Page 42 of Wild and Unruly (Three Rivers Trevors Ranch #3)

Bonnie

Slapping a hand against my mouth, I stifle the bit of laughter that threatens to erupt when I watch Freckles move away from Stetson for the hundredth time today. She twists her head and looks at him, giving him a “go ahead and try it” look.

He shakes his head and mumbles something I can’t hear from outside the round pen where they’ve been for an hour. He was working on getting her trained up for me and had hopes that next season she may be ready to start rodeoing.

It didn’t look promising, but it was good entertainment.

We got as far as saddling her, which was a huge feat. And I do mean huge. In the last two months, the mare has grown so much that she no longer looks like the young filly I met, but a full-blown mare.

Which was probably part of the problem.

Stetson bends her head and pulls her attention back to him, urging her to pay attention. I think the issue may have been that she was paying too much attention. She knew exactly what he wanted and what he was about to do to her.

He finally gets the tip of his boot in the stirrup, giving a few hops to get her used to the saddle moving a little on her back, to the weight shift that will happen when someone steps up onto her.

She keeps her neck bent, watching him, and I see her move her back feet out, making Stetson have to hold on a little tighter to the saddle, his head turned to watch her.

When she stops, he puts more pressure into the stirrup by lifting himself all the way up, and bravely, he lays slightly over the saddle.

She doesn’t move.

I’m holding my breath.

Stetson swings his right leg over the saddle and sits.

For about three seconds.

Freckles launches. She bares down into the ground, lifting her back legs behind her and gaining more momentum to buck back up into the air. Stetson holds tightly, and I see him trying to get her head turned, but she’s too fast.

I watch in slight horror as he gets her head turned, only for her to spin with it and throw him to the ground.

He lets out a groan that comes with getting the wind knocked out of you, and she stops immediately, walking away and sniffing the ground, wiggling her lips as if trying to find a snack like nothing ever happened.

I run into the round pen, my boots slapping against the ground as I reach Stetson and fall to my knees. “Are you okay?”

His eyes are closed, but he’s breathing, and I can tell by his relaxed state that he’s fine, just trying to breathe.

He cracks an eye open and croaks, “Are you an angel? ”

I slap his chest and sit back on my heels. “Shut up. Are you seriously okay, though?”

“I’m fine, Bo.” He grunts, sitting up. “But I have a horrible pain on my mouth.”

I frown and look at his lips, leaning closer to inspect when he comes forward and slams his lips against mine.

For a minute, I protest until he wraps an arm around my waist and holds me to him.

“Hey! Just because you guys are together doesn’t mean I want to see that all the time.”

I smiled against Stetson’s mouth before backing up and looking at him. “Smooth,” I mutter, watching a megawatt smile cross his lips.

Standing, I help him up, and he walks to collect Freckles, handing her to me before I turn to see my brother leaning against the railing of the round pen, watching us.

I smile at him and look to Freckles. “Did you catch the show?”

He nods, a small smile on his lips, one that seems to slowly be coming back. His wheelchair sits behind him, but he is on his feet. Leaning, yes, but gaining back his strength.

Since we made up, he and my mother have moved closer to Acton and gotten a little house that has enough room for some chickens and goats. He’s started going to physical therapy again in the next city over and regaining his strength, working hard at it every single day.

He also got a part-time job here at the ranch and does a ton of different things for Dani and CT, and Dani gets him on a horse any chance she can.

Being pregnant didn’t slow that woman down at all, and CT was about ready to throw her on bed rest, but she was out here every day like the rest of us working.

It was amazing to see my brother actually acting like my brother again.

I rub Freckles on the forehead, and Mason looks over at Stetson. “You good?”

Stetson nods, appreciating the fact that my brother took being thrown from a horse seriously. As anyone who’s been through what he has would.

Since I moved up here permanently, I’ve been working on a fun blog that allows me to work out my creative side while working part-time at Three Rivers with Stetson.

It wasn’t much money, but for the first time in my life, I felt content, happy. I felt relieved that when I woke up every day, there was no dread about going to work, and I was happy to keep it that way.

Stetson looks over where a truck is backing up on the far side of the barn, something that held some of the booths that were going up for the annual Fall Festival the Trevors family puts on every year.

“Yeah, man, I’m good.” He nods at Mason, answering his question. Since Mason has been up here more, they’ve been able to find some sort of friendship that worked for them.

Stetson has had a hard time with it, knowing everything that has happened over the last few years, and especially there right before Tommy was gone for good, it was hard for him to just accept it, even as he pushed me to do the same.

We’ve slowly but surely found our way.

I look at Freckles and rub her shoulder before looking over at Stetson. “You think I could try?”

Stetson bites his lip, and I give him a deadpan look. “I just don’t want you to get hurt,” he explains to my obvious “come on” face.

“I won’t. I know how to land.” I smile, moving to her side. Without me asking, she turns to look at me, and I move my hand on the stirrup, waving it back and forth against her side.

“Be careful, Bo,” Stetson says, going to stand by a very apprehensive-looking Mason.

I nod my head, knowing that I could be asking for a very embarrassing few moments coming my way, but I wanted to try.

“It’s okay, girl. It’s just us.” I’ve worked with Freckles a lot over the last few months, working to gain her trust and earn the right to call her mine.

She was the greatest gift I ever received.

I carefully step my foot into the stirrup and put some weight on it, my left hand holding the reins and holding her head to watch me. Her neck bends, and she nips lovingly at the toe of my boot. I rub her forehead with my hand before I take a few jumps.

She doesn’t move, but she seems relaxed, and I take the chance that she’s not going to throw me and lift my body up, carefully throwing my leg over the saddle.

Freckles doesn’t even shift, and I smile down at her, releasing her neck and rubbing her. “Good girl,” I praise softly and wave my legs a little, letting her walk forward at a slow pace.

Beaming, I look over at Stetson and Mason. Mason is grinning broadly, and when I get close to Stetson, I see him scowl playfully and glare at the horse.

“Fucking mares.”

I throw my head back and laugh at the comment, my heart full to the brim and just keep on riding.