Hopefully they wouldn’t even see each other very much, except maybe in passing and that would probably be best since he kept having unwanted romantic thoughts about her.
“I don’t need a head start because I have been saddling my own horse for years now and could probably do it with my eyes closed,” Loren said with a smug look.
Why did men always think they could saddle a horse better and faster than a woman could? Well, she would show him, or at least she hoped that she would.
Sam looked at her with one of those heart-stopping smiles, which he seemed to carry around in his pocket, ready for the using. “Go!” he said.
On Loren’s way to the tack room, out of the corner of her eye, she just happen to get a glimpse of Sam’s saddle sitting on the barn floor beside his horses stall, with the saddle blanket thrown over it. The bridle was hanging on a hook beside it.
“Wait a minute that is totally not fair.”
“What’s not fair about it?” he asked. “You said that you didn’t need a head start.”
“I didn’t realize that you already had your horse gear out and ready either,” she commented.
“You are the one, who jumped into, want to race, without assessing the situation first,” he said, smiling.
Ooh, how she would like to slap that silly grin off his face as he stood there looking at her like he had just won the Kentucky Derby or something.
Stomping off, Loren went to retrieve her horse tack. He sure did get under her skin for some reason, and she had not one clue why. She had thought that him hanging around the ranch might be kind of fun, like a harmless adventure, but now she wasn’t so sure. It might even turn out to be the most miserable few months of her life, so maybe she would just have to figure out a way to get back at him. Maybe even find a way to make him just as miserable as he made her.
Loren had no idea how miserable she made Sam feel already. Just the way she looked at him with those innocent blue eyes and the way that her long blonde mane flowed down her back. He would love to run the silky strands through his calloused hands. And oh, lord! The way she moistened her lips out of habit.
Innocence flowed all around her, just as it had last night. He doubted that she had ever even been with a man, and he wasn’t going to be the one to steal that sweet, sweet innocence. It just wouldn’t be right.
If his guess was correct, Loren had no idea of the effect that she was having on him. And he had to keep it that way, before he did something stupid, like roughly take her in his arms and taste those sweet lips of honey.
He had to stop thinking of her in this way. She sure was a sassy little thing, and it just stirred his attraction to her even more.
Loren had her horse saddled in record time, even though he had gotten the jump on her. He quickly realized that she was no rookie when it came to horses. Just maybe she would prove to be a challenge after all. He just had to be careful, so that no one got hurt.
Leading the horses out of the barn, they both mounted up with the ease of an experienced rider. It was going to be a beautiful day. They pointed their horses East, with Sam leading the way.
“Your land borders the National Forest, so from time to time; you may see wild animals on your land. Mostly deer, but occasionally you may see a bear or even a cougar. Just remember to be careful and be mindful of your surroundings at all times when out by yourself. And remember that they are usually more afraid of you then you are of them. Promise me that you won’t take any chances.”
Chapter 4
“Do you think we might see something today?” You could hear the excitement in Loren’s voice as she spoke.
“Probably not, but you never know,” Sam said. They followed a trail that bordered a small creek, with Loren moving in the lead position.
They had not ridden very far when they came upon a fallen tree. Loren thought that she could probably ride under it, but it would probably be safer to ride around it.
She kicked her horse, guiding him to her right, down the creek bank and into the creek to pass around the tree. With one foot in the water, Dakota suddenly stopped as if he didn’t want to go any further into the water. He suddenly jerked his head and completely turned himself around, facing back the way they had come. He made it very clear that he was not interested in moving in any direction but straight back to the barn. She fought with the reins to keep him from bolting into a run.
Looking at Sam, she said, “I am sorry, I don’t know what is wrong with him. He has been very well trained and doesn’t usually act this way.”
“Maybe he is just a little barn sour,” Sam replied.
Loren glared at him with eyes full of daggers. “How dare you say that about my horse when you don’t even know him? I can promise you that he is not barn sour! It is obvious that something or someone is spooking him.”
“Well, I don’t see anything or anyone, so let me go first and see if that will help,” Sam offered in a softer tone, hoping to smooth her ruffled feathers a bit.
He urged Kate, his chestnut colored horse around Loren and her horse in an attempt to get them all back in motion. Maybe Dakota was just a little uneasy being in unfamiliar territory.
At the water’s edge, even Kate seemed a little spooked at stepping off into the rocky creek bed. Scanning the bank for snakes, Sam urged his horse to continue on into the water and around the tree.
“Follow me,” he said, looking back at Loren over his shoulder.
No matter how hard Loren tried to get Dakota to move forward, he just plain out refused. Something had him spooked that was for sure.
“Come on Dakota,” she pleaded, turning his head in the direction of the water again and kicking him for what seemed like the millionth time to urge him forward. “You are embarrassing me,” she hissed between clinched teeth.
Sam had ridden just a short distance ahead before stopping to look back in an attempt to check on Loren’s progress. In that moment, he realized what was causing the horses to be unsettled.
