the right side of his nose.
As they stared at each other, his large brown eyes shone with intelligence, and she was almost certain he was taking stock of her the same way she was doing with him. The corner of his mouth crinkled, and she couldn’t help laughing. “Is he smiling at me?”
“I’d imagine so. He really likes people.”
Puzzled by Mike’s tone, she glanced at him. “You sound surprised by that.”
“If you knew what this old boy’s been through—” Mike fondly ruffled the horse’s shaggy mane “—you’d be surprised, too.”
That did it for her. Sympathy for the rescued animal flooded Lily’s heart, and she put aside her earlier reluctance to approach him. He nuzzled her hand, and on her other side, she felt something tap her arm. Looking down, she realized Mike had a few apple slices and was trying to sneak them to her.
“Hold your palm out flat.” He demonstrated for her. “He’s pretty careful, but if you curl your fingers he might nip you by mistake.”
“Okay.” Still a little nervous, she held the apples out for Gideon, who blew on her hand before delicately taking a piece from her. His lips tickled her skin, making her giggle like one of her students.
When she was out of treats, he slurped her hand in an equine thank-you and just about knocked her over when he started rubbing his forehead on her shoulder. Thankfully, Mike steadied her until she could brace herself more firmly. “He’s really strong.”
“He’s a Belgian draft horse. Most of him, anyway.” Scratching him between the eyes, Mike continued. “The rest, I’m not so sure about, but it doesn’t matter much. He’s got a great heart, and that’s good enough for me.”
Now that she’d seen him in his natural element, Lily was beginning to notice a pattern in the gruff trainer’s personality. He wasn’t crazy about humans, but he was wonderful with animals. Considering all the troubles she’d been having lately, she had to admit he might have the right idea, after all. “He seems to like you, too.”
“Yeah, well, he’s pretty easy to impress.”
“Easier than people?”
Mike’s eyes narrowed with sudden displeasure. “You sound like my ex-wife.”
“I’m sorry,” she stammered, feeling awful for inadvertently hitting what was obviously a sore point. “I didn’t mean to stir up bad memories.”
They stared at each other for a few self-conscious moments, and then he shrugged. “It’s no big deal. We fought all the time, so the divorce was actually a relief.”
She recognized his response as brave words meant to conceal the pain darkening his features. He made her think of a child who’d had his feelings hurt but stubbornly refused to own up to it. Hoping to lift his spirits, she said, “Maybe she just didn’t understand you very well. With some people, you have to work a little harder, but in the end they’re worth the effort.”
“Aw, man,” he groaned, “you really are an optimist, aren’t you?”
It sounded as if he was accusing her of some kind of crime, and Lily’s reflex was to bristle the way she had the first time they met. Then it struck her that this was an opportunity to bend his opinion of her in a more positive direction.
Giving him her sweetest smile, she said, “It works for me.”
To her amazement, his frown mellowed into a crooked half grin. “Can’t argue with that. So whattya say? Are you ready to give ol’ Gideon a whirl?”
He punctuated his invitation with a black velvet hard hat, and she knew this was the moment of truth. Either she was going to go through with this, or she’d leave Gallimore Stables in disgrace. Because she was a St. George, she chose the first one. “Absolutely.”
Taking the helmet from him, she fastened it on and moved to stand beside the horse. Mike gave her a boost into the saddle and helped her get her feet settled in the stirrups.
“Okay up there?” he asked.
“More or less.” Her heart was already moving at a fast trot, and all she’d done so far was get on. Mike seemed to sense that, because he had her lean forward and back in the saddle, then bend from one side to the other. Once he’d convinced her that she was fairly safe, things got more interesting.
Her teacher strolled to the center of the ring and stood with his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Take him out on the rail and let him walk.”
“I’m not taking him anywhere,” Lily replied in a voice that shook a lot more than she’d have preferred. “He’s in charge.”
“Just ’cause he’s bigger than you doesn’t mean he’s in charge,” Mike corrected her in a patient voice that told her he’d said those exact same words many times. “He might be stronger, but you’re smarter. The trick is to make him think it’s his idea.”
How on earth was she supposed to do that? Lily wondered. Then she recalled Mike’s comment about animals being similar to kids, and she decided it couldn’t hurt to try treating Gideon like one of her students. “All right, big guy. Let’s try walking along the rail.”
Nothing. The horse patiently stood there, apparently content to watch his stablemates munching away out in the pasture. When she heard a low chuckle, she glared over at her not-so-amusing instructor. “Are you making fun of me?”
“Guess I wasn’t very clear. Give him a nudge with your heels and bring your reins to the left.”
She noticed he didn’t deny he’d been laughing at her, but since her life was pretty much in his hands, she decided now wasn’t the time to take issue with his prickly personality. She followed his suggestion, and to her astonishment, the Belgian obeyed her instantly, plodding over to the track that had been worn in the ground.
As they circled the small space, she was awestruck by the power she felt rippling underneath her. This brawny animal could crush her without any effort at all, but here they were, moving in the same direction together. Slowly, to be sure, but it was a huge accomplishment for someone who’d lived her entire life being treated like a rare flower in a greenhouse.
“You’re looking good, Lily. How does it feel?”
“Incredible.” Gaining confidence, she reached down to pat Gideon’s flexing neck. “You’re such a good boy.”
The Belgian blew a raspberry and seemed to nod in agreement, making her laugh. They did a few circuits each way, even trotting for a while to keep things from getting boring. The rest of her promised half hour passed by in a flash, and she had a hard time remembering why she’d been so nervous at the beginning.
In what was apparently his customary way of handling any situation, without preamble Mike came forward and took the reins from her. “I think that was a good first lesson. Why don’t we quit while we’re ahead?”
“That’s fine. It’s pretty hot, and we don’t want to overtax him.”
Her comment sparked something in those icy blue eyes, and they warmed just a touch when they settled on her. Then it was gone, and she wondered if she’d imagined the whole thing. He helped her down, then removed the horse’s tack so deftly, she wouldn’t be the least bit shocked to learn he could manage the task blindfolded.
He balanced everything on the top rail and opened a gate that led out to the front pasture. “All set, boy.”
Clearly delighted, the gelding shook himself out, then loped through the opening to join his buddies at the far end. Lily admired them for a few moments, savoring the peaceful end to a hectic day. Between moving into the room she’d rented in town and prepping for school, she hadn’t had any free time since her sister’s wedding. It felt good to stand here in the sunshine and breathe in the warm, hay-scented air.
But