protectors, and Rafe wouldn’t be surprised to find more. She’d made friends in the short time she’d been here, and they didn’t want her to get hurt.
Well, neither did he. Wyatt knew that he wasn’t in the habit of treating women poorly, but Emmett couldn’t know that. In any case, Rafe would leave well enough alone when it came to Meg. Yes, she intrigued him, but pursuing that interest wasn’t worth the risk.
“I’ll leave you both to carry on with the program,” Emmett said. “Holler if you need any help, though.”
“Thanks, Emmett,” Meg said. “We should be fine.”
Giving her horse one last pat, she walked over to Destiny. “Let’s get this guy saddled. I’ll let you do it.”
“All right.” Rafe put the blanket on the way she had. Then he made sure the stirrups and the leather belt thing were lying on top of the saddle before he swung it up to Destiny’s broad back.
“Good job. You must have been watching very closely.”
“I was.” Good thing she didn’t know how closely.
“Then cinch it up.”
“With the belt thing?”
“Yes. It’s called a cinch.”
“Good to know.” He managed to knock his hat in the dirt while he dealt with the cinch.
She picked up his hat, dusted it off and hung it on the saddle. “This hat doesn’t have a string to hold it on.”
“No. Sarah mentioned that.” He grappled with the leather cinch while Destiny stomped his front foot. That startled him, but he soldiered on as if he had no thoughts of that hoof crushing his skull like a melon. “Can horses smell fear?”
“Why, are you afraid?”
“No, no. Just wondered.”
“I’m sure they can tell when someone’s afraid of them. Then they try to take advantage.”
“They do?” He managed to get the cinch buckled and stood up again. “Like how?”
“Like not minding you, walking you under a tree branch to scrape you off, things like that.”
“Good thing I’m not afraid of this horse, then.” And by God he wouldn’t be. He didn’t relish the idea of being knocked off by an overhanging branch. “Now we wait for him to let out air, right?”
“Right.” Meg gazed at him. “I’m trying to imagine growing up without animals in the house. We had dogs, cats, gerbils, hamsters, you name it. Was someone in your family allergic?”
“No. We had very expensive furniture and my mother didn’t want it ruined.”
“Ah.” For a brief moment sympathy flashed in her green eyes. Then she glanced away, as if she knew that he wouldn’t appreciate seeing that emotion coming from her.
She was right. He didn’t want her sympathy. “It was more of a hardship for Wyatt than for me. I didn’t really feel deprived.”
“I guess it’s all in what you’re used to.”
“Exactly. So is it time to tighten the cinch on this hay-burner?”
She laughed in surprise. “Hay-burner? Where’d you get that, from some old Western?”
“Probably. It just popped into my head. Hanging out at the old homestead must be affecting my vocabulary.”
“Next thing you know you’ll be saying things like ‘howdy, partner’ and ‘don’t you fret, little lady.’“
“God, I hope not. If you hear me start saying dorky things like that, give me a kick, okay?”
“I will.” She grinned at him. “And I won’t be the only one. Cowboys don’t talk like that in real life.”
“Do they say ‘hay-burner’?”
“They might, among themselves.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “But if I were you, I’d avoid that one, too. The Chances are proud of their breeding program and their registered Paints. They might be offended.”
“Point taken.” He savored the cinnamon scent that wafted from her skin when she was this close. Her mouth looked delicious, and that’s why he had to move back and forget about it. He put distance between them, but forgetting about her pink mouth wasn’t so easy.
He cleared his throat. “So, is it time to tighten the cinch on this valuable registered Paint?”
“Yes.” Her green eyes sparkled. “But Destiny isn’t valuable to the horse breeding operation anymore, now that he’s no longer—”
“In possession of his family jewels?”
“You noticed?”
“I’m not that observant. Emmett told me. Damned shame.”
“It makes him easier to pair up with other horses. Stallions can get touchy with each other, and a mare like Spilled Milk, if she happened to be in season, couldn’t go on a trail ride with a stallion. Things could get complicated.”
And now he had a visual that was no help in getting his mind off sex. “I hadn’t thought of all that.”
“Fortunately, Emmett and I did. So cinch him up, and we’ll get started.”
“Sure thing.” Rafe was able to pull the cinch a couple of notches tighter, and while he did, he thought about the poor horse’s missing sexual equipment. Rafe, however, wasn’t missing any of his, and whenever he looked at Meg, his animal instincts took over.
He’d been so sure a riding lesson couldn’t possibly become sexual in nature. Less than thirty minutes into the session, it already had.
4
MEG WONDERED IF RAFE had been warned not to get too friendly with her. Wyatt might have done that, and although she appreciated his big-brother, protective attitude, she didn’t want him discouraging Rafe. Maybe he hadn’t, but Meg thought someone had issued a word of caution.
Her attempts to flirt with Rafe would spark an initial response, but then he’d tamp it down. Once they were out on the trail and away from anyone who might overhear, she’d ask him why. Maybe he had his own reasons for putting on the brakes, but she was willing to bet Wyatt was at the bottom of it.
First things first, though. She had to get him comfortable with riding so he’d agree to take one of the ranch’s many trails. Each one was beautiful, and Meg could hardly wait to show Rafe the wonders he’d been willing to dismiss yesterday.
When Destiny was saddled, she had Rafe watch her put on Spilled Milk’s bridle. Then she helped him with Destiny’s and explained how the bit worked to control the horse. Finally it was time for Rafe to mount up.
“You
