Wild About the Wrangler (17 page)

He'd want to be there, too. He and Georgie might be the only two people who understood why seeing the Ghost was so important to her. Then she had another thought.

Walking back to the hitching post, she found Mac briskly rubbing Jasper with the grooming mitt. “I thought that was my job.”

He didn't look at her. “You can take over whenever you're ready. I thought we should get this program started.”

“We definitely should, but I have to ask this. When I first mentioned wanting you to give me riding lessons, did you have any idea what might happen between you and me as a result?”

“Sure I did.” He kept working, his back muscles flexing rhythmically under his denim jacket. “Didn't you?”

“Not consciously. Then later, when I realized the attraction might cause a problem, I figured I'd be so scared all the time, not to mention sleepy, that it wouldn't matter.”

“So you're saying you miscalculated.” He rounded the back of the horse and started on the other side, neatly putting the horse between them.

“Apparently. But you anticipated this all along. Why didn't you just tell me no?”

“I couldn't do that.” He didn't pause or look at her, even though now he was facing in her direction.

“Why not? Why put yourself through it?”

“Because I believe in your art, and if seeing the Ghost is important to your creativity, then I'll do my damnedest to make that happen.”

So he'd sacrificed for her. Her heart ached. “Did you ever consider having someone else teach me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Finally he stopped working, tilted back his hat and leaned his forearms on Jasper's back. His gaze was steady as it met hers. “You confided in me, Anastasia. You revealed a fear that nobody else knew about except Georgie, and you didn't want her to teach you. You chose me and that was an honor I didn't take lightly. I still don't. I told myself I could handle the situation. I'm not doing that very well, and I apologize.”

She cleared the lump from her throat. “You're doing great. Fabulously. I feel like a selfish little bitch because I've flirted with you and taunted you and made everything worse for you. I'm the one who should apologize. And I do. I'm sorry, Mac.”

“Don't beat yourself up. You didn't know what was going on with me. You saw what everybody else sees, a happy-go-lucky guy.”

“No, I saw a kind man with a lot more depth than people give him credit for. I saw a trustworthy man with the ability to put himself in someone else's shoes. My shoes.”

“Yeah, until last night.”

“You were scared. But when you had a chance to think about it, what did you do? You put yourself in my shoes and practiced a speech apologizing for your attitude. It was a good speech.”

“I don't know about that.”

“It was! And now I discover you took on these lessons knowing they could cause problems for you. But you did it because you believe in my art and you want to protect my secret. That's nobility of spirit. And you wonder what I see in you?”

He regarded her in silence for several long moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was husky. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome. I mean every word.”

“I know you do. I hope I can live up to your high opinion of me. And speaking of that, I'll turn the grooming over to you while I go fetch the tack.” He rounded the back of the horse and tossed the grooming mitt in her direction. “Catch.”

She missed and had to pick it up off the ground. “See? Klutz.”

He smiled. “Good thing you brought your earbuds, Twinkle Toes.” Then he turned and walked into the barn.

She was guilty of watching him leave instead of tending to her job of brushing Jasper. He'd called her Twinkle Toes, just like he had after their two-step performance last night. She wondered if they'd ever dance that way again, if they'd even dare. Maybe not, and that made her sad.

M
ac leaned against the rail as Anastasia walked Jasper around the perimeter. She looked pretty confident up there this morning, although the next few minutes would tell the tale. She had her earbuds in and they'd gone through her music selection until he'd found a rhythm that seemed to go with a trot.

Right now she was listening to the one before it, which happened to be a slower tune not unlike the one the band had played during their slow dance last night. He pushed that memory away. It would only distract him, and he needed to focus in case the music didn't work the way he hoped.

If it did, though, that could be the key to some really fast progress. And the quicker she progressed, the sooner she wouldn't need him anymore. Without the daily riding lessons, they wouldn't have to see that much of each other. When they did, like at Sadie's, they'd be in a crowd.

He'd pull back, and if he did, so would she. That would be for the best. Although the truth hurt like hell, he couldn't duck it any longer. He was afraid to be with her because there was an excellent chance she'd leave him.

She'd said it herself—he was more rooted here than she was. With the talent she had, she could end up anywhere in the world. Any day now, her career could expand until it was too big to fit in this tiny town, and he'd never expect her to stay because of him.

He appreciated what she'd said about him a little while ago. He'd been blown away by it, actually. But no matter how much she admired him, and ironically she still did, she'd follow wherever her art led her. And she should do that. She had a gift and he wanted her to share it with as many people as possible.

So he'd cherish moments like this as he watched her ride around and around, listening to a waltz through her earbuds, her cute little pigtails bobbing with the motion of the horse. Aha. Her body language told him the waltz was coming to an end.

They'd agreed that when the faster music started, she'd nudge Jasper and attempt the trot. He held his breath and mentally crossed his fingers. She wanted success and he wanted it for her.

