Page 13 of Mistletoe Cowboy

The horse moved forward and lowered his head toward Teddie.

“Poor horse,” she said softly. She didn’t make eye contact, but she let the horse sniff her nostrils. He lowered his head even more, so that she could stroke him beside his nostrils.

“He likes you,” Parker said. “And he’s intelligent. Very intelligent,” he added, when the horse turned its head and looked directly at him.

He chuckled softly and put out a big hand to smooth over the horse’s mane. “Sweet old boy,” he said. Bartholomew nuzzled his shoulder.

“I was afraid he was going to be mean,” Teddie confessed. “You know, because he was hurt and didn’t trust humans not to hurt him anymore.”

“Some horses can’t be turned back after they’re abused,” Parker agreed. “But lucky for you, this isn’t one of them. He’s a grand old man. He’ll make you a dependable mount.”

“I wish I could already ride,” she confessed. “Mom used to go for horseback rides with Dad when we lived back East, before he . . .” She swallowed. “But I didn’t go with them because I was afraid of horses. But the first time I saw Bartholomew, it was like, well, I don’t know what it was like.”

“Like falling in love,” Parker said, smiling at her.

“I guess. Something like that.” She cocked her head and looked up at him. “You ever been in love?”

He averted his eyes. “Once. A long time ago. I lost her.” He didn’t say how.

“Maybe you’ll find somebody else one day.”

He smiled sadly. “Not on my agenda. I like my life as it is. I have absolute control of the television remote and nobody to fuss when I don’t take out the trash on time.”

“Have you got pets?”

“Just Harry.”

Her eyebrows went up. “Harry?”

He pursed his lips. “You scared of snakes?”

She shivered a little. “Oh, yes.”

“Me, too.”

“Is Harry a snake?”

He smiled. “Harry’s an iguana,” he said. “He’s four years old and about five feet long.”

“Wow! What sort of cage do you keep him in?”

He pursed his lips. “Well, that’s sort of the reason I’m still single. See, he’s a little too big to keep in a cage. I just let him go where he wants to. His favorite spot is the back of my sofa. He watches TV with me at night.”

“An iguana who watches TV.” Teddie sighed.

“Well, Sarge has a wolf who watches it. Maybe animals understand more than we think they do, huh?”

She laughed. “I guess so. Could I see your iguana sometime?”

“Sure. I’ll invite you both over when we get a little further along with the repairs and your Horses 101 training.” He looked down at her. “Is your mom afraid of reptiles?”

“Oh, no. She’s not afraid of anything.”

“An interesting woman,” he mused as he turned back to the horse.

“That man’s coming out here next month,” Teddie said miserably. “For Thanksgiving, he said.”

“That man?” he asked, trying not to sound too interested.

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