Ridiculous to feel a sizzle of pleasure because a man liked her haircut. But there it was.
He let his hand drop to his side and then shifted his gaze to the horses milling around the corral.
"Will you be wanting to ride Sadie?" he asked abruptly.
"Sadie?" she echoed.
One black eyebrow lifted. "Your horse?”
"Oh!" She half-turned her head to look at the four or five animals wandering aimlessly in the enclosure. Which one of them was Sadie? Hell, for that matter, she squinted to see better, which ones were girls? At last, she said, "I guess so." She paused and asked, "Uh, am I a good rider?"
"You manage to stay in the saddle," he told her wryly.
"Well, that's encouraging." she muttered. She had been hoping that the old Nora's memories of horseback riding would kick in. "Maybe I should try her out now, huh? Sort of refresh my memory?”
"All right. I'll go saddle her for you."
"Thanks." She fell into step beside him, battling down the sudden, churning nervousness in the pit of her stomach. What she wouldn't give to have a four-wheel-drive jeep handy right now. As they neared the open double doors of the barn, she paused and pulled in a deep breath, hoping for calm. She was sorely disappointed.
Seth stopped, looked over his shoulder at her, and asked, "What's wrong?"
Where do I begin? she thought. But aloud, she said only, "Nothing. Except that the last time I was on a horse, it had a silver pole sticking up from the middle of its back.”
He frowned. "What?"
“Nothing, cowboy.” She straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin and said, "Let's go get ol' Paint, shall we?”
An hour later, Seth stood in the middle of the paddock, calling encouragement to Nora as she and Sadie made their way around the perimeter. Again, and again.
"You have to move with the animal," he told her. "Feel the rhythm of her steps.”
"Trust me," Nora called back, her voice bouncing as high as she was in and out of the saddle, “I'm moving plenty." Her words jiggling, she added, "And from where I'm sitting, there is no rhythm."
Seth shook his head. Nora had never been an especially good rider, but she'd never been this bad. The way she was flopping all over the place, she was going to be bruised from head to toe.
But she wouldn't quit. Damn, that was a hardheaded woman. A wash of pride swelled through him at that irritating, admirable trait.
He turned in a slow circle, keeping his gaze fixed on the determined woman and the tiring mare.
"You're not leaning. Nora," he said.
"Keep your back straight," another deep voice yelled.
Disgusted, Seth half-turned to watch Richard walk up to the corral fence. He should have known that Bonner would show up sooner or later. He was only surprised it had taken the man this long. "Don't distract her," he warned.
Richard ignored him. “Keep the reins loose in your hands."
Sadie trotted past him. Nora's fanny slammed into the saddle. "Are you crazy?" she shouted. “I'm hanging on for dear life!"
“The horse will sense it if you're nervous."
"She wouldn't have to be psychic to do that,” Nora said, her voice rising.
"Bonner," Seth growled out, "I'm handling this."
"Not very well," Richard said and stepped between the fence slats into the corral. He quick stepped to avoid Sadie and Nora as they came around again. Then he walked to the center of the ring to stand beside Seth.
"I think I know a hell of a lot more about horses than you do," Seth told him shortly.
"But you can't be sure, can you?" Richard looked away from him to watch Nora. "Keep your knees close to her sides.”
"The hell with my knees," Nora complained, glaring at both men. “Tell me how to keep my butt from being broken.”
Richard opened his mouth to answer, but Seth cut him off. "Lean into Sadie," he told her firmly. "Move with her. Like you were on a rocking horse.”
"Rocking horse," Richard scoffed. Then louder, he called, "Let the animal know who's the boss."
Seth's teeth ground together and his hands curled into fists.
He could almost imagine the satisfying thud of his knuckles slamming into Bonner's jaw. And if the man didn't stop looking at Nora like she was the last biscuit in an empty house, he wouldn't have to imagine it much longer.
