Usually she could hardly wait to get his reaction when he finally tasted the results of his consultation and her cooking skills. But today, any comments on her food would remind them both of their discussion this morning. She wished she could erase it from her memory and return to the easy camaraderie they’d enjoyed before he’d come up with his suggestion to completely alter her life.
Still, she couldn’t bear not to speak to him. She’d figured out from snatches of conversation that the boys had been sent out to repair the fence line while Matthew did some additional work with Houdini that didn’t include the kids.
As she was clearing the plates, she paused beside his chair. “Did your morning go well with Houdini?”
“Not as well as Clay and I had hoped.”
Then she understood. Clay was in charge of the semen operation for the ranch, so if he’d been working with Matthew, the two of them must have tried unsuccessfully to collect some from Houdini. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
As she imagined two big strapping cowboys trying to milk semen from a stallion, she had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. No doubt they weren’t amused by their lack of success. She was liable to insult them if she wasn’t careful.
“We’ll try again tomorrow morning.”
“Good.” She hurried away before he could tell she was struggling to control herself.
Later, after the dining room emptied, she came out of the kitchen with a damp cloth to wipe down the tables. Matthew stood there, the only person left. Apparently he wasn’t going to walk into the bedroom and check his email as he usually did, and neither would he quietly leave the house and avoid the conversation completely.
She shouldn’t be surprised that he’d choose to deal with her in a straightforward way. He was that kind of man, someone who faced things head-on. He said what he thought and asked questions when he needed an answer. She admired that.
His first comment had nothing to do with email. He went straight to the heart of the matter. “I thought I’d better check and find out if you still want me to come up after dinner.”
Her breath caught as she realized how easily their connection would slip away if she told him not to bother. But even though they were more awkward with each other now, she wasn’t ready to let him go. Not yet.
“Of course I want you to come up,” she said. “We have tomorrow’s menus to plan, for one thing.”
His gaze searched hers. “I’m happy to help with that, but if you’d rather I didn’t stay, then I can move my stuff out of your—”
“I want you to stay,” she said quietly. “I realize we don’t see things exactly the same, but that doesn’t mean I want you to move down to the bunkhouse. I like to think we still get along reasonably well.”
“I like to think we do, too.” Some of the tension eased from his shoulders. “So if you’re sure…”
“Absolutely sure. Don’t you need to check your email before you go back down to the corral?”
He shrugged as if that was the least of his worries. “It can wait.”
That was a switch. He’d always been conscientious about email, because it was the main avenue for communicating with his clients. “Look, Matthew, don’t alter your routine just because we had a little—”
“It really can wait, Aurelia.” His blue gaze held hers. “I don’t have to be constantly accessible to my clients. I realize now I might have given you that impression and it’s not true.”
“But it could be something critical.”
“Then they’ll call my cell phone and I’ll get the message when I turn it on after my training session. I want you to know that I do take breaks. I take vacations.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” How she missed the easy way they used to talk. Their conversation was so stilted now. “I hope you’ll use one of them to come and visit me in Nebraska.”
His smile was tinged with sadness. “That wasn’t why I mentioned it.”
“Then why did you?”
“I didn’t want you to think I’m constantly on the move. There’s this great cottage in Provence. I try to rent it at least a couple of times a year for a week or so. You’d love the kitchen. It’s—”
“Matthew, don’t.”
He looked as if she’d slapped him.
The impression was so real that she reached up and touched his cheek. “I’m sorry. I know you love your life and you want me to love it, too. But you’re wasting your breath.”
He caught her hand. After holding it there for a moment, he let her go and stepped back. “No, I’m the one who should be sorry. You made your position clear and I need to honor that.”
“You do understand, right?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
His answer lacked conviction, but she doubted he would ever truly understand, anyway.
He cleared his throat. “I’m planning to ride Houdini this afternoon. I don’t know if you have time to come and watch, but this is the moment I’ve been working toward.”
“Then I want to be there.”
14
HE’D BLOWN IT WITH AURELIA…again. Standing inside the corral, Matthew rotated the boys on and off Houdini. Both the kids and the horse were so used to the riding exercise that Matthew only had to offer a suggestion here and there.
That left him more than enough time to consider his ill-advised comments to Aurelia. He’d promised himself he would leave the subject alone, and first chance he got, he was in there pitching, trying to convince her that life traveling with him would be a bed of roses.
In his mind, it would be. That little cottage in Provence was made for someone like Aurelia. Climbing roses around the front door, a kitchen garden, a small fireplace for chilly nights, paths to wander and vistas to explore—he ached to show it to her.
The place was on the internet. If he hadn’t been so heavy-handed this morning and again at noon, he could have just happened to show her pictures of it while he was checking email. He could have led up to this whole plan more gradually, and maybe she would have reacted differently.
He had patience galore with animals, so logically he should have been able to apply the same principles to Aurelia. Except with animals, he’d never had a time limit. He’d always insisted that his clients give him as much time as he needed to create a transformation.
