Read Online The Counterfeit Cowgirl by Kathryn Brocato - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathryn Brocato
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loomed just because she was about to mount a horse.
She approached Rhyolite cautiously. Her palms were so wet, she probably wouldn’t be able to hold the reins. Wiping them on her jeans, she eyed Rhyolite. The big horse stood calmly, swishing his tail gently and ignoring her.
The first big challenge was to get aboard the monster. Felicity swallowed.
“Well, Miss Clayton? Would you like a hand up?”
Startled, she looked at Aaron. He was standing on the other side of the horse watching her expectantly. As if he knew she was going to be stomped, kicked, bitten, or thrown, she thought with considerable indignation.
Felicity’s fighting spirit rallied. “No, thank you. I prefer to mount on my own.”
The words sounded fine — almost as if she knew what she was talking about. Heartened, she took another step toward Rhyolite while her adrenalin surged and her courage was up. Within about three feet of the big gray gelding, all systems collapsed. Rhyolite tossed his head and looked at her. Felicity halted in her tracks.
Fortunately, the two boys were occupied with untying their ponies’ reins. Aaron was leading his horse away from the fence and appeared to be watching the horse’s gait.
Now. She had to do it now, while no one was observing. Once in the saddle, she’d cling like a spider monkey until the ordeal ended. But first, she had to get in the saddle.
Felicity dried her damp palms on her hips and searched out the stirrup. How she was supposed to get her boot into a waist-high stirrup, she didn’t know. Taking a deep breath, she went for it.
The stirrup felt cold and heavy to her inexperienced hand. Holding it steady, she lifted her foot — a difficult task in her skin-tight jeans — and aimed it at the stirrup.
Rhyolite jerked his head up. His hindquarters made a semicircular motion, and the stirrup fell from Felicity’s cold fingers. Every muscle in his enormous body twitched; he snorted and tried to look around at her. It was almost as if the big horse was annoyed with her.
Numb with fear, she approached again. She tried to imagine she was climbing a tree or a fence, some inanimate object that didn’t sidle away every time she lifted her foot and tried to place it into the stirrup. Rhyolite couldn’t move very far tied to the fence rail, but any movement at all took him out of Felicity’s range. Every time she tried to insert her boot into the stirrup, the horse moved.
Felicity forgot her fear in favor of frustration with Rhyolite. Not that she considered this Rhyolite’s fault. No, sir. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear Aaron had told the horse to make her look bad. Naturally, Rhyolite had to obey or risk having his oat supply cut off.
She wasn’t letting Aaron get away with this. Circling, Felicity came at the horse from a different angle, all too conscious of Aaron watching her as he walked his own horse in a circle.
“Let me give you a leg up.” He tied his horse to the fence and took up a position on the gelding’s left side. “Looks like Rhyolite is a little testy this morning.”
Felicity remained on the right side of the gray gelding. “As you say, he’s a very spirited horse.”
“You have to get on the other side of Rhyolite, Felicity.” Joey had already mounted his pony and was holding the reins like a true cowboy. “He won’t let you get on him on that side.”
Felicity viewed the horse with hostility. “Is that so?”
“Isn’t that right, Uncle Aaron?”
Aaron’s smile was a masterpiece of innocence. “That’s right, Joey.”
Felicity gathered she had just broken a major law of horseback riding, and that Aaron knew it. She hadn’t gotten any good advice from her cousins since they knew the disaster that had befallen her on her last great ride. She also hadn’t located a book on the subject, since she’d spent the day house cleaning and waiting for various repair persons.
The only thing she could do was bluff.
She sauntered around to where
She approached Rhyolite cautiously. Her palms were so wet, she probably wouldn’t be able to hold the reins. Wiping them on her jeans, she eyed Rhyolite. The big horse stood calmly, swishing his tail gently and ignoring her.
The first big challenge was to get aboard the monster. Felicity swallowed.
“Well, Miss Clayton? Would you like a hand up?”
Startled, she looked at Aaron. He was standing on the other side of the horse watching her expectantly. As if he knew she was going to be stomped, kicked, bitten, or thrown, she thought with considerable indignation.
Felicity’s fighting spirit rallied. “No, thank you. I prefer to mount on my own.”
The words sounded fine — almost as if she knew what she was talking about. Heartened, she took another step toward Rhyolite while her adrenalin surged and her courage was up. Within about three feet of the big gray gelding, all systems collapsed. Rhyolite tossed his head and looked at her. Felicity halted in her tracks.
Fortunately, the two boys were occupied with untying their ponies’ reins. Aaron was leading his horse away from the fence and appeared to be watching the horse’s gait.
Now. She had to do it now, while no one was observing. Once in the saddle, she’d cling like a spider monkey until the ordeal ended. But first, she had to get in the saddle.
Felicity dried her damp palms on her hips and searched out the stirrup. How she was supposed to get her boot into a waist-high stirrup, she didn’t know. Taking a deep breath, she went for it.
The stirrup felt cold and heavy to her inexperienced hand. Holding it steady, she lifted her foot — a difficult task in her skin-tight jeans — and aimed it at the stirrup.
Rhyolite jerked his head up. His hindquarters made a semicircular motion, and the stirrup fell from Felicity’s cold fingers. Every muscle in his enormous body twitched; he snorted and tried to look around at her. It was almost as if the big horse was annoyed with her.
Numb with fear, she approached again. She tried to imagine she was climbing a tree or a fence, some inanimate object that didn’t sidle away every time she lifted her foot and tried to place it into the stirrup. Rhyolite couldn’t move very far tied to the fence rail, but any movement at all took him out of Felicity’s range. Every time she tried to insert her boot into the stirrup, the horse moved.
Felicity forgot her fear in favor of frustration with Rhyolite. Not that she considered this Rhyolite’s fault. No, sir. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear Aaron had told the horse to make her look bad. Naturally, Rhyolite had to obey or risk having his oat supply cut off.
She wasn’t letting Aaron get away with this. Circling, Felicity came at the horse from a different angle, all too conscious of Aaron watching her as he walked his own horse in a circle.
“Let me give you a leg up.” He tied his horse to the fence and took up a position on the gelding’s left side. “Looks like Rhyolite is a little testy this morning.”
Felicity remained on the right side of the gray gelding. “As you say, he’s a very spirited horse.”
“You have to get on the other side of Rhyolite, Felicity.” Joey had already mounted his pony and was holding the reins like a true cowboy. “He won’t let you get on him on that side.”
Felicity viewed the horse with hostility. “Is that so?”
“Isn’t that right, Uncle Aaron?”
Aaron’s smile was a masterpiece of innocence. “That’s right, Joey.”
Felicity gathered she had just broken a major law of horseback riding, and that Aaron knew it. She hadn’t gotten any good advice from her cousins since they knew the disaster that had befallen her on her last great ride. She also hadn’t located a book on the subject, since she’d spent the day house cleaning and waiting for various repair persons.
The only thing she could do was bluff.
She sauntered around to where
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