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Skye ran her hands reverently over the leather. When she slowly traced his name in the fender with her index finger, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth, TJ felt it like a touch to his own skin.

‘I’d feel better if I could pay you for it.’

‘It’s over fifteen years old.’

‘It’s a Billy Cook saddle with your name on it,’ she argued, and flicked the branded strap holder that declared Billy Cook Genuine, Sulphur, OK. ‘If you’re as famous as you tell me you are, you could sell this for something.’

‘I said I’d trade, so I’ll trade.’

She didn’t just accept it. She leaned against the saddle, said, ‘Okay. Let’s hear it.’

‘When you win your first trophy saddle in a barrel race, you give this to someone who needs it more.’

‘That hardly benefits you. And who said I was going to start barrel racing?’

‘We’ll call it a universal trade. A pass-it-on.’ TJ made a play at nonchalance. ‘I could use the good karma.’ And because he knew that barrel racing would be impossible for her wild side to resist, he added, ‘And we both know you’re going to race. It’s just a matter of when.’

She unclasped Smokey from the cross-ties and led her through to where he stood with Kai. And right before she exited the barn, she looked over her shoulder at him, said, ‘You know, for this saddle, I might have traded sexual favours.’

TJ knew she was returning his teasing, but that didn’t stop the flood of lust through his system. ‘Let’s renegotiate!’ he called after her.

Skye just laughed, easier this time.

Chapter 7

They mounted their horses and made their way to the south fence.

Smokey held her head high and pulled at the bit, eager to go. Although her heart raced, Skye kept a death grip on the reins, holding the horse in line with TJ and Kai. Beneath her, TJ’s roping saddle was an entirely new experience. The seat was reinforced, the thick horn wrapped. Although the stirrups were far too big, she figured those would be easy and cheap enough to change out.

His trade had taken her by surprise, but it was a reminder not to take TJ at face value. It was obvious, even to someone with her limited experience of men, that he wasn’t like Holden.

‘You’ve got a good seat,’ he said as they walked through the scratchy brush, their horses’ hooves crunching over dry soil. ‘But it’s very’ – he affected a British accent – ‘English dressage.’ He mimicked her erect posture and stiff hands, making her laugh.

Where Kai was relaxed and plodding with it, Smokey, impatient and excited, walked almost in a diagonal, pulling at the bit with every step.

‘Show me what to do.’

‘Start by taking a deep breath and relaxing your body.’ As Skye did what he instructed, TJ continued, ‘The Western riding disciplines predominantly originated from actual ranch work. Roping cows to drag them to the fire for branding, reining to move them during cattle drives. Think all day in the saddle, one hand controlling your horse, one hand free to do the work or open and close gates. Relax,’ he said again. ‘Give Smokey her head and let her neck find its natural position.’

‘She’s so fast,’ Skye said, but she did as he instructed.

Smokey immediately took the relaxed bit as a cue to go. She broke into a rapid trot.

‘Bring that left rein in tight and pull her into a circle until she stops. Once she stops, straighten her out and then back her up.’

Again, Skye did as she was told, but it wasn’t easy. Smokey fought her the entire way. When she backed up and stopped, TJ and Kai came abreast of them.

‘Every time she breaks into a jog or a lope without your cue, you do that. Turn a tight circle, stop, back her up, and then release the pressure and let her sit and think about it. She tries to step forward without your cue again, you back her up immediately. Repeat. She’ll learn pretty quick that she doesn’t go anywhere without your say-so.’

It took five circles and backups before Smokey stood still instead of trying to move forward immediately. And the mare wasn’t happy. She arched her neck and looked back at Skye in the saddle, as if to say Since when are you in charge?

‘Good. Now push her forward with a small hip roll. She’s responsive, so you probably won’t even need to give her a squeeze with your legs.’

Skye shifted her hips, rolling forward slightly. Smokey walked off immediately, slower this time, clearly wary of being pulled in another circle.

‘You feel her body relaxing beneath you?’

‘I do actually.’