Sadie's hooves churned the dark earth of the paddock as she trotted ceaselessly in a circle. Nora groaned as her behind slammed down onto rock-hard leather again. Her teeth ached from gritting them tightly enough to shatter every molar.
"She's the boss," Nora yelled, "and believe me, she knows it!"
"Nora," Seth said loudly, "lean."
"Sit up straight," Richard countered.
"Use your thighs," Seth called, with a quick, hostile glare at the other man.
"Your knees," Richard told her, shouting Seth down. "The secret is in the knees."
She threw a furious glance at the two of them, but only held it a moment, since she was too busy praying to do much else. She'd never realized horses were so big before. And damned uncomfortable. Riding horses had always looked easy in old westerns. Another movie theory shot to hell.
Blast Hollywood anyway.
“You're only making this harder, Bonner," Seth said loudly and Nora tried to look at the two men. But she was bouncing up and down so hard, she couldn't see more than a blur.
"You're confusing her," Richard argued. "Telling her to lean."
"You're supposed to lean into the animal."
"Sit up straight"
“Lean.”
"Straight."
Their voices got louder with every word. Well, she knew the seeds of a fistfight when she saw them. Ordinarily, she might have let them pound each other senseless. But at the moment, everyone seemed to have forgotten about her!
A weird sense of déjà vu swirled within her. As if she'd lived out this exact scene before. Her knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the leather reins threaded through her fingers. She frowned and tried to concentrate through the jarring, continuous pounding her butt was taking. But it was no use. Even with the memories of eight previous lifetimes at her fingertips, she couldn't nail down the reason for the unsettled feeling that was beginning to crawl through her veins.
She risked another glance at the two men in her life. Facing each other, their bodies rigid with coiled tension, Nora could almost see the flames of anger blistering in the air around them.
Stop, she thought.
Stop now.
Before it was too late.
Too late for what?
Sadie picked up her pace and the pain in Nora's backside erupted into a new level of agony. Setting aside everything else for the moment, she took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as the horse's jerky movements would allow, "Get me off of this thing!"
Both men turned to look at her.
Seth moved first. He sprinted forward and grabbed Sadie's bridle, drawing the horse to a stop. While he was busy, Richard went to Nora. He reached up both hands for her and she was so pathetically grateful, she practically fell into his arms.
He steadied her for a long minute as she convinced her wobbly knees to lock into place. When she was sure she wouldn't topple over, she moved away from him, pushed her hair back from her face, and stared at each of the men in turn.
Their features tight, both of them looked as if a deep-rooted fury was still holding them in its grasp.
She shivered as a chill unwound down her spine. The dreams. Was this all something to do with the dreams plaguing her? Rubbing her hands up and down her forearms to dispel the cold settling in her bones, Nora looked from Seth's pale blue eyes to Richard's amber gaze.
The cold seeped deeper, pouring into her soul.
She shuddered violently and spoke briskly, hoping to shatter the spell hovering over them. "Thanks a bunch, boys. You were really helpful."
"Nora-"
"Nora-"
She held up one hand for si
lence. If there was one thing she didn't need at the moment, it was more of their company.
“Forget it. All I want to hear now is the sound of hot water splashing into a tub."
Nora left them standing in the middle of the corral and started a slow hobble toward the house. She felt their stares boring into her back and tried to shrug off the sense of something building around them. Damn it, this was supposed to be a new life. A new chance. Why did it feel like shadows of the past were gathering closer?
Hannah opened the front door and held it as Nora inched her way inside.
Once safely out of the men's view, Nora told herself to let it go for now. To concentrate on the present. To refuse to be drawn back into a circle of fate that had cheated her out of too many lifetimes.
"You all right?" Hannah asked, worry coloring her voice.
"Oh, dandy," Nora muttered, both hands rubbing at the knotted muscles in her rear. Legs spread wide, she walked carefully, as if she had raw eggs tucked into her boots. Wincing with every step, she ignored Hannah's muttered comments and concentrated on getting to her room.
“How about a hot bath?" the housekeeper called out.
