A Fair to Remember by Barbara Ankrum Read Free Book Online Page B

teens, while Olivia had entered equestrian competitions locally and around the state, he’d worked two jobs—a waiter at his parents’ diner and at Carrigan’s cattle ranch as a horse wrangler. Just one more intersection in their lives back then—a love of horses.
    Her invitation today had not been made lightly. He needed some horse time. It would be good for him. He just didn’t know it yet.
    Monday bounded up to the trailer, stopped at the ramp and stared, awestruck, at the horse.
    Zabar eyeballed the dog and instantly forgot to object to being backed down the ramp.
    “Watch him,” Carrie warned Jake. “I don’t know how he is around dogs.”
    But Monday had no problem finding out. She trotted boldly up to the horse, who lowered his head for a sniff, once he was down the ramp.
    “Will you look at that?” Carrie said, astonished.
    Monday gave Zabar’s muzzle a tongue swipe.
    Jake said, “This dog’s never known a stranger.”
    “And maybe that’s just what this horse needs,” Carrie agreed, taking a second, more appreciative look at Jake.
    “Hi,” Olivia said, feeling suddenly shy with all the people around.
    He leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek and once he put his hands on her arms, she forgot to breathe for a moment. He stepped back and nodded to the others. Olivia introduced them.
    Ken, who at sixty-something, sported a mustache and salt and pepper hair, wiped a bandana over the back of his neck, reached for Jake’s hand and exchanged handshakes with him. “You grew some since last I saw you, Jake,” he said approvingly. “Good to have you back home.”
    “Thanks, Ken. Good to be back.”
    It was good to have him back. Jake moved up beside them and patted the horse’s neck. Zabar’s flesh quivered and his eyes showed white as he glanced around at Jake. The animal was still covered in mud and manure from the pull, and way too thin for Olivia’s liking.
    “What happened to him?” Jake asked.
    “You don’t really want to know,” Carrie said. “Suffice it to say, the people in Wyoming who owned, abused, and abandoned him are gone. I brought him here for Olivia to work her magic on him.”
    “ Magic ?”
    Jake infused the word with another meaning altogether and she blushed. She smoothed a hand down the nervous horse’s flank.
    “Not magic at all. I’m just gonna try to give Zabar here a little something to hang onto.”
    Zabar stamped a hind foot in reply and reached around to nip at her hand. Olivia quickly dodged his teeth.
    “Teach him a little about not biting the hand that’s about to feed him. And trust. Jake, this will just take a little while. Feel like helping?”
    “Can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
    As she led the horse to the circular paddock, she asked Carrie to watch Monday and brought Jake in to work beside her.
    *
    It had been years since he’d worked with horses, Jake thought, moving beside her. He’d seen broncs broken many times, and been around rodeos and events for much of his youth. Growing up in Marietta, it was part of life. But as she began working with this gelding, he realized what she was doing wasn’t breaking, it was inviting.
    Working with a lightweight line, she let the horse run and explore the confines of the circular pen without a lead, allowing him to move freely away from her as much as he wanted. She changed directions on him and kept flicking the line near his legs.
    Several times he kicked behind him and she made sure she and Jake were well away from its hooves.
    After he’d been running for twenty minutes she said, “See? He’s scared. Lonely. A little desperate. He doesn’t want to be alone.”
    Jake’s gaze flicked to her. He wondered if she was talking about herself or the horse. She was as focused as he’d ever seen her. Olivia and the horse, not opposing each other but both trying to bridge the chasm between them.
    “If they have the choice, horses will run with the herd every time. But he’s been through a