Page 14 of Rescued in Maple Bay

Trace blew out a chuckle. “Actually, yes. A lot like the boys.”

“If I leave them unsupervised for too long, they get their own ideas about entertainment. Sometimes that results in wrestling matches or climbing the maple tree to the roof.”

Trace cocked his head. “Did the boys get on the roof?”

“The other day.” She quirked an eyebrow. “I was doing laundry, and they were curious about a squirrel on the top of the house. At least that’s what they told me.” She’d had a heart attack when she went looking for Andy and Ben only to discover them playing tag on the roof. Then she’d beaten herself up for not keeping a closer eye on them.

Trace shook his head. “Well, I’m glad they didn’t get hurt.”

“Me too.” Giggles floated over from where the boys were still riding near the house, and Lilah grinned. “Sounds like horse training and parenting have some similarities.”

“They do.” Trace ran a gloved hand over Blaze’s neck. The gelding gave a contented sigh. “Just like kids, young horses need direction. They need help focusing on what they’re supposed to be doing. That’s why I let Blaze choose his own pace when I first asked him to move around me on the lunge line. I let him walk, trot, or canter, as long as he was moving forward. After he got out some energy, then he started paying attention to me and eventually wanted to slow down, stop, and hang out with me.”

“So now you’re rewarding him for relaxing and standing still?”

“And I’m showing him that I’m his safe space.” Trace rubbed the horse again, slower and more intently. “Right now, he’s learning that that he can trust me and that standing beside me is a good place to be.”

Blaze gave in to Trace’s touch. His neck lowered. His big brown eyes softened. He looked so different from just a week ago when he’d essentially burst out of the horse trailer, scared and flailing.

Lilah could relate. Trace was a safe space for her too.

“Do you want to lunge him with me?” Trace asked, pulling Lilah from her thoughts.

“With you?”

He twisted toward Lilah, his hand still on Blaze’s neck. “Then you can see what I’m doing up close.”

“Um . . . sure.” She wasn’t quite sure how this was going to work.

“Come.” Trace waved her over. “Stand behind me.”

Lilah stepped close to Trace and peered past his shoulder. Blaze eyed them both, not sure what was happening.

“I’m going to ask him to go forward and make a circle around us.” Trace clucked his tongue and took a step toward Blaze, asking him to move with his body language. Blaze trotted off, and Trace snuck a glance at Lilah. “Step in front of me. I want you to take hold of the rope as well.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Trace gave her a nod, and Lilah reminded herself to be bold. She’d asked for this. Steeling her nerves, Lilah slipped in front of Trace.

“Put your hand on mine and walk with me,” he instructed, while guiding Blaze into a circle around them.

Lilah placed her hand atop Trace’s leather glove—the one that gripped the lunge line. From behind her, Trace set his opposite hand on her hip. The excess coil of rope fell against her thigh as Trace guided her into a rhythmic walk, almost like they were dancing.

Her heart tightened and raced.

“Keep your eyes on Blaze, always,” Trace spoke softly, and Lilah tried her best to focus on the horse in front of her, which was a challenge with Trace’s voice in her ear and his hand on her hip. “Can you feel the tension in the rope?”

“Yes,” she breathed. It wasn’t the only tension she felt.

Lilah turned, rotating with Trace as Blaze trotted around them. His hooves swished the sand. The saddle stirrups jangled.

“It’s a light connection,” Trace explained. “We’re simply guiding him using the tension of the rope. Keep your eyes and chest pointed at the middle of the horse. That’s his cue to keep moving forward.”

“Okay.” Lilah said, amazed that they could communicate with a thousand-pound animal simply with body language and a rope. The intimate, shared moment sent her heart into a flutter as she watched Blaze float across the arena. His red coat sparkled in the sun, and Lilah finally felt confident she would find him a good home. If he kept learning at this pace, she’d have adoptors fighting over him.

“He’s doing so good,” she whispered, amazed by the red horse in front of her. . . and the teacher behind her.

“He is. Now, let’s ask him to stop.” Trace closed his hand into a fist, taking up the slack in the lunge line until it was taut. “Whoa.”

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