Part 18 (1/2)

Her fingers itched to call him. But he wanted something from her, too. Something she wasn't prepared to give.

She was alone. Completely and utterly alone.

'BISBEE'.

Holly felt liberated. Pure joy bubbled inside her as she rode Miss Mary alongside a creek bed.

She hadn't ridden a horse in years. She'd taken riding lessons at an exclusive camp when she was ten. But that was the last time she'd mounted a horse. She had almost forgotten her yearning for the freedom of being on such a magnificent animal.

Harry wasn't the only one who wanted to be a cowboy. She'd just suppressed all those longings.

She hadn't meant to ride. She had gone along with Sheriff Menelo to give Harry a treat. She had added just a touch of lipstick and had not changed from her T-s.h.i.+rt and jeans. After all, it wasn't a date.

When the sheriff had driven up in a dusty Jeep, a young girl dressed in jeans and a T-s.h.i.+rt jumped out. ”I'm Jenny,” she introduced herself.

Holly had liked her immediately. Her dark hair, a shade deeper than the sheriff's, was worn in a long ponytail, and she radiated energy. She regarded Holly and Harry with interest and a quick smile.

”This is Mrs. Baker,” said the sheriff, who'd been a little slower in getting out of the Jeep. ”And Harry.”

”Like Harry Potter,” her son chirped, obviously impressed by the older woman.

”Neat name,” Jenny said.

Holly was incredibly grateful. Now her son would probably never forget the name.

”You sit in the back with me,” Jenny said to her son. Harry immediately crawled into the backseat.

The sheriff opened the Jeep door for Holly. ”Sorry for the transportation,” he said. ”But I like going up into the hills. My only other vehicle is a pickup truck.”

”It's fine,” she said, tucking herself inside. ”How far is it?”

”Ten miles,” he said.

”Does Russ know you're bringing us?”

”I called,” he said. ”He boards and rents horses there, so people are often coming and going. I wanted to make sure he had a pony available for Harry.”

”And he does?”

”Uh-huh.” He glanced toward her. ”Would you like to ride, too?”

”Me?” It was a foolish reply, but she had not considered it. It had been a long time since she had indulged in a pleasure just for her.

”Yep, you. Ever ridden before?”

”Ages ago,” she said slowly, afraid to give away even that small piece of information. ”At summer camp when I was a child.”

'Didn't every child go to summer camp'? No need to tell him that it was a very expensive, exclusive summer camp.

”It's a little like riding a bicycle,” he said. ”You don't forget. But you might be sore if you haven't used those muscles in a while.”

The idea of riding--even with a minion of the law--gave her a rush of antic.i.p.ation.

Still, caution ruled. ”My shoes--”

His glance went down to her loafers. ”They'll do. Russ has some gentle mares.”

Excitement rose in her. She had loved riding that summer. She had wanted to ride when she'd returned home, but her mother said it was only a phase and promptly enrolled her in dancing cla.s.s. She'd hated that cla.s.s, mainly because it was a subst.i.tute for what she'd really wanted.

After fifteen minutes, he turned down a dirt road. A small sign saying HORSES BOARDED was all that marked it.

They drove up to a cl.u.s.ter of buildings backed against a hill. The house was adobe and modest-looking; the stables looked far more elaborate.

Several cars were parked in the front of the house. One had a horse trailer attached.

She stepped out of the Jeep, and Jenny followed with Harry. Russ came out of the house, gave her a brief wave, and headed for the stables. In minutes he was leading a pony and a small horse into the yard.

”Thanks for letting Harry ride,” she said.

”My pleasure,” he replied as he leaned down and ruffled Harry's hair.

”Sheriff Menelo said you rent horses. I want to pay for Harry's.”

He shook his head. ”That's for tourists,” he said. ”Not for friends.”

Friends. It had a nice sound. Still, despite her now frugal existence, she pressed the point. ”I would rather pay.”

He sighed. ”You have to get used to our ways, Liz. That's not the way it works.”

She flushed. She suddenly realized she was being ungracious. But she had been so determined to pay her own way and remain aloof. She didn't realize how difficult that was going to be here.

”Then I accept with thanks.”

”Good,” he said.

She and Sheriff Menelo watched as Jenny used a mounting block to climb into the saddle. Russ handed the reins of the pony to Sheriff Menelo and moved over to the side of the fence. Jenny walked the horse into a large fenced area that held a number of barrels placed at intervals. She increased the pace to a canter as she started to maneuver around the barrels.

”Russ is teaching her,” Sheriff Menelo said. ”She wants to be a barrel racer.”

”Rodeo?”

”Russ is a former rodeo cowboy.”

Startled, she looked at Russ again. He had the lanky build of a cowboy but still she was surprised. And intrigued. ”When did he quit?”

”About fifteen years ago. A bull nearly killed him. He decided raising cutting horses would be safer, but it's a hard way to make a living, so he boards horses and gives lessons as well.”

Sheriff Menelo looked down at Harry, who was gazing at the pony in rapture. ”Ready, cowboy?”