“Loren, come on. I am waiting on you.” Sam called out to her in a voice that he hoped sounded calm. He didn’t want to cause her to panic. That would only make matters worse.
“Go on ahead, I will catch up,” she called back to him. The sound of her voice revealed that she was becoming agitated with her horse and his refusal to move forward into the creek and around the tree.
“Nonsense, I am going to wait for you,” he insisted.
It was hard for him to just sit there, trying to remain calm while she worked with her horse, but he knew that if he caused any excitement at all, it could possibly cause the current situation to take a turn for the worst. And that was not a chance that he was willing to take.
Sam didn’t pray very often, but at that very moment he asked God to keep her safe. “Please don’t let this happen; not now; not here with me,” he prayed out loud.
What would he tell Josh and Amy? They would never forgive him if something happened to her. Why hadn’t he thought to carry his rifle?
Loren’s emotions were running wild, which she knew was not good. If Dakota picked up on them she would never get him around that tree, and then she would look even more stupid than she already did.
“Trust me,” she whispered to her horse, and as if he understood he finally moved forward. Dakota moved cautiously as he made his way around the treetop hanging in the edge of the water.
His ears were still laid back as they slowly made progress to where Sam waited. Whatever was spooking him must be close by.
The look of relief on Sam’s face when she finally reached him was a little puzzling to her. He could see the question in her eyes.
“Turn around and look,” he said pointing back in the direction she had just come from.
She could not believe her eyes. Perched on top of the fallen tree was the most magnificent Mountain Lion that she had ever seen. Well, the only one that she had ever seen in person, other than at the Atlanta Zoo. All of her other wild animal encounters could be credited to Anima
l Planet or the Discovery Channel.
It was truly amazing. Where the heck was a camera, when you needed one? She definitely had not expected this.
“It is beautiful,” she said looking back at Sam in awe. “I thought you said we probably wouldn’t see anything today.” She knew that she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it. This was probably the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her.
The cat was huge, probably weighing about two hundred and fifty pounds. His fur was a rich caramel color and he was sleek and shiny. His big dark brown eyes were staring back at her. It was like he was trying to figure out her next move before making his.
“Don’t get too excited just yet,” Sam said. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the cat jumped to the ground and began to trot slowly towards them. The closer it got, the bigger it looked in size. The cat continued to growl and hiss at them, then it crouched low to the ground, as if it meant to pounce on the rear end of her horse as it come up behind her.
“Move, move, move!” Sam shouted at her.
She kicked her horse hard and caused him to bolt forward, giving Sam just enough room to sandwich his horse in between hers and the cat. He slapped at the cat with his reins and yelled at it in a very loud voice, hoping to scare it off.
However, the cat did not respond in fear. Its massive paws, with claws bared, slashed out at his horse’s belly and then at its neck. It appeared to be trying to make contact with the jugular vein in an effort to bring the horse down.
“Run Loren. Go as fast as you can and don‘t stop until you are absolutely sure it is safe,” Sam yelled at her. He meant to protect her, even if it meant his own life.
Loren’s adrenaline was really pumped up by now. This was definitely the most exciting and scariest thing that had ever happened to her in her entire life.
“But what about you?” she asked. She didn’t want to leave him to fight off the cat by himself. What if it jumped on him; or even worse killed him?
“Don’t worry about me, I will catch up,” he yelled while urging Kate to trample on the hissing cat.
“Now get going,” he said smacking her horse hard on its rump before she could protest again. This was not a time for negotiations.
Loren rode hard and fast. All she could hear was the pounding of Dakota’s hooves as they struck the uneven rocky path. At the same time she feared for Sam’s safety. The mere thought of him being eaten alive by a huge cat caused her heart to skip a few beats.
She hadn’t even realized that she was holding her breath until she heard Sam coming up behind her. Slowly letting her breath out, she felt relief wash over her at the sight of him coming around the bend.
“Keep going!” Sam yelled.
The trail had ended up ahead and Loren wasn’t sure which way she should go. She slowed her horse and looked all around her. There was nowhere to go except straight up the side of a mountain. At least it looked like a mountain to her. Not being familiar with the area, she was afraid of making the wrong choice.
“Sam, the trail has ended. Which way should I go?” she yelled back at him. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she felt for sure that it must be echoing through the woods that surrounded them.
She had come to a complete stop by the time he had reached her. He looked around for an alternative route, not wanting to turn around and go back the way they had come.
As much as he hated it, there was no other choice but to turn around. If they rode up the mountain ridge, there was the possibility of becoming separated.
He was afraid if they were separated, Loren would either get lost or the cat would follow her and wait for another opportunity to attack. It was a chance that he wasn’t willing to take.
“We are going to have to turn around and go back the way we came.”
“What about the mountain lion, did you scare it off?” she asked.
“I think I may have just confused it a little by fighting back.” His breathing was a little heavy as he paused to take a breath. “Just as I thought, here it comes again and it seems determined to have one of us for lunch.” he said.
