Page 29 of The Rancher's Wedding

“I’ll take my chances,” she said. She removed any fear from her expression and kept eye contact as she approached Orion, who stared back, unsure of what to make of her. She kept walking until she was nose-to-nose with the animal and he snorted in her face, but she didn’t budge. She remained calm and reached her hand out, slowly moving it toward the back of Orion’s head, then pressed it down on his mane, brushing his hair with her hand.

She kept doing it, unblinking.

“Estelle, I’m serious, he could bite you.”

She blocked his warning from his mind. If she thought of Orion biting her, then he surely would bite her. Instead, she thought of him as peaceful and submissive, and pet him gently as if he were a puppy.

Orion moved his head forward and opened his mouth.

“Estelle!” Michael said.

And the horse licked her face. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“See? I knew he was just a sweet horse.”

“How did you do that?” Michael asked. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to get that close to him?”

Estelle shrugged. “If you treat him as a threat, he will act as one. You may be a rancher who grew up in the country, but I learned from my mother from an early age that you can be loving and still refuse to take no for an answer. Hand me the brush.”

Michael handed the brush to her and, as it traded hands, their fingers narrowly touched.The fear that Estelle thought she had eliminated shot back through her body and she felt her face go flush.

But Michael didn’t say anything, so neither would she.

She began brushing Orion, who leaned his head against her just as he had with Michael.

“You’re a beautiful animal,” she whispered into Orion’s ear. “Maybe the most beautiful animal I’ve ever seen.”

Estelle leaned into the horse as she brushed him, giving him another hug, loving the feeling of being able to touch another living thing.

“Have you ever ridden a horse?” Michael asked.

“I’ve been in wagons pulled by horses.”

“But you’ve never ridden one, have you?”

“No.”

“Would you like to?”

Estelle looked at Orion. It sounded thrilling. It was exactly the image she’d had in her mind when she’d first sent the letter to come out here and marry Michael. A teaspoon of fear came back in her system, but she pushed it away. “Would I like to?” she asked. “More than anything.”

***

Michael lifted Estelle onto Orion’s saddled back.

“You are the one in control,” he said. “Don’t for a second let him think that he’s the one in charge. You are riding him. He is not taking you for a ride, got it?”

“Absolutely.”

“Feet in the stirrups,” he instructed. “Now hang on tight.” He patted Orion on the backside and the horse took off.

It was dark out except for the stars and the nearly full moon, and the cool spring breeze covered Estelle’s face. She was doing it: she was living her fantasy. And it was even better than she could have hoped.

Orion picked up speed and she could barely keep her eyes open, but she forced herself to, reminding herself that she was the one in control.

To prove it, she pulled on the reins, forcing Orion to turn to the right. She got him to turn around and run back toward Michael, who was already nothing but a tiny dot in the distance.

“Let’s go, Orion. Let’s see just how fast you can run.”