With Aurelia, the clock had started ticking from the moment they’d met, and now time was running out. He’d tried to ignore that fact, but she’d brought it up the night before and reminded him exactly how many days they had left. He’d panicked, and the resulting adrenaline rush had ramped up his natural problem-solving approach to life.
He loved his solution to their dilemma. He desperately wanted her to love it, too, because he believed it would work. She was a lot better suited to travel than she thought she was. She’d arrived at the ranch not knowing a soul other than her aunt.
By rights, Aurelia should have been lonely and homesick. Instead, by the time Matthew arrived, she’d settled in and made friends. Even more astonishing, she’d taken the risk of serving unusual food to people she didn’t know.
Aurelia might think she needed the security of living in the same place and working in a safe job, but Matthew was convinced she’d flourish if she moved permanently out of her rut. Her experience at the Last Chance proved it to him.
He would have been able to make that argument, too, if he hadn’t rushed his proposition. Now he didn’t dare say a damned thing, because she’d stonewall him if he did. He’d handled this matter about as poorly as anyone possibly could.
“So when’s the Big Dog gonna get on that nag?”
Recognizing the voice of one of the Chance brothers, Matthew glanced over toward the fence.
Jack, the oldest and most irreverent of the three, leaned against the top rail, his hat tilted back and a grin on his face. “I suppose we could always start offering pony rides for kids and scrap the idea of making him into a cutting horse.”
Matthew smiled and walked
over to the fence. “Just tell me which way you want to go, Jack. I’m here to help.”
“Ah, you’re doing a great job.” Jack stuck out his hand. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Matthew gripped Jack’s hand. “But I’m not finished. There will be more schooling once I’m on him. I weigh a lot more than those boys, and I’ll expect more from him than they do.”
“I heard you were going to ride him this afternoon, so I decided to wander over and see if your butt stayed in the saddle.”
“You’re welcome to try him out first, if you want. I really don’t expect any problems.”
“Oh, no.” Jack held up both hands. “You’ve put in the work. You deserve that first ride.”
“And the humiliation if he doesn’t do as he’s told?”
“That, too.”
“Assuming I get him to behave himself, are you okay with me taking him outside the corral?”
“You’re the trainer. Your call.”
Matthew nodded. “Thanks. I’d like to see how he does outside the fence.”
“I can tell you this, he loves to run.” He turned as Tucker Rankin came out of the barn and started toward the corral. “Just ask that man. He chased Houdini all over the county on Christmas Eve.”
“So I heard.”
“Hey, Matthew.” Tucker lengthened his stride. “Heard you were going to ride him today.”
“That was my thought.” He glanced at Jack. “Word seems to have spread.”
“We’re always up for a show.”
Matthew glanced at Jack and Tucker. “You both think he’s going to embarrass me somehow, don’t you?”
“I hope he doesn’t,” Tucker said. “I have ten bucks riding on you giving us a clean run.”
“I see.” Matthew turned to Jack. “And how did you bet?”
“This is one tricky horse. He seems to love kids, but I’m not so sure he’s going to love hauling you around. I think he’s going to challenge you.”
Matthew laughed. “You must not think I’ll meet that challenge.”
“I’m sure you’re a good rider. But I’ve observed this animal for months, and he likes to have the last word. Fortunately he has a weak spot for kids, but you’re no kid.”
“No.” Matthew glanced over at the horse. “But we’ll straighten that out real quick.” If he was drawing a crowd, he’d probably better get this handled. He turned back to Jack, curious about one thing. “How are you going to keep score?”
“Well, if he tosses you in the dirt—”
“Not going to happen.”
“Okay, then we’ll need an impartial judge to decide whether you came out ahead of the horse or vice versa.” Jack looked over at the barn. “And here comes the perfect man for the job. Emmett Sterling.”
“I’ll gladly take Emmett as the judge.” Matthew started to walk away from the rail.
“I want to put ten bucks on Matthew.” Aurelia hurried toward them waving a bill in the air and breathing hard, as if she’d run the distance from the house to the corral. “You haven’t closed the betting, have you?”
“Always room for one more.” Jack took the money she handed him.
Matthew appreciated the gesture and gave her a quick smile to tell her so, but it was a safe bet. He was encouraged that Aurelia believed in his horsemanship.
Gary happened to be up on Houdini as Matthew approached. The boy was allowing the horse to choose his own path, which wasn’t the program Matthew had outlined for the kids, but he’d been distracted by the gathering crowd and hadn’t noticed that Gary was letting Houdini do as he pleased.
Naturally the horse managed to get away with things while the teenagers rode him, although Lester was pretty good at making him mind. As for the other boys, Matthew caught what he could and let the rest go. On balance, including the teens in the training sessions had been a good thing for them and for Houdini. Matthew was prepared, though, for the stallion to try to control things once an adult rider was on board.
Gary dismounted with far more grace than when he’d first started riding Houdini several days ago. “I think he’s warmed up pretty good, Mr. Tredway. Are you going to take him, now?”
“I think it’s time to give that a try, don’t you?”
