Austin (New Horizon Ranch Book 8) by Debra Clopton Read Free Book Online Page A

behind a family who missed him something fierce.
    Austin got out of his truck and stalked into the house. He wasn’t going over there. It was best if he stayed away because his inclination was to go over there and make sure she didn’t get on the back of that wild horse. He figured if he dragged her out that round pen, he’d be the one getting the elbow to the rib that BJ had talked about.
    Shedding his clothes in the bedroom, he climbed into the shower and let the hot water run over him. It eased some of the tension and unclouded his head a little. When he was done, he lay down on the bed. All he could think about was Jolene.
    And of course, he had Dolly Parton’s sweet, little country voice stuck in his mind singing: Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.
    He did not sleep.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Jolene work with Dimples till about noon and training was going good. Yes, the far from calm horse had charged her a few times and she’d had to do some quickstepping to get out of its way but that had been yesterday and only a couple of times today.
    She stopped for lunch and to let Dimples calm down. Of course, all the guys who were around in chow hall were teasing her—testing her. They wanted to see what she was made of and she knew it.
    “Lookin’ good out there, Bartee,” hunky Riley Calhoun drawled as he shot her a sexy grin.
    Jolene was sure that grin had sent many a female heart racing but she was immune to cowboy charm. “Why, thank you, Calhoun.”
    He crossed his arms on the table and leaned toward her as she finished off the last of her peach cobbler. “You sure you’re not afraid to get on the little pony’s back? Or are you just planning to walk it and sweet-talk it until it asks you to throw a saddle on its back and ride?”
    She laughed and stood. “You’re a real comedian, Calhoun.” She headed casually toward the door. “I’ll be progressing to a saddle about mid-afternoon, boys,” she said, speaking in general to anyone who was paying attention to the conversation and then she left.
    She had a few more things to do before she saddled him or she was in for a lot of bucking. And she’d rather prove to everyone that she could do this without riling up the horse too badly. That wasn’t good for it or her.
    She had him accepting the blanket without throwing a fit, so now she brought the saddle out and he watched every move she made. The process began of getting Dimples somewhat comfortable with it. She went through several steps and finally she placed it on his back and got it girted up. That process had him rearing up and a bit irritated. Jolene noted in her peripheral vision that the round pen railing was becoming crowded. She preferred no audience but today it couldn’t be helped.
    She took hold of the saddle horn and placed her boot in the stirrup; then she stood in the stirrup. Dimples instantly sidestepped and nickered loudly with a snort thrown in here and there as he danced around the arena with her standing straight in the stirrup. She was giving him time to absorb her presence. He bucked his hind legs, showing no signs of calming down.
    She held on. And then threw her leg over. Not exactly the way she’d wanted it but she’d learned in all of her years of doing this that one horse was never completely like another with training.
    Good to know and be prepared for…because Dimples—he did not like having her on his back.
     
     
    Unable to stop himself, Austin gave up on sleep finally and headed to New Horizon. He made it to the ranch about the time he saw Jolene stand up in the stirrup. He knew that was what she was doing because as he parked his truck, she popped up and could be seen past the crowd of cowboys circling the round pen.
    Heart slamming, he was out of the truck and striding across the stretch between him and the group. He knew he was out of line but that didn’t seem to matter.
    “Way to ride, Jolene,” BJ yelled over the crowd, drawing Austin’s gaze to where he stood on