The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“So is this the horse you’ll teach me to ride?” Diana leaned against the wooden rail of the corral where Jed scooped manure with a plastic pitchfork, dumping it into a heavy green wheelbarrow. The same dark horse he’d unloaded from the horse trailer an hour before stomped her hoofs and swished her tail.

Jed stopped what he was doing and wasn’t shy about the once over he gave her. He nodded, which she could only suppose was approval of her faded jeans, the boots she’d picked up at a secondhand store a year before, and a plain red t-shirt. She had brushed her hair out and tied it once again into a ponytail. She never wore jewelry—she’d never been able to stomach it, after all the flash and glitter Faye had draped herself in; instead, Diana had learned to blend into the background and did her best never to stand out.

“So, tell me what you know about horses, your experience, how much riding you’ve done.” He didn’t even glance at her as he worked.

“I love horses, but I’ve never ridden. Not once. Never had the opportunity, and I never allowed myself to have that dream. I’ve always admired them from afar. But there’s something about them, you know, where they know things, smell things before we do. It’s as if they speak another language, and I’ve wanted to understand them, how they think, why they get spooked or jump or…” She stayed outside the corral while he finished dumping manure in the wheelbarrow, lifting the rake over the side of the corral and leaning it against the barn wall. She felt silly for rambling on. He must have been bored, or maybe he thought she was silly for carrying on.

“Well, at least you’re smart enough to know that much about a horse, and you’ve never ridden. Most people figure they can just jump in the saddle, kick the horse a couple times, yank and pull the reins and they’re in control. That stupidity is a good way to get yourself thrown and killed.” He lifted the handles on the wheelbarrow, flicked the corral gate open, went through, then latched it behind him. He pushed the wheelbarrow around the barn to a large pile of manure and dumped it there.

Diana followed, unsure of what to do. He had heard her. He had listened.

“If you want to learn about horses, to ride, this is what you’ll be doing every morning. And you need to help out. I’ll take you out on the trail when you’re comfortable. But when you’re learning about horses, you’re going to do everything. You can’t be worrying about a broken fingernail, or if your delicate skin is burning, or your butt is sore. It’s important that you learn how to look after your horse first. If you look after your horse, she’ll look after you. Understand? You’re starting with the basics so that I can see what you can do.”

He left the wheelbarrow beside the manure pile. He didn’t wait for Diana as he strode back into the barn. She recognized enough arrogant body language that she knew he expected her to follow—to keep up. “Here’s the tack room, where I keep the saddles, blankets, halters, brushes, everything you need to care for your horse. Grab a curry comb, brush, and hoof pick and we’ll start with the basics.”

Jed pointed to the tack box, and Diana grabbed one of each and hurried after him. He didn’t wait around for her to catch up, and she had to jog to keep up with his long strides. He opened the gate to the corral.

“First and foremost, with gates on a farm, you always double-check and make sure they’re latched. Never leave a gate open or unlocked for a second, thinking you’ll be right back. That’s how accidents happen, and animals can get hurt, or killed.”

The dark spotted horse stood alone in the corral and nickered when Jed walked toward her. “This is Scarlett. She’s an Appaloosa Quarter Horse. She’s eight years old and the sweetest thing. You’ll be riding her, and you’ll look after her—she’ll look after you.”

“What’s she like?” Diana’s chest tightened just a little in awe of standing so close to this spectacular creature. The horse’s power was so natural, and she could feel it touch her as she stepped cautiously to Scarlett’s side, her hand trembling as she stroked the smooth coat.

She glanced up at Jed, and he was watching her in a way that was so different from Andy. In a way, he gave her all of his attention. He was so tall and rugged and solid that she barely reached his shoulder. And Scarlett, well, she was a big horse. She’d need a ladder to get on her.

“If you’re nervous, shake it off before you come in here, because she’ll pick it up and test you. It’s hard to break that once she’s got you pegged. She’s reading your body language, how you walk, how you approach her. Your hesitation, what you’re thinking. Being unsure only tells her one thing—she can’t trust you. And you don’t ever want to be on a horse that doesn’t trust you.”

Diana was startled by what he said. Without giving her a chance to absorb what he was saying, he moved away from Scarlett.

“Give her a good brushing.”

Diana stepped closer to touch Scarlett’s side with the brush. That was when the horse moved, nearly knocking Diana over. Jed stepped in and smacked Scarlett’s hind end, pushing her over.

“Hey, move over. Behave yourself.” Jed grabbed Diana’s hand with his large, rough one, and shoved a ragged plastic curry comb in it, placing it on Scarlett’s side. “Move in closer. Here, press here, and rub in circles like this. Show her you mean it, like you know what you’re doing. Think about what you’re doing before you do it. If you hesitate, she’ll know it before you do. Understand that she’s testing you now. Score one for Scarlett—she pushed you over. Next time, she’ll walk on you. So now you have to undo what you’ve just reinforced. Sometimes it’s ten times harder to undo a mistake than it is to get things right the first time. That’s your first lesson. When you don’t know what to do, or you’re scared as hell, she’ll walk all over you, and you’ll lose her trust. Once she’s in charge, it’s damn hard to reverse the roll. So when you come in here with her, have a plan. Your hand is always touching her side, like this, so she knows where you are. You comb her, brush her. Always have your hand on her when you walk behind her and walk close behind. You don’t want to give her room to kick you. If she kicks you, she’ll break your leg. And startled horses will kick. So I’ll repeat it again: you make sure she knows where you are at all times. After you’ve got her brushed down, you’ll hoof pick. I’ll walk you through all of this today. Then we’ll start some groundwork so you and Scarlett can get to know each other.”

His body was so close that he touched her, and every part of him was wreaking havoc on Diana’s lonely senses. She had never allowed herself to feel, to fall in love, because, for as long as she could remember, it had been Andy who was her first love, her hero, a man she worshipped, and the man who ultimately destroyed her ability to trust. For years, her sole purpose had been to find a path to justice and to empower herself so that no man could ever rip away her basic foundation ever again. She had a law degree, resources, and a plan she was forming now. But the man hovering beside her brought with him an earthy scent, a musky, animal scent that made such a physical impact that her senses reeled. It was a distraction she couldn’t afford. She needed to move away, to give herself space to breathe, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“No, finish brushing her,” he said.

He stepped away. She didn’t need to look at him to know he was still there watching, leaning against the rail. Her face heated, and Scarlett nickered, tossing her head as if sensing Diana’s discomfort. This time, when Scarlett tried to step on her foot, Diana smacked her hind end just like Jed had.

“No, move over,” she said.