurt, Coley climbed out of the pool and began briskly rubbing her long legs and arms. She was too sensitive. How many times had Jase told her that? Well, he was too insensitive!

'Hi, golden girl,’ said Tony, walking up behind Coley and plucking the swim cap from her head. ‘What are you doing out here all by yourself? Don't you know two's company?'

'Aunt Willy and Uncle Ben are resting; Danny's out tinkering with his car, and Jase is gone. I was too hot to sit around sticking to chairs,’ Coley remarked lightly. ‘Where were you?'

'Would you believe I was looking for you?’ Tony asked, taking the towel from Coley and drying off her back. At her mocking glance, he continued, ‘It's true, I figured you'd probably be down riding your little merry-go-round.'

He handed Coley the towel back, his hand touching the golden tan of her shoulders.

'It was too hot for riding,’ she replied lightly, ignoring his jibe. What did you want to see me for?'

'Danny needs some part for his car and I volunteered to go into town after it. I wondered if you wanted to ride along.'

'I'd like to,’ Coley smiled, then flushed under the penetrating inspection of his black eyes. ‘Give me a minute to change.'

'Not too long, princess,’ Tony called after the rapidly departing Coley. When she was out of earshot, he added quietly, ‘I'd like you all to myself.'

Coley changed quickly into a culotte shift, spent a few minutes touching up her make-up, and another few minutes arranging the soft curls of her now sun-streaked hair into flattering waves around her angular face. Skipping down the stairs to meet Tony, she reflected over the increasing attentiveness that Tony had been giving her. Ever since the day he had discovered her in Jason's arms in the pool, he had been watching her with a certain gleam in his eyes that had made her increasingly aware of him as more than just Ben's nephew.

'The golden pumpkin awaits you in the drive, Cinderella,’ Tony teased, taking her arm possessively as she walked out the door on to the porch.

She smiled at him coyly as he opened the door of the gold and brown Cadillac and helped her inside. She was suddenly bursting with confidence again over her new looks, enjoying the compliments Tony's eyes kept sending.

The trip into town hardly seemed to take any time at all, what with the lively conversation that Tony kept up as he teased Coley into bursts of laughter with his outrageous remarks. She was so involved with her first active participation in flirting that she was only half conscious of the reckless speeds they were attaining. All too soon Tony pulled up in front of the store and hopped out, promising to be back in a jiffy. Coley leaned back against the plush cushions of the seat and gazed dreamily out of the window. She had just begun to wonder idly where Jase was and what he was doing when Tony opened the car door and tossed a package in the back seat before sliding in behind the wheel.

'Told you I wouldn't be long,’ he said, mining the key in the ignition and manoeuvring the car into the street. ‘Let's go to the drive-in and get a mug of cold, cold root beer, huh?'

'Sounds great,’ Coley agreed.

'What were you thinking about a minute ago?’ Tony asked, after they had parked in one of the stalls and he had given their order to one of the waitresses.

'When?'

'When I got in the car. You were all dreamy-eyed. Am I expecting too much to think that you just might have been thinking of me?’ He gazed at her intently, though his lips were curved in a brilliant smile.