saddle and saddle pads and hefted them over the mare’s back, remembering from long ingrained habit the intricate details of tacking up a horse. Concentrating on her task, she didn’t realize that she wasn’t alone.
“You do that well, for a city girl.” Kassey said, sticking her head out of a stall.
“Jeez, you scared me!” Abby said as she spun around. Kassey came out of the stall she was in, leading a gray gelding.
“Sorry. I didn’t know whether or not to wait until you left. Then I decided I wanted to talk to you. Do you mind if I join you on your ride?”
Abby looked at her. She couldn’t decide yet if Kassey was friend or foe. Abby had always gotten along with men better than women, but since Logan had defected, she really didn’t want to ride alone.
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“Let me get Raffy saddled up, and I’ll meet you outside.”
Kassey looked over at Abby, who rode amazingly well, and grudgingly admitted that she probably was a good sort. At the dinner table last
night, when she had talked of her life on the cattle ranch, Kassey still thought she might be from one of those huge cattle ranches that were more like a wealthy enterprise than a true cattle ranch, where if you had a bad winter and lost a lot of cattle, you could lose your ranch. True, Logan was wealthy in his own right, but he had made the money, money hadn’t made him.
Kassey was also like Ben, very observant, and she had seen the looks Abby and Logan had been giving each other, watching when they didn’t think the other was looking. The attraction they had felt was almost palpable, and had kept her and Ben up late talking about it, long after Logan had chased after Abby. Logan was like family to her and Ben, and they watched out for one another, so when she had seen a newly divorced woman making cow eyes at her friend, she went on the defensive again.
Then she had heard Ben and Logan talking about why Abby was here. Her opinion changed fast. A woman shouldn’t put up with it, was her opinion, and she thought Abby should just get over the bastard, chalk it up to a lost cause and get on with her life. No matter whose fault it was, if you were unhappy in a marriage, you got out. No need to go chasing skirts behind your wife’s back.
They slowed their horses to a walk, and Abby turned in the saddle to look around. They were almost to the Yellowstone, the mountains jagged peaks in front of them.
“I’d forgotten how beautiful it is here.” Abby breathed, awestruck by the beauty around her.
“How long have you been away?” Kassey asked, guiding her horse to a stop.
“Too long. I haven’t seen my parents in almost three years, and even then they came out to Boston to see me.”
“Is it nice back East? I’ve never been out of Montana.”
“It’s nice in its own way, but it’s tame compared to this. And the mountains out there are foothills compared to here.”
Kassey took a deep breath and decided to confront the issue she had brought Abby out here for.
“Look, Abby, Logan told Ben why you were here. Do you want to talk about it?”
Abby was silent for a moment, staring off into the distance. Kassey rushed on, “He didn’t tell him just to gossip, he told him so that Ben would pass on to me a message to keep my mouth shut, but they should know me by now. I have something to say, I say it.” She fabricated it a little, but Abby didn’t know that.
“Kassey, since the moment I walked through the door, you’ve been judgmental of me. I don’t know what Logan told Ben, and what Ben told you, but my business is my own. Why should I tell you anything?” Abby said, turning to face her, her expression cold.
Kassey bristled a bit .
“That’s fair, I guess, but I don’t have much use for the “girly” type . I’m guessing you’re not a princess after all, and that’s my mistake. Ben told Logan that your husband was cheating on you, and that’s why you got divorced. Do you want to talk about the
“You do that well, for a city girl.” Kassey said, sticking her head out of a stall.
“Jeez, you scared me!” Abby said as she spun around. Kassey came out of the stall she was in, leading a gray gelding.
“Sorry. I didn’t know whether or not to wait until you left. Then I decided I wanted to talk to you. Do you mind if I join you on your ride?”
Abby looked at her. She couldn’t decide yet if Kassey was friend or foe. Abby had always gotten along with men better than women, but since Logan had defected, she really didn’t want to ride alone.
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“Let me get Raffy saddled up, and I’ll meet you outside.”
Kassey looked over at Abby, who rode amazingly well, and grudgingly admitted that she probably was a good sort. At the dinner table last
night, when she had talked of her life on the cattle ranch, Kassey still thought she might be from one of those huge cattle ranches that were more like a wealthy enterprise than a true cattle ranch, where if you had a bad winter and lost a lot of cattle, you could lose your ranch. True, Logan was wealthy in his own right, but he had made the money, money hadn’t made him.
Kassey was also like Ben, very observant, and she had seen the looks Abby and Logan had been giving each other, watching when they didn’t think the other was looking. The attraction they had felt was almost palpable, and had kept her and Ben up late talking about it, long after Logan had chased after Abby. Logan was like family to her and Ben, and they watched out for one another, so when she had seen a newly divorced woman making cow eyes at her friend, she went on the defensive again.
Then she had heard Ben and Logan talking about why Abby was here. Her opinion changed fast. A woman shouldn’t put up with it, was her opinion, and she thought Abby should just get over the bastard, chalk it up to a lost cause and get on with her life. No matter whose fault it was, if you were unhappy in a marriage, you got out. No need to go chasing skirts behind your wife’s back.
They slowed their horses to a walk, and Abby turned in the saddle to look around. They were almost to the Yellowstone, the mountains jagged peaks in front of them.
“I’d forgotten how beautiful it is here.” Abby breathed, awestruck by the beauty around her.
“How long have you been away?” Kassey asked, guiding her horse to a stop.
“Too long. I haven’t seen my parents in almost three years, and even then they came out to Boston to see me.”
“Is it nice back East? I’ve never been out of Montana.”
“It’s nice in its own way, but it’s tame compared to this. And the mountains out there are foothills compared to here.”
Kassey took a deep breath and decided to confront the issue she had brought Abby out here for.
“Look, Abby, Logan told Ben why you were here. Do you want to talk about it?”
Abby was silent for a moment, staring off into the distance. Kassey rushed on, “He didn’t tell him just to gossip, he told him so that Ben would pass on to me a message to keep my mouth shut, but they should know me by now. I have something to say, I say it.” She fabricated it a little, but Abby didn’t know that.
“Kassey, since the moment I walked through the door, you’ve been judgmental of me. I don’t know what Logan told Ben, and what Ben told you, but my business is my own. Why should I tell you anything?” Abby said, turning to face her, her expression cold.
Kassey bristled a bit .
“That’s fair, I guess, but I don’t have much use for the “girly” type . I’m guessing you’re not a princess after all, and that’s my mistake. Ben told Logan that your husband was cheating on you, and that’s why you got divorced. Do you want to talk about the
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