She took hold of the saddle horn and squeezed with her legs. Jasper changed his gait. She bounced a couple of times but then she seemed to look inward, as if concentrating on the music. Gradually she began moving with the trot instead of against it.

It was working
. Yesterday she'd flopped around like a ragdoll. Now she was tuned in, both to the music and Jasper. When she let go of the horn and rode holding only the reins, he felt like cheering, but he stayed completely still. He didn't want anything he did to change the dynamic.

She wasn't perfect by a long shot. Her back could be straighter and her heels weren't down where they should be. She could afford to loosen up on the reins a little. But she was doing it and hardly bouncing at all. He grinned with pride.
Way to go, Twinkle Toes.

The music was a crutch, but he could wean her off of it. Once she had muscle memory of how to ride a trot, she wouldn't need the music. Or if she did need it, she could play it in her head after she linked the tune to the gait.

The song must have ended, because she pulled back on the reins and brought Jasper to a halt. Then she took out the earbuds and rode toward him with a megawatt smile that made his chest hurt. God, she was beautiful.

“Congratulations.” He couldn't stop smiling, either. He was so happy for her. “This is a huge breakthrough.”

“I know.” Her voice quavered with excitement. “I can't believe how the music changed everything. I imagined I was dancing with Jasper and he was leading, so all I had to do was follow his lead.”

Her description of the process charmed him. “Is he a good dancer?”

“Not as good as you.”

He had to treat her comment as a joke or things would get mushy. “I should hope not. After all, he has two left feet.”

“True.” She flashed him another brilliant smile. “Mac, thank you. If you hadn't come up with this after our dance last night, I can't imagine how long it would have taken me to learn to ride a trot.”

“I'm glad it worked. And now that it has, here's my plan. You can practice some more in the corral today. When you get here tomorrow morning, I'll have both Cinder and Jasper saddled and ready to go so we can ride partway into the canyon.” Today he'd go out with loppers and trim a few of those overhanging branches he'd noticed yesterday.

“Only partway?”

“I don't want to push you.”

She hesitated. “Well, I was planning to tell you this later, assuming everything went well with the lessons, but I should probably tell you now.”

“Probably.” He couldn't imagine what new thing she'd spring on him, but he shouldn't be surprised by anything when it came to Anastasia.

“Three weeks ago, as I was debating whether I'd ask you to give me lessons, I looked online for strengthening exercises for horseback riders. I thought it would help if I came into it with at least some physical preparation. I've been doing those exercises and I might be more prepared than you think.”

“That's great. Terrific. Excellent foresight on your part.” Her ability to ride a trot today made even more sense, now. Her thigh and calf muscles were somewhat conditioned.

“Does that mean we could ride all the way into the canyon tomorrow morning?”

“Let's see how it goes. I really don't want to push it.”

“The next morning?”

“Georgie and Vince will be there with the trail riders.”

“Oh, that's right. I don't know why I thought we had the weekend and the canyon to ourselves. Of course they'll be out there, and I don't want to show up in the middle of their deal.”

“There are other trails. You won't get to see the Ghost, but you can test your skills.”

“Monday morning, then?”

“Let me clear it with Georgie and make sure she doesn't need me for anything that morning. If she doesn't, and you're not stove-up from the next three days of trail riding, then, yes, we probably could make the full circuit on Monday.”

“Georgie will be fine with it. She's the one with the wedding I need to be ready for.”

“Good point. I'll check with Georgie to make sure, but I guess you can plan on Monday for your first trip to look for the Ghost.”

“I'm taking my sketchbook.”

“I figured you would.”

“I'm going to see him on Monday. I feel it in my bones.”

With the kind of energy she projected, he didn't doubt it, but he wasn't going to make promises. “Let's hope you do. But before then we have more work to do. Are you ready to turn on your music and show me you can do that a second time?”

She laughed. “Yeah, baby.”

How he longed to haul her down off that horse and kiss her. “A few things. Try to keep your back in line with your hips and watch your heels. They should be down.”

Her expression turned serious as she nodded. “I'll remember that. I know I still have a lot to learn.” And off she went.

He was impressed by how earnestly she attempted to follow his directions. She had a lot to think about at this stage, and he could see whenever she remembered his instructions. Her heels would suddenly go down and her back would straighten. Then she'd forget.

After she finished the song, he sent her out again. And again. Now that he knew she'd been doing exercises for three weeks he was more optimistic than ever about this project. Obviously her request last Sunday hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment thing if she'd started preliminary exercises long before asking him. He wondered what she would have done if he'd refused. As determined as she was, she would have found a way.

He had to assume her next candidate would have been Travis. The guy was one of his two best friends, and yet the idea of Travis teaching her to ride made him crazy. Travis might even do a halfway decent job, but Mac shuddered at the thought of Travis standing here instead of him.

