Page 33 of Smoke River Bride

Thad sent her an encouraging grin. “Good. Now, the saddle.”

She stared at the bulky leather contraption on the mare’s back. To her horror, Thad loosened the wide, beltlike thing under the animal’s belly and hefted the saddle, stirrups and all, off the horse. He plopped it onto the tree stump, where Teddy perched.

“Now you do it,” Thad instructed. Leah stopped breathing. She could never lift that heavy thing. Never. Despite the pleasure his kiss had brought last night, at this moment she hated Thad MacAllister.

He removed the saddle blanket, shook it out and handed it to her. “Put this on first. Then set the saddle on top.”

“But I cannot possibly lift it! It must weigh forty pounds.”

“This is a lady’s saddle,” he said in a patient tone. “It only weighs about thirty-five pounds.”

She lifted her chin. “I weigh just one hundred pounds, Thad. I cannot—”

“Sure you can. One thing I’ve learned about you, Leah, is that you’re stronger than you look. C’mon, give it a try.”

One thing he had not learned about her was that she was really, really afraid of this huge horse. She did not want to do this.

But she had to acknowledge that now she was a woman living on a ranch, not a village in China. An American woman would do this every day of her life.

Clenching her teeth, Leah approached the stump, gripped the saddle, front and back, and pulled it toward her. She could do that much. But could she hoist the heavy thing up onto the horse’s back? Never in a thousand years.

Oh, goodness gracious. She did want to please Thad. Even if she didn’t think she could, she knew he would make her try.

And there was another matter, as well. She wanted to prove something to herself. She wasn’t sure exactly what, but the knowledge straightened her spine.

She refolded the saddle blanket and spread it on Lady’s back, then studied the waiting saddle with dwindling courage.

“Whatcha waitin’ for, Leah?” Teddy yelled. “Ain’t chicken, are ya?”

“I am thinking,” She replied. She decided what she had to do, and prayed she had figured out a way to do it. She rolled up the sleeves of her plaid flannel shirt, stepped forward and gripped the leather contraption.

She tensed her muscles, sucked in a gulp of air and heaved the saddle up off the stump. Turning her body, she began to whirl in a circle, clutching the heavy object and picking up speed as she rotated. With a final burst of energy she aimed the saddle at the horse’s back and let go.

To her amazement, the heavy leather thing sailed up and settled onto the folded saddle blanket. She could scarcely believe it. If Teddy and Thad were not shouting and applauding, she would think it was a dream.

Triumphant but out of breath, Leah faced her cheering section. “I did it!”

“You did,” Thad confirmed. “Very clever.”

But her pride in her accomplishment didn’t ease her trembling muscles. “Could I please learn the rest tomorrow?”

“Coward!” Teddy chortled.

Thad just snorted and shook his head. “Adjust the stirrups and tighten the cinch.”

She did as he directed, wondering at every motion where she got the strength.

“Now,” he directed, “climb up on the stump, then maneuver the horse close and stick your left toe in the stirrup.”

She sent him a desperate look, but he was leaning over, talking to Teddy, and did not see. Suddenly she regretted suggesting that Thad and Teddy undertake a task together. Now it was not Teddy who felt left out, but she herself. Something began to simmer deep inside her.

She clamped her teeth together and clambered onto the stump.

“Grab the saddle horn and swing your right leg over the horse’s rump,” Thad instructed.

Over the horse’s rump? Impossible. She wished with all her heart that Thad MacAllister would shut his mouth!

But she knew she must learn to ride sooner or later. She stepped into the stirrup and willed her body upward, over the horse’s hind quarters.

Before she knew what was happening, she flew completely over the saddle and smacked down onto the ground on the animal’s other side. “Ow! Ow, ow!” She sat up and spit the dust out of her mouth.

She could hear Teddy’s laughter and she shut her eyes against tears of embarrassment and pain. Then Thad was bending over her.

“You all right?” His voice sounded pinched.

“N-no.”

Instantly he knelt beside her and laid his hand on her shoulder. “Are you hurt? Teddy, shut up!”

Leah could not speak. All she wanted to do was hit this man over the head with something and then throw herself into his arms and sob.

“Come on, lass.” He helped her up. Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he walked her around the mare and back to the stump.

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