Wild Lilly by Ann Mayburn Read Free Book Online

with the same nose and eyes. She wondered if he was his son.
    “Thank you, but I don’t want your father to get mad at you.”
    Owen’s face fell and he ducked his dark head. “Paul’s not my dad—he’s my brother. My dad....” Owen’s voice trailed off and ran the edge of his sleeve across his nose.
    Paul started to make his way over to them with a worried look but Lilly stopped him with a silent gesture. She knelt in front of Owen and tipped his head up. “My apologies, Owen.” She held his gaze with her own. “Thank you for sticking up for me, and for being brave enough to help me get the horse I need. The world needs more men like you.”
    The child beamed at her and dashed away a tear she pretended not to see. “You’re welcome, Miss Brooks. I know you can ride Storm. He only throws the riders that are scared of him. If you show him who’s boss, he’s gentle as a lamb.”
    Another young man a little older than Owen and with Paul’s dark hair and faded blue eyes, escorted a huge grey gelding with a black-and-white mane and tail out into the corral. Lilly felt a flash of fear that made her palms sweat. He was the biggest horse she had ever seen. The gelding snorted and pranced at the earth, eager to stretch his legs after the confinement of his stall.
    Rufus glanced from her to Storm with a worried expression. “Now Miss, if you think you would like to try ano—”
    “No. Thank you. This is fine.” A glance from the corner of her eye showed Paul leaning against the fence, watching her from beneath the brim of his Stetson. If she wasn’t nervous before, she was now. He stared at her in a most uncivilized fashion.
    Storm blew air out of his nose as she came closer. The young man holding his reins gave her a searching look, but stepped aside as she approached the horse’s face. With gentle hands, she cupped his velvety-grey mouth and blew gently into his nose.
    “There we go. You are a big boy, aren’t you? So strong and handsome.” Lilly continued to talk quietly to the horse as he nibbled at her gloved hands with his soft lips and took in her scent. Moving slowly, but with great assurance, she slid to the side of the horse and glanced back to the young man who stared at her with an open mouth.
    “Can I get a leg up, please?”
    His jaw snapped shut as he nodded and gave her booted foot a lift. Apprehension tightened Lilly’s gut as she sat astride the horse—he was so much bigger than her Arabian mare at home. Storm sensed her unease and danced about a bit.
    “Easy there, big guy. I’m just getting used to sitting in the clouds.” Lilly leaned forward and ran a hand down his smooth, grey neck. Storm pranced about, a showy high step that made Lilly laugh. “All right, let’s see what you’ve got, my Storm.”
    She began in an easy trot around the large circle of packed earth. Storm’s stride was longer than she was used to, but once she got his rhythm down he moved like a dream. Lilly had to bite her lips to keep from laughing at Paul’s face as she rode by. His expression grew sour as Owen bounced around him and pulled on his arm.
    Moving faster, Storm eased into a canter that made her heart sing. He was a wonderful horse, responsive, and with a sensitive mouth that almost made directing him unnecessary. He seemed to know when she wanted to speed up and slow down. Easing him back into a trot, he did a fancy side step as they moved back to the waiting men.
    Rufus was beaming, Owen was jumping up and down, Mark was staring, and Paul was fighting a grin.
    Lilly dismounted, unable to stop the joyful smile that filled her face as Storm nuzzled and lipped at her arm. “Oh, he is wonderful! What an amazing creature. I’ll take him.”
    “Thought you might.” Rufus laughed. “Darndest thing I’ve ever seen. That horse was waiting for you, Miss Brooks. He’s tried to buck off everyone that’s aimed to ride him, except you and Owen.”
    Lilly winked at Owen. “He must only like brave