Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)(9)

He put his head on her shoulder and leaned into her. The action nearly sent her to her knees, but she managed to stay standing. She wrapped both arms around him and would have sworn he sighed.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, stepping back and rubbing his cheek again. “Are you lonely? Does mean old Shane ignore you?”

She glanced over her shoulder and saw both men staring at her. Elias’s eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open. Shane looked surprised, but slightly less comical.

“What?” she asked.

“Stay calm,” Elias told her, sounding oddly desperate.

“I am calm. What is with you two?” She glanced around, half expecting to see a marauding snake or twelve.

Shane and the teen exchanged a whispered few words, then Elias began to circle the stallion. Khatar, still nuzzling her, casually kicked out a back hoof. Elias jumped back.

“Annabelle, please step back.”

Shane sounded stern. She did as he asked. Khatar followed. She rubbed his shoulder.

“Will I be riding him?” she asked.

“No!” The two men spoke as one.

“Okay, okay.” She returned her attention to Khatar. “Are you valuable? Is that the problem? You’re pretty enough to be worth a ton. Although I suppose handsome is a better word, right? Who’s a handsome boy?”

Elias and Shane had another whispered conversation.

“Annabelle, we’re going to put a halter on Khatar,” Shane said in that slightly annoying, reasonable voice.

“Want me to do it?” she asked. “He seems to like me.”

“No. I want you to slowly step away, while I get between you and him.”

She took the horse’s big head in both her hands and lightly kissed the hair above his nose. “You be good for Shane, you hear me?”

His eyes flickered and his gaze shifted to the cowboy. Then his ears went back.

She didn’t know much about horses, but that didn’t seem like a good sign.

“Why don’t I stay close,” she offered. “That way he’ll be calm.”

“She’s not crazy, boss,” Elias said. “Look at him.”

She’s not crazy. Wow—maybe she could get that made into a bumper sticker for her car. Talk about a way to step up her game in the romance department. Men would be flocking.

Shane hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Be careful,” he told her. “Watch out for his hooves. He’s likely to kick.”

“How do you know that? Has he kicked you?”

“No, but—”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Has this horse done even one mean thing since you got him?”

“No, but—”

Annabelle exhaled. “Why do you think he’s a problem?”

“I don’t. He’s a great horse. Okay? Happy now?”

Shane moved in. Khatar stiffened slightly. Annabelle rubbed his neck.

“It’s okay, big guy. He’s not going to hurt you and I’m right here.”

Khatar relaxed and Shane slipped on the halter. She grabbed the rope hanging down.

“Now I have you in my power,” she joked. Khatar took a step toward her. She glanced at Shane. “I guess I can take him wherever you want him.”

The two men both looked stunned. Again. Shane pointed to the corral where Khatar had been kept before. She led the way, stroking his neck as they walked, his head right beside hers. When they reached the enclosure, she walked him in, closed the gate and then unfastened the rope.

“Home again,” she said with a smile.

Khatar sighed. Or maybe snorted. She couldn’t tell.

Shane secured the latch on the gate. “Annabelle, slowly move to the railings.”

She glanced at him. “Seriously, you don’t need to talk in that ‘let’s keep the crazy horse calm’ voice. He’s fine. Too bad I can’t ride him.”

“You can’t,” Shane told her. “Now please come out of the corral.”

She did as asked. Khatar followed her to the fence, then stared at her, looking lost and a little stricken.

“I think he’s lonely,” she said. “Can’t you pay attention to him more?”

Elias walked up. “Ma’am, that horse is a killer.”

“He’s not a killer,” Shane said quickly. “He’s difficult. Or has a reputation for being difficult.”

“You didn’t find out for yourself?” she asked. “You just assumed?” Annabelle looked at the forlorn expression on Khatar’s sad face. “Maybe you should do a little more checking.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Shane told her.

* * *

THE WORLD LOOKED DIFFERENT from the back of a horse, Annabelle thought thirty minutes later. She was perched on Mason, her friend Charlie’s large horse, hanging on to the saddle with both hands. Although she’d read a couple of books on riding, none of that information had prepared her for how far away she was from the ground.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she said desperately.

The horse stood perfectly still, which was a good thing. If he took even a single step, she was pretty sure she was going to start screaming.

“Just relax,” Shane told her. He held on to Mason’s bridle and patted the horse’s shoulder. “Get used to how it feels.”