“How about you introduce me?” she says, curtly.
"How about you call me Beck?"
"I'll stick with Mr. Aldridge."
"Ouch."
"You'll live."
“Is that him staring at us over there?” She's already moving past me toward the pasture fence, done with my bullshit.
And I'm watching her walk away with a grin spreading across my face, becausedamnthat view.
"Ms. Dempsey," I call after her. "You always this friendly, or is it just me?"
She doesn't turn around. "Take a guess. I'm sure you’re smarter than you look."
A startled laugh punches out of me, and I hobble after her.
The woman’s got a mouth on her. A mouth I’d like to…nope, she hasn’t even been here for fifteen minutes, Beck.
Riot clocks us before we reach the rail.
His head comes up fast—ears forward for half a second, because he's curious, and then pinned flat when he sees the stranger. He's got issues with strangers. He's got issues with most things, but especially strangers. He tosses his head and starts a slow walk in our direction.
"Ms. Dempsey," I say, easing up to the fence and letting it take some of my weight, "meet Riot."
"He’s a beautiful quarter horse. Looks great for his age."
"Takes after me."
She huffs out a breath, un-impressed.
Riot reaches the fence and stops a few feet off, neck arched, nostrils working. His ears are so flat I could set a saucer on them. He swings his big dark body sideways, one shoulder deliberately angled at her like a warning.
She reads it, and doesn’t back off, or square up. She doesn’t show any nervousness I've seen out of people much bigger than her. "He bite?"
"Only if you show weakness."
She nods. “Got it.”
“And he’ll test you.”
She unlatches the gate.
"Ms. Dempsey…” I suddenly feel as if I’m letting her walk into the lion’s den. “…he's a handful."
"I know." She steps through and latches it behind her. "My brother warned me."
"About Riot?"
"And you."
I shut my mouth.
She walks out into the pasture toward him and then just stops. And waits. She doesn't reach for him. Doesn't click or coo. Doesn't do any of the things most people do when they're trying to convince a horse to come to them. She just stands in the grass with her hands loose at her sides.
Riot watches.
