Heirly Ever After - Vernon, Magan (pdf ebook reader .txt) 📗

what I was going to say, he cleared his throat. “So, after you groom her, I’ll help you get mounted.”

I found heat flooding my face and pushed my head to the side of Buttermilk, focusing on running my fingers along her mane until her breathing steadied. My own breathing slowed down, as if petting this horse not only calmed down her nerves, but my own as well. Maybe all that talk about people going to rehab with horses wasn’t just a crock.

“I, um, yeah. I’m ready when you are,” I said, trying to keep my voice from turning into a stuttering mess.

He grabbed a small stool and set it down beside me. “This is a mounting block to help you get on.”

He patted the stiff wooden box before looking up at me. His smoldering green eyes were so intense I couldn’t look away even as he held his hand out to me.

“Are you ready?”

Was I?

No.

Yet did I stop looking or push his hand away?

Also no.

I sucked in a deep breath before putting down the brush. Slipping my hand into his, I eased my feet onto the block, my other arm shooting straight out to my side as I wobbled.

Jacob’s hand steadied at my waist, the roughness of his palm pressing through my shirt.

“Now you’re going to put your left foot here.” Jacob kept one hand on my hip, the other shaking a leather stirrup.

“Okay.”

I kept my focus on moving my foot and not kicking the horse. Or trying to think about the way Jacob’s thumb moved in a clockwise motion as if he was giving me a little massage while explaining.

I probably should have kept pushing the whole “friends thing,” but the rhythmic pattern of his hand did help to slow my nervous heartbeat. Even if it was only for a moment before he opened his mouth again.

“All right, now you’re going to swing your right leg over the horse, grab onto her mane as you do so, and slide into the saddle.”

My heart went from a steady rhythm to a drum solo banging inside my chest.

“What? You want me to pull the horse’s hair and just hoist myself over her? I’ll end up just pissing her off and she’ll kick me off. Then I’ll have to go and find an English doctor and see if they’ll even take me as a patient if I’m not dead.”

The smile widened on his face as he shook his head. “You’re cute but have obviously never ridden a horse or know that’s where you’re supposed to grab them.”

I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of a snappy retort.

Then he stepped behind me, both hands on my waist as his warm breath blew against my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I know you say you’re not a damsel in distress, but your Prada Knight won’t let you fall. We’ll do this together, right?”

A small gasp escaped my lips, and I hoped he didn’t hear it. Or felt how my body stiffened in his hands. “Okay,” I whispered.

With his hands steady on my waist, I hoisted my leg over, pulled hard, and propped myself on the giant beast, who bobbed her head a bit.

Jacob kept one hand on my side and the other against the horse’s head. He whispered, “Shhhh,” running his hand along the horse’s mane. Even though his attention was on her, his fingers back to making those small circles against my skin.

Damn, he was good.

“Are you all right?”

I met his gaze. He looked genuinely concerned, his eyes wide, head tilted slightly.

“Yeah. I’m good.” I swallowed hard, trying to right myself, even though there was a giant animal underneath me that could probably buck me off at any time. And a very sexy man in front of me, looking at me with the most gorgeous set of green eyes I’d ever seen.

He nodded. “Great. I’m going to mount Satin, and I’ll come to you. Don’t move.”

Like I could, even if I wanted to.

I absentmindedly ran my fingers down the horse’s soft mane, trying to focus on the movement and the feel of the thick strands going through my fingers.

Buttermilk let out a snort, and I froze.

“You’re okay, right? No bucking me off?”

I didn’t know if she understood me, but I swore she slightly nodded her head.

“Okay, good,” I whispered, rubbing the side of her head.

A large black horse trotted next to us, Jacob holding onto the reins, looking like one of those regal soldiers or princes from fairy tales. I’d never seen a lord in any fairy tale, then again, I wasn’t like my sister and into reading those sorts of things.

And there was no way in hell this guy was my Prince Charming. A prince always got the princess, not the princess’s sister.

“You’re going to have to let go of Buttermilk’s hair and grab on to the reins if you want to ride,” Jacob said, nodding toward the leather strap near her neck.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I knew that.”

Nope. Didn’t realize that at all.

I grabbed the leather strap just as Jacob positioned the horse so we were directly side by side. My horse followed the lead of his, moving so we faced the open doorway of the barn.

I expected to see rows of green grass and whatever else was on this huge property. There was the green grass, but in the doorway stood a line of dogs, along with Gavin. Big white furry ones, a large black one that looked like a baby hippo, and a few other various shades of fluff, all lined up like they were a firing squad.

“Um, what’s going on?” I asked, looking at Jacob, who had his eyes forward, a large grin on his face.

“Ah, those are the property dogs I met earlier,” Jacob said. “They’ll move once we get started. May even follow us on our ride.”

I sat up straight, like an invisible string pulled me. “What? They’ll just move? What if they don’t? I don’t want to be responsible for crushing a bunch of dogs.”

He laughed,