Nora lifted one hand from her aching, throbbing behind and waved it in the air. "I'll take three." She thought she heard Hannah laughing softly, but she didn't care enough to make the effort to turn around.
She staggered into her bedroom, made straight for the bed, and flopped face first onto the mattress. The bedsprings squealed and as she bounced, she cringed at the accompanying pain. Every muscle in her body screamed at her. She had never been so sore in her life. In any life.
Smothering a groan against the quilt beneath her, Nora rested her chin on her joined hands and tried to think. When was it that Henry Ford had built his first car? She had to know. Because she planned to be on his front doorstep on that auspicious day, checkbook in hand.
#
Seth's horse snorted impatiently and small clouds of steam lifted from the animal's nostrils into the cold morning air. The gelding sidestepped, tossing its head. Seth reached down and stroked the horse's neck, murmuring soothing nonsense. Then, shrugging deeper into his coat, he straightened up in the saddle and looked over his shoulder.
He glared at the man sitting beside Red on the wagon's high bench seat. Richard Bonner sat up straight, one foot propped up on the kickboard in front of him. The flat brim of a hastily purchased western-style hat shaded his eyes, but Seth felt the man’s stare.
He ignored it.
Red held the reins of the team in one hand and the brake handle with the other. Ready to go, the freckled cowhand cast a disappointed look at his seat companion. Seth knew the kid had been hoping to ride beside Elizabeth and would have been happy for Hannah's company.
But Hannah and Elizabeth had already taken their seats between the mountain of supplies inside the wagon and the horses were stamping in their traces, eager to be off.
Frowning up at the rose-streaked sky, Seth turned to look impatiently at the house. Since this whole blasted trip had been her idea, you'd think she'd be on time, he told himself. But as soon as the thought rushed through his mind, the front door opened and Nora stepped out. Dressed in jeans, a shirt, and a sheepskin coat that she was buttoning up to the neck, she paused for a moment to tug on a pair of work gloves. Reaching up, she pulled an old hat of her father's down over her short hair, then stepped off the porch.
A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched her make her way gingerly across the yard. Her features tight, she measured each step until she stopped just beside Sadie.
“You all right?" he asked quietly, determinedly keeping humor out of his voice.
She flicked him a quick glance, then reached up and took hold of the saddle horn with both hands. "Swell," she muttered, lifting her left foot and sliding it into the stirrup. Hopping awkwardly for a moment or two, she finally pulled herself up and swung her right leg across the horse's back. Sitting down carefully in the saddle, she groaned softly.
"You could ride in the wagon," he offered.
“Oooh, could I?" She shook her head. "The inside of those wagons is even more uncomfortable than this horse and you know it."
“All right, let's go then,” Seth said and tugged at the reins.
The gelding swung about quickly and jumped into a trot. He didn't look back, but Seth heard Sadie just a step or two behind him. The jingle of the trace chains and the telltale creak of wagon wheels let him know that the others were following along.
"Happy huntin' boss," one of the men called out from the bunkhouse.
Seth glanced at the open doorway. Three of the hands crowded on the threshold to watch them go. Their matching grins told him what they thought of this cow counting expedition.
Ignoring them, he noticed Nora wave to them, then turned his head back to stare off down the drive toward the road beyond. They had gone over their route the night before. Seth remembered sitting around the kitchen table with a map of the ranch. He had pointed out what he thought would make a good campsite for their first night out, only to hear a whine of impatience from Elizabeth.
"Ten miles?" the lady had questioned. “You want us to travel ten miles in a wagon, overland, in a single day?"
"Preposterous," Richard had commented, then clarified by adding, "It will be far too hard on the ladies."
"If we only go five miles a day, we'll be at this for weeks," he argued and saw agreement flash in Nora's eyes. At least she could see the sense in his plan.
"Excuse me for buttin' in," Hannah said quietly as she poured everyone some coffee, "but I thought you said somethin' about you and Nora ridin' on ahead, checkin' things over and then ridin' back to meet us."
