Chapter One
Sebastian Donnelly shifted in the saddle, giving the chestnut mare a subtle nudge with his knee. After only a moment’s hesitation, Gingersnap switched directions, resuming her trot around the training ring.
“There’s a girl.”
Her ears swiveled back toward the sound of his crooning voice, so he kept up a low patter of one-sided conversation as they continued to circle. She was attentive to every touch, every signal, every shift of his weight, and it was immensely satisfying that she did it out of a desire to please him rather than out of fear.
She’d come a long way in the eight months since she’d been rescued. No one looking at her now would know she’d spent the last few years of her life subjected to profound neglect and abuse. She’d put on weight, so her ribs no longer show
