Ring of Fire by Susan Fox Read Free Book Online Page A

Cantrell.” He shook her hand, finding her grip strong despite her small size. “And please make it Eric.”
    She nodded. “I’m Mary.”
    â€œJayden’s mom isn’t coming today?”
    â€œMy daughter is working. She comes to the Sunday lessons. I bring Jayden to the Wednesday ones.”
    Damn, the main reason Eric had come to this second riding lesson was to see Lark again. His first experience with riding sure hadn’t convinced him of any benefits. During the lesson, he’d been impatient to pick up the pace, and in the three days since then, he’d had a couple of flashbacks.
    And yet, when he had put on his boots this morning, he’d felt a sense of anticipation. Kind of weird to be looking forward to seeing the fire chief who’d witnessed his weakest moment, and yet he had been.
    Though Mary was petite and Lark tall and broad-shouldered, he could see where Lark got her strong cheekbones, determined jaw, and steady gaze. Right now, her mother’s near-black eyes studied him carefully and he found himself hoping he measured up.
    She gave a slight nod. “I hope you find benefit in riding, as Jayden has.”
    â€œI hope so, too.” He tried not to sound dubious.
    The three of them headed toward the barn. This time, there was only one horse tied up outside, a different horse from the two they’d used for the first lesson. It was a showy animal patterned with patches of white and dark brown.
    Sally emerged from the barn and came to greet them. Behind her were her assistant, Corrie, and a rangy, dark-haired man in a cowboy hat. Eric tensed automatically as he assessed the guy: strong; athletic; friendly smile.
    Eric’s muscles relaxed as Mary and Jayden said hello to the man. Sally then introduced him to Eric as Ben Traynor, her fiancé.
    â€œBen’s a rodeo cowboy!” Jayden said.
    â€œOh, yeah?” Shades of the Wild West. Still, his interest perked. Learning some rodeo tricks sounded way more challenging than walking and trotting around a ring.
    â€œWe’re going to try something different today,” Sally said. “As Jayden knows, his care team thinks he’s ready. Rather than Corrie and me getting the horses ready, you guys will do it.”
    Huh? Wasn’t he supposed to be riding? How was saddling a horse going to help him? Still, that was something to take up with Monique and Karim. For now, it wouldn’t kill him to go along, and hope they got to the rodeo stuff once he and Jayden were mounted.
    Sally led the way into the barn, where the same two horses he and Jayden had ridden last time were tied up. They had halters on, but no bridles or saddles.
    â€œWe’ll start with grooming,” Sally said. “Corrie and I will work with Mary and Jayden, and Ben will work with you, Eric.”
    And so Eric found himself learning how to use a curry comb and brush to rid Celebration’s coat of loose hair and dirt, and then how to put on a saddle pad, saddle, and bridle.
    When the horses were ready and he and Jayden had mounted, Eric discovered that, unlike last time, they wouldn’t be riding in the ring but on a trail.
    â€œCool!” Jayden enthused. “Just like real cowboys.”
    Ben slung a backpack on his back and mounted the brown and white horse that had been tied up. The women remained on the ground, with Mary taking the lead rein of Jayden’s gray horse, Sally at the boy’s left, and Corrie at his right.
    â€œI don’t need side walkers anymore,” Jayden protested.
    â€œTrail riding is something new,” Sally said. “Even though we won’t go above a walk, the ground is less level than in the ring.”
    â€œI know to hold the horn if I get off balance.”
    â€œYou’re doing well, Jayden,” Sally said calmly. “But conditions are less controlled on the trail, and unexpected things can happen.”
    So much for rodeo. It seemed they weren’t