“Yes. It’s exposure therapy. He’ll be fine.”
“It’s not the horse I’m worried about,” I mumble.
I sigh and make sure I’m in Luci’s line of sight before I shake the noisemaker.
He doesn’t explode the way he did the first two times we tried it, but he’s still agitated. Sawyer gently croons to the horse, making shushing noises to calm him down.
She’s graceful in the saddle no matter how agitated the horse is, like she’s done it a million times. She probably has, but that doesn’t stop me from being impressed.
I can’t take my eyes off her as she rides, her body moving effortlessly with the horse. Her flannel gaping open, to show another graphic T-shirt with the wordsGet Off Your High Horsein bold letters.
How many of those T-shirts does she own?
Luci settles down more quickly this time, and Sawyer nods at me. I take her cue and shake it again. This time, Luci’s reaction is minor. Sawyer corrects it, still relaxed in the saddle and Luci continues his trot around the ring.
Sawyer’s chin tips toward me, and I repeat the noise. This time Luci doesn’t react. I can’t help but smile as Sawyer praises him, rewarding him with some gentle pats to his neck. I can feel her excitement from here and it’s infectious.
She brings Luci to a stop in front of me and grins down. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so big.”
I shake my head at her. “It’s fun watching you in your element, Red. Even more fun seeing you get excited about something.”
She slips out of the saddle elegantly, and then she’s looking up at me. “He did good today. I didn’t end up on my ass in the dirt, so I’ll take it.” She glances proudly at the horse, who looks like he’s preening.
I reach out and give him a scratch on his nose, which he seems to enjoy. “Was he the last training session today?”
She runs her fingers through his mane, her smile still bright as she nods. “I was going to brush him down and then call it a day.”
“Mind if I stick around?”
She shrugs. “Do whatever you want, city boy.”
I follow her into the stable and watch as she untacks the horse. She hisses out a pained breath as she works the buckle on the billet strap.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. My joints are just sore from holding the reins all day. I’m fine.”
“Here. I’ll do it.” I gently nudge her out of the way so I can undo the billet strap and finish untacking him.
She sighs, massaging her knuckles one at a time. “Thanks.” She glances away, looking out at the pasture where the rest of the horses are still out grazing.
Her copper hair glistens in the setting sun, making it look like it's glowing in the dim light of the stable, and her face melts from the hard-bitten mask she often wears into something more serene and relaxed. It's a side of her I haven't gotten to see yet.
I put the saddle away and grab the grooming kit from the tack room. Sawyer sits on the little wooden bench and her eyes drift closed. Her face looks drawn and tired. The tough as nails veneer has dropped and I get to see a tiny glimmer of vulnerability.Sawyer with her guard down is a beautiful sight to see, and I want more of it.
She must feel my stare because her eyes open, and her gaze immediately swings my way. She sees the curry comb in my hand and gets up off the bench to take it from me.
“Do you mind if I do it?” I tip my head toward the horse.
She shoots me a questioning look. If I tell her she looks like she's about to fall over, her pride would get in the way of her letting me do her a favor.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had the privilege of grooming one. You could go in and shower or something. No offense. You kind of stink.”That last part is a lie. She smells like horses, but I’ve always loved that smell.
Her eyes narrow at me. “It’s eau de horse. You smell just as bad as I do.”
I grin because she’s right. I actually smell worse. The scent of cows isn’t nearly as nice as that of horses. “I’ll go home and shower when I’m done.”
“Alright,” she relents, handing the comb back to me. “But I’ll stay. I don’t trust you not to mess something up.”
