Read Online Summer at Mustang Ridge by Jesse Hayworth - Free Book Online Page B

riding a tall bay gelding, with his shaggy black-and-white border collie always within whistling distance. She had seen how he led on the way out, then trailed behind the riders on the way home, making sure all the stragglers made it back safely. And she had noticed that even when Ty and the others scattered for the day, Foster stayed behind to finish up whatever needed finishing, often burning the lights in the barn long after sunset.
    She hadn’t been looking for him, not really, but she had been aware of him all week, just as she was very aware of him now. The moon was waning, the firelight too faint to show her any details, but she could just make out the denim jacket he’d pulled on against the chill, and the curve of the black hat he wore low on his brow.
    “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He moved closer so he was standing over her, the dock dipping farther beneath his weight. “Not in the mood for a party?”
    “Not so much.” She clicked on her little flashlight, gave him an up-and-down, and hid the thudding of her heart by frowning at his boots. “How did you sneak up on me in those things? I sounded like a Budweiser Clydesdale.”
    “Practice.” He squatted down beside her. “Nice night. Smells like rain, though.”
    If you say so
. “You didn’t follow me out here to talk about the weather.” She paused. “Stace told you what happened.” There was no reason to be embarrassed, she reminded herself, no reason to wish she and Lizzie could’ve met him at their best. And no reason to want to take a deep breath, much as she did every morning when she came into the kitchen, only this time inhaling his scent rather than the smell of Gran’s baking.
    He stared out over the water. “I owe you an apology. If it hadn’t been for Brutus spooking—”
    “Don’t, please. The if-onlys will make you crazy.” She grimaced, though she doubted he could see it in the darkness, even if he’d been looking. “Ask me how I know.”
    “Maybe she’ll come around, given some time and patience. Stace said she really wants it, and the horse-crazy thing can be a powerful motivator.” He paused. “I’ve had kids start out terrified of even the dogs, and been riding by the end of the week. Lizzie is good with the other animals, and you’ve got time to work on it. She’ll come around.”
    “Maybe.” Across the lake, the partiers were line dancing around the fire, arms linked, legs kicking like they were trying out for the Rockettes. “Let’s just say that I haven’t had a lot of luck waiting her out. That’s part of why we’re here.”
    “How long has this been going on?”
    “Two years.” Her throat ached on the words. It had been two years since she heard her daughter’s voice. Two years of therapists, cognitive behavior modification, stress reduction, and strict routines, none of which had really changed anything. And now . . . “I told myself not to get my hopes up for a quick fix, but I never would’ve guessed it’d go like this. I thought the horses would be perfect. Everything I read about therapeutic riding . . . well, I guess it all assumes that the patient isn’t terrified of the horses.”
    “They’re big animals, she’s already taken a fall, and she’s nervous.”
    “It was more than nerves. It was . . .” She shook her head. “The mutism is rooted in anxiety, so adding more stress into the mix isn’t going to help, not the way Gertie had hoped.”
    “So where does that leave you?”
    “Cooking ranch food for the summer while my daughter hangs out in the cabin and reads? I don’t know. Maybe she’d like to learn how to fish. Or, heck, maybe I should just take her home.” She shook her head. “No, scratch that. I couldn’t leave Krista and Gran in the lurch. Which means I’m back to ‘I don’t know.’” She glanced over at him. “Tell me you’re here because you’ve got a suggestion.” Maybe he and Stace had put their heads together.
    “As a matter