Page 12 of The Texas Cowboy's Lady

“These are all born and bred ranch horses. They work for their living. But if you want a horse, we’ll get you one.” He looked over to the older man waiting for orders. “Larry, you go bring Jinx out to the yard for our friend here. Don’t saddle him, though. We’ll start with the basics for him.”

“Jinx? Yes sir, boss.” The man headed off toward another barn.

Jaxson headed back inside the stable, Sean beside him. “I take it that Jinx is special, because he’s in a barn and not out in the pens with the other horses?”

Jaxson made a brief snort under his breath. “He’s special. But I’m sure you two can come to an understanding in no time. You are such a hands-on, take-charge type and all.”

“I try to be,” Sean responded.

“Let’s move Jinx into the small arena,” Jaxson called across the cavernous enclosure to where Larry was leading a large gray animal with black stockings and markings on his face that lent it almost the look of a mask—a not-friendly one at that. Opening the gate, Jaxson motioned for Sean to go ahead of him.

Sean’s steps slowed a bit as Jaxson neared the horse with its saddle blanket.

The animal’s head jerked the bridle in Larry’s hands, and Jinx blew a gust of air from his nostrils. Black eyes watched their approach. Lesser people might have stopped several feet away. Jaxson moved right up to the animal and ran his hand down along the massive neck and across the back. His voice was low and authoritative.

“With this one, there is no hesitation. You show him who is the boss from the get-go. He’s a handful, but you seem to be ready for the challenge. Right? If not, we can always get another, older animal in here.”

“No problem,” Sean spoke up. “We’ll get along, I’m sure.”

“Don’t suppose you know how to saddle him? You familiar with Western saddling? I can do it for you if you need me to,” Larry made the offer.

“You can go on and help out with the ones that need to be culled for the cattle work this afternoon. I’ll get our guest here squared away,” Jaxson replied, taking the bridle reins in his hands.

Larry left them with a good luck shot in Sean’s direction and a laugh under his breath.

“Is there anything I need to know about this horse? His temperament? He seems a bit high-strung the way he’s moving about.”

“He’s a horse. You’re the rider. You two will get to know each other soon enough. So, step up and rub your hand along his neck and back like I did earlier. Keep your voice low and steady.”

Sean took a second or two and then followed the instructions. His hand touched the animal’s neck and Jinx jerked his head up and away. Sean took a couple of steps back quickly.

“Do it again. You can’t let him get away with anything.”

To Sean’s credit, he stepped up again and this time his hand made it to the animal’s back. His smile was triumphant. “We’re going to be friends. I knew it.”

“No time to rest on your laurels. Pick up the saddle blanket and put it in the middle of his back and bring it up to just this point,” Jaxson instructed, his free hand showing the point where the blanket should rest. Sean went to do just that.

“He’s a bit tall. Maybe a step ladder might help out,” Sean made a small joke as he was on tiptoes trying his third attempt to get the blanket situated. “If he would just stay still, it would help.”

“This is one of the things his rider would teach him, with patience and repetition and a commanding presence and tone. Now that the blanket is on him, pick up the saddle, one hand on the horn of the saddle and one underneath, and hoist it over the back. Hook the stirrup on the opposite side over the pommel of the saddle to hold it out of the way. It’s easier that way.”

The second try was a failure, but it also sent Sean on his backside in the dirt of the arena. Sean picked himself up and made an effort to wipe his now-dirty jeans off as best he could. The scarf went along with the jacket very quickly to lay over a top rung of the fence.

“Okay then, let’s do this again. Jinx, it’s going to be third chance is a charm.”

Jaxson had to admit he hadn’t expected him to continue with the impromptu lesson. But neither did Jaxson have a lot of time to waste his day on teaching a greenhorn to saddle a horse. Keeping the reins in one hand, he reached down and grabbed the saddle horn, and with one swift movement, the saddle landed on the animal’s back. “Now step up, and I’ll talk you through the rest of it.”

“Impressive. You managed to do that with one hand. Do you lift weights in your off time?” Sean moved up as instructed.

“It’s a lifetime of ranch work. That’s better than any fancy gym. Now take that long strap and bring it up and through the metal ring.” He continued to talk Sean’s movements to the completion of the saddling of the horse. Jaxson stepped forward and checked and tightened the girth strap.

“Now it’s time to get on board. Take the reins in your left hand, place that same hand on the saddle horn, your left foot in the stirrup, and then push off from the ground and swing your right leg over the back. Your right foot goes into the right stirrup.”

“You made that sound so easy.” Sean was trying to get the reins situated in his palm.

Jaxson repeated it all. And Sean made it through to the very last part where his leg was going over the back of the animal, but the animal was no longer standing still. Jinx had hit his own green light. And that sent Sean onto his backside once again.

“What in the world is going on? Jaxson, are you trying to kill him? Sean, are you okay?” Laurel had made her entrance at that same moment, and she was not pleased, to say the least. She was beside Sean and helping him to his feet at lightning speed while shooting daggers across at Jaxson. Jinx had made a circuit of the arena and came to a stop a short distance away, eyeing the humans he had just outmaneuvered. And he was not the least apologetic. Neither was Jaxson.

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