Gary nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, you bet, Mr. Tredway. Listen, you probably don’t need any tips from a kid like me, but every now and then, he might try to scrape you against the corral. You might want to watch out for that.”
“Thanks, Gary.” Matthew squeezed the boy’s shoulder. “It’s a big help when horsemen share that kind of thing.”
Gary beamed. “Just thought you’d want to know. But he’s a good horse. I think in his heart he means well.”
“I’m sure he does.” Matthew was used to having the kids interpret Houdini’s moods and behaviors. Usually they assigned the horse their own qualities, like now. Sure, Houdini misbehaved now and then, but in his heart, he meant well, just like Gary.
Matthew found that incredibly touching, and he was more determined than ever to write a book geared to kids. Pete Beckett had created something special by bringing troubled teens to a ranch where they could interact with horses. Matthew wouldn’t mind coming back in a different capacity next summer—as a facilitator between horses and kids.
But if he wanted to be invited back, he needed to nail this riding demonstration. His credibility was on the line, not to mention Aurelia’s ten bucks. He didn’t want to be responsible for losing any of her hard-earned cash, especially when he knew she was so security-minded.
He asked Gary to hold Houdini’s bridle while he adjusted the stirrups. Houdini stood there like the most docile horse in the barn, but Matthew knew better. If Houdini had been trying to scrape Gary against the fence, he’d do that and more when he was asked to carry Matthew.
“Okay, Gary.” Matthew put his booted foot in the stirrup. “Turn him loose.”
Houdini snorted as he felt the extra weight settle onto his back. Matthew nudged him with both heels and clucked with his tongue. Houdini didn’t move.
“So we’re going to play this game.” Matthew kicked him harder and flicked his rump with the end of the reins.
Houdini started off at a hard trot, the kind that would jar the fillings from a rider’s back molars.
Matthew pulled him to a halt. “You can do better than that.”
Houdini’s ears flicked back and forth, so he was listening, and he certainly knew who was talking to him.
“I mean it, Houdini.” He rubbed the horse’s neck. “Smooth it out.” He urged him forward again.
This time the trot was decent, but as Gary had predicted, Houdini made for the fence. With a firm hand on the reins, Matthew headed him away from the rail. In protest, Houdini began playing with the bit as if determined to be annoying.
Matthew nudged the horse back into a trot, and after a few minutes, into a canter. Once again Houdini made for the fence, but Matthew’s grip on the reins and the steady pressure of his legs brought the horse back in line. Matthew kept him at a canter while they circled the corral a couple of times without Houdini trying to squeeze his legs against the fence.
Once Matthew was satisfied that the horse wouldn’t try that maneuver again, he reined him in and asked if someone would open the gate. Houdini watched it open and fought the bit in an effort to go through.
Matthew kept him on a short rein. “When I say so, and not before.” He held the prancing horse by the open gate for several seconds before letting him trot through.
Predictably, Houdini headed for the barn door, no doubt hoping for food. Matthew turned him down a pathway that led to an open meadow.
“You’re taking a big risk!” Jack called after him. “He’s going to try and run away with you!”
Matthew raised a hand in acknowledgment and held Houdini down to a trot as they entered the meadow. The horse’s muscles bunched as if preparing for a charge, but Matthew kept control. “When I say so,” he murmured to the horse. “And not
before.”
After several yards, he eased the horse into a canter, and still Houdini strained at the bit. After a few more lengths, Matthew let him run, but even then, he kept a commanding grip on the reins. Horse and rider raced over the meadow as grasses and wildflowers waved in the wind they created in passing.
At last Matthew slackened the reins in a gesture of trust. Houdini responded with a joyous burst of speed as if to say yes, I like this. Yes! Matthew lived for this moment of communion with the horses he trained. But once he’d achieved it, his work was done. Turning back toward the ranch, he kept Houdini at a canter for several lengths. Then he slowed the horse to a trot.
By the time they came in sight of the corral and the small crowd that had gathered there, Houdini was down to a walk, but it was more of a prance. He held his head and tail high as if he’d just won the Kentucky Derby. Matthew smiled and patted his neck. “Enjoyed that, did you?”
Houdini snorted, obviously very pleased with himself.
As Matthew rode the horse over to the corral and dismounted, he accepted the congratulations of the cowhands and the Chance brothers.
Jack clapped him on the back. “And that’s why they pay you the big bucks. This is one case in which I’m more than happy to lose a bet.”
“Thanks, Jack.”
Emmett gave him a thumbs-up. “Knew you could do it, son.” He reached for Houdini’s bridle. “Let me take this fellow and rub him down. Lester can help me.”
Even though Matthew was used to taking care of the horse he’d ridden, he knew when to step back. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Emmett grinned at him. “Now go deal with your public.” He and Lester took Houdini into the barn.
“He sure can run, can’t he?” Tucker came up to shake Matthew’s hand. “At first I thought we’d have to send out a search party, but then you brought him back, no problem.”
“He’s a good horse,” Matthew said. “I doubt you’ll have any problem with him from now on.” He looked around for Aurelia, and finally found her at the edge of the crowd.
Lead Me Home Page 15