“Isn’t it great?” They headed toward the round pen whereGunner’s demonstration was well underway. The fence around the pen was surrounded by people. “He’s got a good crowd.”
They stopped and watched as he continued his demonstration.
Gunner had Nutmeg trotting around the pen, spinning the rope behind her to keep her moving. “Nutmeg’s doing pretty well,” he said loudly. “She’s following my direction.” He moved to the horse’s front and began spinning the rope. The filly turned and trotted the other way.
“Good girl,” he said, then addressed the crowd again. “Some people think it’s mean for humans to assert dominance. But horses are pack animals. Almost all of them want a leader, and a good leader has to be trustworthy. I’ve been building trust with Nutmeg for about”—he glanced at his watch—“thirty-five minutes now. And as you can see, she’s coming around. See how her head and ears are turned my way? She’s listening for my direction. That’s a good sign she’s on board with me.”
He encouraged the horse as she trotted around the circle. “So what I’m gonna do now is give her an opportunity to show me how she feels about me. I’ll stop what I’m doing and walk away from her. Let’s find out how she responds.”
A hush fell over the group as Gunner coiled his rope, turned away from the horse, and walked a few steps before he stopped.
Nutmeg slowed her trot, watching him.
The crowd murmured as she walked slowly toward Gunner. When she reached him, she nuzzled his neck with her nose.
The children exclaimed and the crowd applauded.
Beside Charlotte, Kyle joined the cheering. “That never fails to amaze me.”
Smiling, Gunner turned to Nutmeg and stroked her face, murmuring softly to her.
Charlotte was so proud of Gunner that she beamed. The connection he’d made with the horse in such a short time was a credit to his skills. He had such a way with the horses. The audience obviously adored him too. He’d probably made half their guests want to go out and buy horses of their own.
Gunner spied her in the crowd, and their gazes clung for a moment. She hoped he could see how proud she was to have him on staff. He’d added so much to the ranch. So much to her life.
He gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Then looked away.
That’s when she remembered to breathe. “It’s truly magical.”
Charlotte brushed down Ginger in the new stable. The scent of raw wood still hung in the air, now mixed with the smells of horseflesh and hay. The late-afternoon sun cut through the open doorway, flooding the open space with natural light.
“You did good today with the kiddos,” she said to Ginger.
The dun mare’s ears swiveled her way.
“You liked all the attention, didn’t you? Yeah, I know you did.”
The demonstrations were finished, the meal had been served, and the last riders had left the property. The grand opening had officially come to an end. Charlotte was still running on adrenaline.
She thought of the Robinsons’ participation today, and her heart glowed warm. They’d stayed for all the events, and her niece and nephew had seemed to enjoy their pony rides. Charlotte had felt like she had a real family today, and it meant the world to her—even if they didn’t know about their genetic connection to her.
Yes, today had been a great success, and with the articles still to come, she was reasonably reassured that new business would follow. And (listening, God?) she could finally quit her job at the Trailhead and become a full-time rancher.
The clopping of hooves alerted her to Firefly’s—and Gunner’s—presence. He tossed Charlotte a grin as he began untacking the pony. “It was a good day.”
“Itwasa good day.” She chuckled. “It was such a whirlwind. And those Join-Ups were nothing short of enchanting. The spectators were in awe of you.”
“You picked good horses. They don’t always go that quickly or that smoothly.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Those kids really enjoyed their rides too. A lot of parents asked me about riding lessons.”
Charlotte winced. “Quite a few asked me too. I’m starting to think I missed an opportunity.”
He pulled the saddle from Firefly. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“But we missed the chance for sign-ups.”