When she'd asked if he'd considered turning her over to another riding instructor, he'd made it all about the confidentiality aspect. That was important, but it wasn't the reason. He hadn't wanted to let anyone else, especially not any other guy, handle this. She'd come to him, and he would do it. End of story.

When he was thinking logically, he knew that was stupid. He'd already established that she belonged to the whole world and he had no claim whatsoever. But this riding thing was his area of expertise and he didn't trust anyone else to do it right.

Figuring out about the music had been a happy accident, but even without that, he would have taught her to ride a trot. It might have taken longer, like she said, but he'd have accomplished the task. Failure had not been an option.

After the third time around with the earbuds in, he asked if she'd like to try it without them and imagine the music playing instead.

“You want to take away my pacifier?”

“Or your training wheels, however you'd rather think of it. I doubt you want to be wearing earbuds when you're the maid of honor at Georgie and Vince's wedding.”

“Guess not.” But she was obviously reluctant to give up what had worked so well.

“Using them on a trail ride isn't a good idea, either. For one thing, you'll miss all the sounds of birds and other creatures. You'll miss the sound of the wind in the trees. For another thing, you might miss something critical that would be good to know when you're out there in what is essentially a wilderness.”

She regarded him with an expression he couldn't interpret.

“Did that last part scare you?”

“No. You're making me realize how much my fear of horses has cost me and I'm stunned by what I've lost. In this country, riding is the way to experience wild things. I've essentially cut myself off from whatever's out there. The Ghost, yeah, but what about the rest? What about bobcats and coyotes and wild turkeys? And the scenery? Georgie says the waterfall in the box canyon is breathtaking.”

“It is. I thought of you when I was there yesterday. You'll love it.”

“I know I will.” The light in her eyes said she'd love seeing it with him, too.

He realized that every time he'd imagined taking her to see that waterfall, they weren't riding toward it the way he and Vince had. They were walking toward it hand in hand, and when they felt the mist on their faces, he'd kiss her. But that was pure fantasy and he needed to get over it before they made the trip.

“Ready to give up the earbuds this time around? You can sing if you want.”

“Maybe I'll hum. I sometimes do that when I draw, especially when I'm alone.”

“You know, I thought I heard a little humming going on when you were doing Jasper's portrait, but it was soft.”

“I probably was humming, but I don't do it while I'm sketching portraits anymore. It makes my subjects uncomfortable.”

“I suppose it could for some people, although I wouldn't care. What do you hum?”

“My favorites are ‘Amazing Grace,' ‘Danny Boy,' and ‘Streets of Laredo
.
' ”

“Songs about death and dying?”

“It helps me remember there are worse things than drawing a lousy picture. But they seem to depress the hell out of most clients. Well, except for Ida. She plans to use one of my sketches for her obituary, so she says funeral songs are appropriate in her case.”

“I don't have anything against sad songs now and then, but they're too slow for a trot. How about humming the song you have on your phone, the one you've been using? It's peppy. Cheerful.”

“Sure, I can do that. Might as well leave my stuff with you.” She unhooked her earbuds from around her neck and reached into the front pocket of her jeans for the phone.

He glanced down. She hadn't meant it as a provocative gesture, but that didn't keep him from remembering how she'd felt when he'd pulled her close last night.

He looked up in time to take the phone, its case warmed by the heat from her body. “Start off with a walk like before. Then, when you're ready, go into a trot.”

“Okay.” Clicking her tongue the way he'd taught her, she nudged Jasper's flanks and started around the corral humming “Amazing Grace.”

If there was a funnier, sexier, or more endearing woman in the world than Anastasia Bickford, he'd never met her. Just when he'd convinced himself that he could get through these lessons and then back away, she revealed another part of her quirky personality and he was hooked again.

Her funeral dirges made perfect sense when she explained why she hummed them. With death looming as a possibility, who could get upset about an imperfect sketch? Brilliant.

By the time she was across the corral from him, he couldn't hear her humming anymore, but he knew when she switched over to pop music because Jasper broke into a trot. Anastasia stayed with him, following his lead as if they were dancing, just as she'd said.

He shouldn't be surprised that music inspired her. It was another art form, after all. The band from last night had appeared to be a hit, so chances were they'd play again tonight. He wondered if she'd be there. He'd be home working on his floors. Safer that way.

Looking extremely pleased with herself, she trotted Jasper around the corral several times. With each circuit she appeared more relaxed. She began to glance at her surroundings instead of staring straight ahead.

He leaned against the fence, arms folded, and enjoyed the view. As her instructor, he had an excuse to watch her, a special perk of the job. She'd come a long way in a short time, but as Vince had said, when she was motivated she was unstoppable. It was a trait that could take her far in her career as an artist.

He could stand there and watch her all morning, but he thought she should quit while she was feeling strong and successful. He waved her over. “That's enough for today.”