Seth had looked to Nora and immediately questioned the sanity of the two of them riding across the range alone for hours at a time. But how could he say that he was afraid of what might happen between them if left to their own devices?
"We can make five or seven miles a day easy," Hannah said. “Then we'll set up camp and have supper going by the time you and Nora come back to us.”
Seemed reasonable, he knew. They could certainly get the job done faster and easier if they weren't spending all their time waiting on an overloaded wagon traveling across open range.
"Sounds good to me," Nora said, turning her head to face him. "What do you think?"
Seth had stared into dark brown eyes glittering with excitement and eagerness and told himself he was a fool for going along with the plan. Still, in the next moment, he heard himself say, "I guess that's all right."
Confusion darted across her eyes briefly, but he ducked his head and stared at the map to avoid her gaze. Pointing at a spot where the river forked, he said, "Make camp here tomorrow night. We'll join you as soon as we can."
Now here he was, riding into what could only prove to be trouble. With no way out.
Nora guided her horse alongside Seth's. Giving him a tight smile, she said, "Okay, cowboy, let's go."
He jerked her an abrupt nod, gathered the reins tightly in one hand, and kicked at the gelding's belly. As the horse took off like a shot, Seth told himself to concentrate on the task at hand… and on keeping his distance from Nora.
CHAPTER TWELVE
She'd never seen anything like it.
Movies didn't count, because no matter how wonderful the cinematography, film simply couldn't capture the real beauty of something as magnificent as this.
Nora turned in the saddle, craning her neck this way and that, trying to see everything at once. Okay, sure, as Tracy Hill, she'd never been much on camping. Then, her idea of roughing it had been a hotel with no room service. The back to-nature enthusiasts of the modern age had just seemed… dirty to her. She hadn't been able to see the romance in sleeping on the ground where all kinds of furry and/or slimy, crawly things could get to you.
But, she told herself as her gaze landed on a particularly majestic mountaintop, a girl's allowed to change her mind.
The s
nowcapped Rockies lunged heavenward, poking craggy fingers through a patchwork of silver gray clouds. The sky stretched out forever. Nora tipped her head back, admiring the unbelievable breadth of it. And the color. A deep, rich blue that no one in L.A. had ever seen, not even on those rare, smog free days. This Montana blue was so heart-stoppingly beautiful, it brought tears to her eyes. She inhaled deeply, enjoying air so clear it almost hurt to breathe. Everywhere she turned, there was more beauty.
Trees that Seth had told her were cottonwoods were just beginning to bud, tender green gloves being dragged onto stark, naked limbs. The pines crowded together like tall, young men at attention. And in the dark shade of their heavy limbs, every once in a while, Nora spotted a small splash of snow still lingering from winter.
Her horse, docilely following Seth's, daintily picked its way through a swiftly moving creek. The sharp click of the horses' hooves on stones and the unceasing ripple of the water were the only sounds, save the wind as it rustled through the surrounding forest.
She looked down at the stream bed. Thousands of smooth, rounded stones, polished by perhaps centuries of flowing water lay glistening beneath her. This small branch of the river was clear. So unpolluted, she watched, astonished, as some sort of fish darted out of her horse's path.
Nora smiled. Sadly, she looked out at the surrounding forest. All of this beauty in the world and in her most recent lifetime, she had appreciated none of it. Even if anyone had managed to get Tracy Hill on a horseback ride through the mountains, she would have been oblivious to the wonder surrounding her. She would have looked at these mountains and seen ad copy. Her mind would have been busily listing the companies who might be interested in using the Rockies as a backdrop for their product, be it beer or hair care.
With a cell phone glued to her ear, she never would have noticed the serene, almost cathedral-like silence of the high country. And the simple majesty of this place would have been reduced, in her own mind at least, to background shots for a presentation.
Frowning slightly, she began to realize that maybe her previous life hadn't been so great after all. She had always chased success so relentlessly, she hadn't noticed everything she was missing.
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