a deep breath and barely managed to raise her foot high enough to place it in the stirrup. Grabbing the saddle as Chance had instructed, she tried to mount the horse but found the task impossible. “How is stepping into the stirrup any help when your knee is even with your chin?” she asked, feeling relief flow through her. If she couldn’t mount the horse, she couldn’t ride it. “I guess I won’t be able to go riding. At least not until you get a shorter horse.”
“It takes a little practice,” he answered, grinning. “Besides, the horse isn’t as tall as you are short.”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with being short.”
“I didn’t say there was,” he said, stepping behind her.
Fee’s heart felt as if it stopped, then took off at a gallop when, without warning, he placed one hand at her waist and the other on the seat of her new jeans. Before she could process what was taking place, Chance boosted her up into the saddle. Her cheeks heated and she wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or the awareness coursing through her.
But when she realized she was actually sitting atop Rosy, Fee forgot all about sorting out her reaction to Chance. Wrapping both hands around the saddle horn, she held on for dear life. “This is even higher than I thought it would be. I really do think a shorter horse would work out a lot better.”
“Try to relax and sit naturally,” he coaxed. He reached up to gently pry her hands from the saddle. “You don’t want to be as stiff as a ramrod.”
When the mare shifted her weight from one foot to the other, Fee scrunched her eyes shut and waited for the worst. “I thought you said she would stand still.”
“Fee, look at me,” he commanded. When she opened first one eye and then the other, the promise in his brilliant green eyes stole her breath. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” She wasn’t sure why, given that she hadn’t known him all that long, but she did trust him.
“I give you my word that I won’t let anything happen to you,” he assured her. “You’re completely safe, sweetheart.”
Her heart stalled and she suddenly found it hard to draw a breath. The sound of his deep voice when he used the endearment caused heat to fill her. Why did she suddenly wish he was talking about something besides riding a horse?
Unable to get her vocal cords to work, she simply nodded.
“Good.” He checked to make sure the stirrups were adjusted to the right length. “Now I want you to slightly tilt your heels down just below horizontal.”
“Why?” she asked even as she followed his instructions.
“Shifting your weight to your heels instead of the balls of your feet helps you relax your legs and sit more securely,” he explained. “And it’s more natural and comfortable for both you and Rosy.” He took hold of the mare’s reins, then reached for his horse’s reins, as well. “Now are you ready to go for your first ride?”
“Would it make a difference if I said no?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
Grinning, he shook his head. “Nope.”
“I didn’t think so.” Fee caught her breath when the mare slowly started walking beside Chance as he led both horses out of the barn. But instead of the bumpy ride she expected, it was more of a smooth rocking motion. “This isn’t as rough as I thought it would be.”
“It isn’t when you relax and move with the horse, instead of against it,” he said, leading them over to the round pen he had mentioned was used for training. Once he had his horse tied to the outside of the fence, he opened the gate and led the mare inside. “Hold the reins loosely,” he said, handing Fee the leather straps. He walked around the pen beside Rosy until they had made a complete circle. “Now, I’m going to stand right here while you and Rosy go around.”
A mixture of adrenaline and fear rose inside of Fee like a Pacific tsunami. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Just sit there and let Rosy do the rest,” he said calmly. “I promise you’ll be fine.”
As the horse carried her around the enclosure, Fee noticed that the mare kept turning her head to look back at her. “Yes, Rosy, I’m scared witless. Please prove Chance right and don’t do anything I’ll regret.”
To her surprise the mare snorted and bobbed her head up and down as if she understood what Fee had requested as she continued to slowly walk around the inside of the fence.
By the time Rosy had made her way back around to the gate for the second time, Fee began to feel a little more confident. “This isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.”
“It’s not,” Chance said when the mare stopped in front of him. “Are you ready to take a tour of the ranch now?” he asked, patting the mare’s sleek neck.
“I...guess so,” Fee answered, not at all sure she was ready to ride outside of the enclosure. But Rosy seemed to be willing and Fee felt some of her usual self-confidence begin to return.
“Don’t worry,” Chance said, as if reading her mind. He opened the gate to lead the mare out. “Rosy is kid broke and you’re doing great for your first time on a horse.”
Fee frowned. “What does kid broke mean?”
“Her temperament and training make her safe enough to let a little kid ride her with minimal risk of anything happening,” he said, mounting his horse. “And I’ll be right beside you.”
As they rode across the pasture and headed toward a hillside in the distance, she reflected on how far out of her element she was. Up until today, her idea of adventure had been a shopping trip to one of the malls in the San Fernando Valley the day after Thanksgiving.
But she had to admit that riding a horse wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized she was actually enjoying the experience. And if that wasn’t unusual enough, they were traveling across a deserted expanse of land where wild animals roamed free and she wasn’t all that afraid of being something’s next meal. Unbelievable!
Fee glanced over at the man riding beside her. What was it about Chance that could get her to do things that were totally out of character for her and without much protest on her part?
Staring out across the land, she knew exactly why she was willing to step out of her comfort zone and try new things. She trusted Chance—trusted that he wouldn’t ask anything of her that she couldn’t do and wouldn’t allow anything to harm her.
The realization caused her heart to skip a beat. She didn’t trust easily and especially when it came to men. The fact that she had already placed her faith in Chance was more than a little disturbing. Why was he different?
It could have something to do with the fact that so far, he was exactly what he said he was—a hard-working rancher who was more interested in drawing attention to the quality of the beef he raised than being in the limelight himself. Or maybe it was the fact that he was vastly different from any of the men she knew in L.A. Although great guys, most of them would rather sit behind a desk in a climate-controlled office than be outside getting their hands dirty.
She wasn’t sure why she trusted Chance, but one thing was certain: she was going to have to be on her guard at all times. Otherwise, she just might find herself falling for him and end up out of a job.
* * *
As they rode up the trail leading to the north pasture, Chance was proud of the way Fee had taken to horseback riding. At first, she had been extremely apprehensive about getting on a horse, but she’d at least had the guts to try. That was something he admired.
In fact, there were a lot of things about her that he appreciated. She was not only courageous, she was dedicated. He didn’t know any other woman who would go to the lengths she had in her effort to do her job and do it right. Fee was willing