Page 10 of Reviving Her Highland Spirit

It wasn’t hard to find Callum again. He was in the stables, where he had been the first time Maggie met him, shoveling out hay into the horses’ feeding boxes. He glanced up when she appeared in the doorway and froze when he saw who it was. His gaze - the bright blue eyes Maggie had noticed last time - raked down her frame, accentuated by her masculine clothing, and landed squarely on her leather breeches.

“Are those…” Callum began hoarsely, before clearing his throat and hastily nipping off the end of that sentence.

“Breeches? Aye,” Maggie finished for him. “Would you fancy riding for hours on end with your legs practically bare under a skirt?”

Callum grimaced. “I imagine that would be painful.”

“Ye imagine right. I’ve worn breeches like these since I was a child. It makes the business of riding a lot easier, I can tell ye.”

“Aye, that makes sense,” Callum agreed. He shoveled one last forkful of hay into the last horse’s feeding box, and set the pitchfork aside, eyeing her curiously.

“And are ye here to ride, Lady Maggie?”

She drew in a breath. “Aye. I am.”

Callum shook his head. “It’s one thing not to give yourself time tae lose ye nerve, but this shouldnae be rushed. Did ye think about what I said?”

Maggie nodded slowly, biting her lip. Her heart was hammering harder and faster than she thought possible. Blood was pounding in her ears. The clean, earthy scent of horses filled her nose, and just like that, she was back - lying on the cold, wet ground, unable to move, body throbbing in pain, watching four hooves thunder mercilessly towards her.

She closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing. Her lungs seemed to want to breathe quickly and shallowly, and she knew she wasn’t getting enough air into them.

“Calm down, Lady Maggie. Nice deep breaths.”

Callum’s deep, reassuring voice came from right in front of her, waking her up, out of her spiral. Her eyes flew open, and she found him standing right in front of her, dark brows furrowed with concern.

“I’m alright,” Maggie said, automatically.

Callum raised his eyebrows. “Ye are not. Ye were back there again. I saw it in ye eyes. Are ye sure that today is the day?”

Maggie nodded. “Will ye still help me?”

“O’ course. Go outside and enjoy the sun, I’ll saddle up yer horse for ye. Which one will it be?”

There was never any hesitation.

“Stardust,” Maggie said at once.

Callum didn’t immediately leap into action. “Are ye sure that Stardust is the right horse? There are some good, mild horses ye could try.”

“Stardust is a good, mild horse. She didn’t throw me, and any other horse would have trampled me.”

“Aye, but it could bring back bad memories.”

Maggie drew in a deep breath. “I understand what ye mean, Callum, but I want Stardust. I’ll ride on her, or I’ll ride on none.”

Callum nodded. “I understand. I’ll prepare her.”

Maggie was glad to step out into the pale morning sunlight. She stood on the grass, still crunchy from last night’s frost, and closed her eyes. There was a cold, brisk breeze - as there always was in the Highlands. It was a perfect day for riding.

She opened her eyes when she heard the slow, measured clop of hooves on cobbles, then on grass. She didn’t have to turn around to know that Callum was leading Stardust toward her.

Maggie turned, and Stardust’s head lifted. She whickered happily, stretching out her neck to Maggie.

“No apples today, pet,” Maggie murmured, smoothing out Stardust’s velvety nose.

Callum had quickly and expertly saddled Stardust up, and she was ready for action. All Maggie had to do was climb onto her horse’s saddle and go.

She swallowed hard, not daring to look up at the saddle. Stardust wasn’t a particularly tall horse, but at the moment, her back seemed impossibly high up.