Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(38)

“That’s her name, Fancy?”

“Fancy Free.”

Maddie smiled and cast him a quick glance. “I like it. My kind of name.”

A quick grin skipped across Boone’s face.

Maddie drew a deep breath and stretched her hand open, holding it beneath the horse’s muzzle.

The mare blew puffs of air across her palm. Little hairs brushed her skin. Maddie giggled. “It tickles.”

A quick glance showed Boone grinning. “Yeah.” He dropped a sugar cube in her palm. “Now hold it out again. She’ll be your friend for life. Fancy’s got a real sweet tooth.” Love of the horse suffused his voice.

Maddie put her palm back in front of Fancy’s muzzle. When the mare lipped at her palm, it was all Maddie could do to keep still.

Boone chuckled. “I’ve done it for so many years, I don’t notice the sensation.”

Now Fancy’s head butted her arm.

Maddie tensed but stood her ground, reaching out on instinct to pet the front of her head, just below the eyes.

“That’s right. Stroke her there and talk to her. Stroke her neck, too, if you want.”

“Do I need to feed her something else?”

“She’s a pig. She’d be twice her size if I let her eat everything she wanted.”

Maddie placed one hand on the horse’s head, then reached around and stroked her neck. “It’s so smooth, not soft, exactly, but sort of…satiny. You can really feel the muscles beneath the skin.” She turned to Boone. “Is it okay if I scratch behind her ears?”

“Yeah. Fancy likes it. Slow Dance hates it.”

“Will you ride him today?”

“No. I’ll stay on the ground. Anyway, it’s a bad idea to ride a stallion around a mare.”

“Is she—” Abruptly, Maddie stopped, embarrassed.

Boone grinned broadly. “In season? No. But stallions always want to show who’s boss. They like to round up their herds, and you don’t need the distraction. He’d be ordering Fancy around, and we need her to pay attention to you.”

Just then, the mare swung her head toward Maddie’s. Reflexively, Maddie jumped back.

“It’s okay. She’s paying attention to you. Just move slowly around her. It’s always a good idea to move slowly and to stay where a horse can see you. If you’re going into the blind spot behind her, make sure the horse knows where you are by keeping a constant touch on her.” He walked toward the horse’s tail. “I’m going to walk behind her, but I’m going to let her know where I am by touching her hindquarters. See?”

Maddie watched him move to the other side of the horse and face her across the saddle. Fancy shifted, and Maddie stepped back, then frowned at herself.

“It’s all right. It’s good to have a healthy respect for a horse. They’re big animals, and they can really hurt you. But they also feel your fear and it will upset them. Horses are flight animals—their instinct is to run from a threat. Try to take a deep breath and reach for calm.”

“Like I do with my yoga?”

One side of his mouth curved upward. “Yeah, I guess so. Reach into yourself and find a calm place. Horses are very intuitive and sensitive to your moods. Fancy here is even-tempered most of the time, but if you’re upset, she’ll know it.”

Maddie closed her eyes and breathed deeply, searching for that quiet, blue mountaintop pool she visualized while she meditated.

Not easy to reach a state of peace while Boone was around, but finally Maddie found it. One more deep breath and she opened her eyes.

Boone watched her. His gaze held layers. Warmth. Questions. Distrust.

And something else she was afraid to name.

“Now move closer to her and touch her again, Maddie.” His voice was a low, husky rumble.

Maddie had to close her eyes again and breathe deeply to shut out his impact. Then, without looking at him again, she stepped forward and laid one hand on Fancy’s neck and the other just behind the saddle.

Boone moved around and stood behind her. Maddie could feel him all across her back.

Fancy stirred.

“Damn,” Boone muttered under his breath. “Maddie, shut me out. Focus on her and forget me.”

Like that was possible. But Maddie tried, using every bit of control she’d gained, remembering her yoga teacher’s admonitions to pull her thoughts back in focus every time they strayed.

“Okay. Now let’s get you into the saddle. Grip the saddle horn with your left hand and the cantle—that’s the high part at the back—with your right. Don’t worry about the reins this time—I’ve got them.”

Maddie complied.

“Now put your left foot in the stirrup and swing yourself upward.”