She wasn‘t sure if he had meant that comment to be funny or if he was just trying to make light of their current situation. Either way, she wasn’t humored.
“So, what is your plan? How do we get past the ferocious beast this time?” Loren asked.
“Stay behind me. I am going to run straight at it and try to trample on it. Maybe that will bide us some time. But no matter what happens, please don’t fall off your horse.”
“Okay, I am ready. Let’s do this!” Loren sucked in her breath and let it out slowly, waiting to follow Sam’s lead.
Sam took off at a hard run with Loren following close behind. The cat was still coming at them, growling and hissing.
Nearing the cat, Sam spurred his horse hard in the ribs to pick up speed. Horse and rider collided with the cat, knocking it a flip. Kate’s back hoof struck the cat in the head, causing it to become dazed for a moment. Luckily, before Loren reached it, the cat jumped up and ran off into the woods.
She kicked Dakota hard causing him to let out a grunted noise. She felt bad knowing that his ribs were going to be sore, but she meant to stay close behind Sam. Hopefully, this time the cat would not continue to follow them.
The fallen tree was now in sight and instead of slowing to coax his horse around it again, Sam leaned low over his saddle and barely cleared the tree.
Loren’s horse was much shorter and cleared it with ease. Feeling that they had finally reached a safe distance, Sam reined his horse to a stop and turned back to watch Loren as she approached him.
“You okay?” he asked, showing much concern.
“Yeah, I think so.” Her breathing was a little irregular from the hard riding and the excitement that she had just experienced.
Both horses had broken a sweat. She looked back to where the trail began and thank goodness, there was no sign of the cat.
Chapter 5
They both rode back to the barn in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Loren was in awe of everything that had just happened and could not wait to call her parents.
Sam was just relieved that the outcome had turned out favorable, but at the same time he was confused by the feelings that had come over him when Loren was in the line of danger. He feared that he was starting to like her a little more than he should. He preferred to think it was just attraction, plain and simple, and nothing more.
What else could it be? Love at first sight? That was not very likely. As far as he was concerned, that was just a myth. Not something that was actually possible. Besides, he had sworn not to ever fall in love with anyone else after Stephanie and to this day, he had held true to that promise. No, love was not on his agenda, and never would be. He was as sure of that as he was about the day he was born. The best explanation was that it had just been too long since he had taken a woman to his bed.
Once they had reached the barn, Sam pulled his horse to a stop at the nearest hitching post and dismounted. He wrapped his reins around the post to secure his horse, with Loren following his lead. She dismounted and stretched her legs, before securing her own horse.
“I’m going to grab a beer, want one?” Sam asked.
“No thanks, but I will take some water if you have that,” she answered.
Loren watched Sam walk away in pursuit of finding them something to drink. She watched him until he disappeared into the shadows of the barn.
She had a thing or two about cowboys in wrangler jeans. His white tee-shirt just accented the picture, along with his cowboy hat and boots. He looked mighty fine, yes he did indeed. Once he was out of sight she turned her attention back to her horse, which is exactly where it belonged.
“That sure was some good riding today, Dakota. I am so proud of you,” she told her horse.
She busied herself with getting him unsaddled, not noticing Sam watching her as he walked back to where she stood with the horses.
He had ne
ver met a girl that took pride in saddling and unsaddling her own horse like she did. Most girls he knew were afraid that they would break a fingernail or worse, get horse sweat on their pretty little hands. Yep, Loren Randolph was different than most girls, he had decided.
“Here you go,” he said handing her a cold bottle of water.
“Thank you.” Her fingers grazed his when she grasped the bottle from his hands. The brief contact caused a tingling sensation to flow through her hand.
She had not realized how thirsty she was until the water hit her dry parched throat. Sam had already sucked one beer down and was opening another as he leaned up against the hitching post in a relaxed position. He pulled the brim of his hat low enough to shade his eyes from the sun and continued to watch her.
Loren could feel his eyes boring into her back as she turned her attention back to her horse. It was starting to make her feel slightly uncomfortable.
When she could no longer stand it, she turned to look at him. “Are you just going to stand there all day relaxing, or are you going to unsaddle your horse?” Her tone was very curt.
He just continued to stare at her, taking another long swig of beer and not saying a word. Her eyes locked with his and for a moment she felt like he was undressing her with those blue orbs and having his way with her all at the same time. What was wrong with her? Where were these thoughts coming from? It had to be her imagination.
There was no reason that she could think of that Sam would even entertain thoughts about her in that way. She was probably too young for him for one, not to mention that he didn’t even know her.
She could feel her face begin to turn hot with embarrassment. So she quickly turned her gaze back to her horse, hoping that Sam did not notice her red, flushed cheeks.
Picking up her saddle and blanket, she carried them back into the barn and put everything back in its rightful place. She stopped short of coming back out of the barn, hoping to compose herself and her thoughts before facing Sam again.
SECOND CHANCES AT MG RANCH Page 3