MIDNIGHT RIDE 02

There was a brief instant where she thought he was going to kiss her. But then his jaw set and he lifted his head and motioned to the saddle. "Get on."

"How?"

"Put your left foot in the stirrup and swing your right leg over. Always mount from the left and you will stay out of trouble."

She glanced at her niece, who was being lifted into the saddle by her adoring cowboy. Leave it to Francisca to make this look easy when it wasn't. "Okay."

Andrew stepped back to give Rose room. "Grab the saddle horn-that thing on top of the saddle-if you need to."

She needed more than a saddle horn when the horse sidestepped to the right and wouldn't let her climb on. "Rocket doesn't like this," She announced, trying to sound casual as she attempted to get her foot in the stirrup again.

"Whoa," Andrew said, holding the horse's head.

"Try again."

She did, only this time the horse stomped his foot as if he was impatient with visitors, and Rose hesitated, one foot in the stirrup. "I hope this is the hardest part of the night."

"Not anymore," Andrew said, walking behind her.

"Here we go," he said, giving her derriere a push and vaulting her into the saddle.

Rose grabbed the saddle horn and balanced herself. Surely she was tingling from fear and not lust. "Thank you."

"Yeah," he muttered, fiddling with the stirrup.

"Get your leg out of the way for a second." He adjusted leather straps and then took her ankle into his large hand and guided her foot into the stirrup.

Then he did the same on the other side, the efficient touch of his hands strangely intimate, though Rose could tell he could do his chore in his sleep.

"You are all set," he said. "Pick up the reins and don't go anywhere till I get back."

"You are leaving me alone with the horse?"

"Yes, ma'am. For about ten seconds. Can you manage?"

She nodded, afraid that anything she would be interpreted as giddap by Rocket, who would then live up to his name and proceed to gallop across Texas. She carefully turned her head to watch Francisca being kissed while on horse back, which meant her niece was feeling a lot more comfortable five feet up in the air than her aunt was.

"We are all set," Andrew said, leading a very large black horse up to hers. He swung easily into the saddle and gathered up the reins. Rose hurried to imitate the way he held the leather reins and guided his horse.

"Left rein on the neck means the horse goes right. Right rein on the neck means the horse goes left. Pull back gently for stop, kick your heels into his sides to go faster and hang on to the horn if you feel safer that way," Andrew instructed. "Don't drop the reins or he might trip over them and fall."

It was a lot to remember. Rose glanced overhead. The moon was out in all its glory to light their way. "Where are we going?"

"Beats me." The man shrugged. "Bobby?"

"Huh?"

"Where are we going?" Andrew asked.

"I thought we'd ride out to the old homestead,"

the young man announced. "We can follow the fence line to the lake and then back home again."

Andrew frowned. "You sure?"

"I've brought something for us to drink," Bobby said. "It will be great."

Andrew looked at Rose and raised his eyebrows.

"Are you all right?"

"So far, but we haven't moved yet." Rose smiled, feeling a little more comfortable knowing that Andrew was watching out for her.

"We will take it slow," he promised. "Most of the time I will be right beside you."

She was surprised at how wonderful that sounded.

"Let's go," Andrew continued. "Give him a little nudge and get him to walk."

"Okay." Rose took a deep breath and touched her heels to Rocket's sides. Nothing happened, which was comforting. Obviously this horse wasn't raring to go anywhere in a hurry. She tried again, and said, "Okay, Rocket, here we go," and the horse took two steps forward beside Andrew's. *victory* Rose wanted to turn to make sure Francisca and Bobby were following, but she didn't dare take her attention off the horse.

Or her thoughts off the cowboy next to her.

All that rugged Western charm was what had gotten her in trouble in the first place.

She was determined to resist, but she was also determined to stay on the horse no matter how dark the sky or how sore her thighs.

"Quite a moon," Andrew said.

"Yes." Rose realized this horseback-by-moonlight plan was actually as romantic as Francisca had predicted, which meant nothing tonight was going to be easy.

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