A McKaslin Homecoming

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“I’d never be disrespectful to any woman, no matter where she hailed from.”

I will not be charmed by him, she thought. Liking him a little tiny bit was one thing. Letting herself feel more was another. “And what about the falling part? I’ve never realized how far it is from the back of the horse to the ground. It looks a lot farther than I’ve ever imagined. Maybe it’s smart not to get back up.”

She was like the sunlight—quietly cheerful. Caleb was smiling, too, without knowing it, chuckling right along with her as he hauled the bridles out of the truck bed. She was all right. “Tasha is a gentle giant. You shouldn’t fall off. Much. Unless…how’s your sense of balance? If it’s terrible, you might fall off no matter which horse I sit you on.”

“I didn’t realize how much I’d have to trust you. I’m at your mercy. Maybe I’d better rethink this horse-riding thing.”

But her eyes were smiling again and she radiated anticipation. He thought about what she’d told him, about her mother not being reliable enough to pay the rent regularly enough to keep a stable home for her child. “Hey, you can trust me. I’m an upstanding sort. C’mon, city girl, let’s get you up on your first horse.”

“As long as I stay up.” She followed him, climbing through the fence’s rails. How could it be possible that the horse got bigger with every step she took?

“It only hurts if you fall, Lauren. Otherwise, it’s a piece of cake. Don’t worry, we’ll go slow. Hey, Tasha girl.” He held the big bay by a halter strap so he could slip the bridle on and buckle it securely. When he was done, Tasha leaned into his touch for a gentle stroke. “You feel like going for a run, girl?”

Lauren stepped into the horse’s shadow and her heart stopped on the word run. “I thought we were going to start slow.”

“What happened to trusting me?” Caleb’s words were lighthearted, but the look on his face was not. He was iron-strong dependability all the way. “First we walk, then we run. You’ll love it.”

“I hope so. My expectations are pretty high.”

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing like riding a horse. The experience will surpass your every expectation.”

Wouldn’t that be a new trend in her life? Lauren was close enough to the mare that she could breathe in her warm, friendly scent. “Hi, girl.”

The mare eyed her with what Lauren hoped was a friendly look. She gave a snort and tried to grab the hem of Lauren’s shirt with her big teeth.

“Uh, she won’t bite me, right?”

“She’s just friendly. Give her nose a stroke or two. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. I’ll be right back.”

“Wait.” But he was already moving away, releasing his hold on the leather bridle.

Tasha looked even more gigantic as she stepped forward with hooves that suddenly looked able to crush Lauren’s feet. “Uh, how do I get acquainted with a horse?”

“You talk to her.” He said that as if it was perfectly natural to have a one-sided conversation.

The trouble was, Tasha seemed to be expecting something. She took a harder grip with her teeth on Lauren’s hem and shook her head. When the mare stomped her front foot, the earth gave a tiny tremble.

“Hi, pretty girl.” Lauren ran her fingertips down the white stripe on the mare’s long nose and the sun-warmed velvet feel surprised her. Tasha was so sleek. “You’re going to go easy on me, right, since I’m a beginner?”

Tasha released her hold on the shirt and raised her head so high, she easily snorted the crown of Lauren’s head. That’s when Lauren realized that Tasha had spied the pink barrette in her hair. And Tasha wasn’t the only one. Horses were approaching from every side, corralling her in and nibbling at her hair. “Uh, Caleb. Help!”

“They sure seem to like you,” came his amused grin, which, fortunately, accompanied the approaching crunch of his boots in the grass. “Girls, stop that. It’s not candy. Move back, now. Lauren, this’ll help.”

A gray cowboy hat plopped onto her head, shading her eyes from the sun and hiding the pink barrette from sight. Caleb, at her side, seemed to make this new adventure feel just right. Comfortable. Safe.

How about that? She actually felt at ease with a man. Probably because her grandmother had sung his praises all evening. The great things he did for her, without any thought of compensation. How responsible he was. How good.

There was good in everyone, she reminded herself. But lessons learned had taught her there was bad, too, and that’s what hurt a person. She had to keep up her guard.