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

the middle rung of the round pen, cheering Jolene on. Others were yelling, too, as Jolene held onto the reins and the saddle horn and dug her heels into the horse as she rode. Sweat popped across Austin’s forehead as he watched her. She had her chin down, and had leaned back in the saddle, leveraging her body and maintaining her seat in the saddle. He was pleased that she hadn’t thrown one arm up like a bronc rider but instead had it firmly wrapped around the saddle horn. She could ride. The horse was bucking as if it were going to try to kill her if she fell off. Austin knew at this point there was nothing he could do. If he went in there now, he could make things worse.
    Not taking his eyes off her, he moved to the first open space he could find and took hold of the steel rungs and held on. Jolene’s expression was set and her body moved easily, fluidly with the bucking horse, taking each jarring impact without losing her hold. Her hat flew off and hit the ground; immediately the black horse trampled it beneath its hooves. Austin automatically climbed a rung on the pen.
    “She’s good.” Ty Calder’s quiet, calm voice interrupted Austin’s near panic. He looked to the man who stood beside him. Calm gray eyes met his.
    Austin nodded. “Looks that way. But, she’s going to get hurt,” he said. “What were you thinking?”
    Ty shot a glance back out to Jolene. “That I was hiring someone with a great reputation for breaking rough stock. Do you see what she’s doing?”
    Austin looked back and was startled to see that Jolene had ridden through the bucking and now had the horse trotting, reluctantly, in a circle; she had the reins in a firm grip and as she let the horse get the last little rebellion out of its system—small bucks and loping—then they were moving around the pen in an easy walk. She patted the neck of the horse, leaned forward in the saddle and spoke to the animal as she gave its neck a good rub. And then she smiled.
    “That’s why I hired her,” Ty stated in quiet, certain words. “Looks like you have an interest in my new trainer?”
    Austin pulled his gaze off Jolene to look Ty’s way. “Maybe. But—” He held back from saying her career choice was a deterrent.
    Ty grinned. “Good luck. She has a one-track mind and that’s on her horses.” He stepped up on the rung of the pen and called to Jolene. “Great job, Jolene.”
    She looked their way. “Thanks.” And then her gaze met Austin’s.
    Austin’s mouth went dry and adrenaline shot through him like a flash flood. He was in over his head and he knew it.
     
     
    Jolene dismounted after she’d ridden Dimples around the pen for a while, letting the horse grow more comfortable with her on his back. She spoke gently, encouragingly to the horse, helping to let it know that this was okay. She could only imagine what it must feel like to have the freedom to be wild and untamed and then have someone come along and take that away. And to then have to carry that person around on its back. She’d let it loose soon, let it see that it still had access to the pasture, but not just yet. Her focus was off. She’d gotten one look at Austin and her thoughts fuzzed up. The man just did something to her like nothing she’d ever felt before. And they hadn’t really had that many conversations. How could that be that a man she hardly knew stayed on her mind?
    Even when she didn’t want him to.
    The thought was laughable because Dimples was probably wondering why the person she hardly knew was staying on his back when it really didn’t want her to.
    Payback was tough.
    Jolene tugged her head lower and snuck a peek in Austin’s direction. He was talking to Ty, and BJ was there too. BJ looked excited and she wondered how much the cowboy had won in the bet because she knew he’d bet on her. She appreciated the vote of confidence from him. And Riley had been cheering her on, too. She wondered whether he’d bet on her in the end.
    But mostly