Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(96)
Author: Kristen Ashley

Julia found this most annoying, even though there was once a time, not very long ago, when she demanded that he be at home more.

She tried to avoid them. She wanted to avoid them. But she found, as if they had minds of their own, after only fifteen minutes her feet took her toward the stables.

Lizzie and Willie were already in their saddles with Ruby sitting alone on a beautiful, shining chestnut horse. As Julia approached, she watched Douglas swing expertly up in the saddle behind Ruby and her heart did a little flip.

She told her feet to turn left. They refused. She told them to turn right. They, again, refused. Before she could begin to escape, Lizzie saw her.

“Hey, Auntie Jewel!” she shouted.

Douglas had his back to her and, at Lizzie’s call, he whirled the animal around expertly so he could watch her arrival.

“Don’t mind me,” Julia called. “You guys go on. I’m on my way to –”

“You should let Uncle Douglas teach you how to ride,” Lizzie suggested, obviously thrilled at her wonderful idea.

Julia sighed. Lizzie was definitely beginning to be a problem.

If she was truthful with herself, which she was being less and less these days, she would have admitted that she wanted to see him. However, she did not want a riding lesson. She loved horses, she loved all animals, she just didn’t particularly like riding them. She wouldn’t have wanted to ride a camel either. Or an elephant. Definitely not a horse.

“That’s okay.” She was amongst them now, all of them looking down at her. She gently stroked the soft muzzle of Willie’s horse (a beautiful grey which Julia knew Gavin liked to ride). “I’m good on my own two feet.”

But she heard rather than saw Douglas hit the ground and then Ruby was moved from Douglas’s horse to the front of Willie’s.

Julia watched in alarm.

“Is that wise?” she asked Douglas.

“He’s strong and he’s good in the saddle. She’ll be fine,” Douglas replied with confidence and Julia stiffened as he came toward her. “Now let’s see about you.”

Julia glanced at Willie whose face was glowing at his uncle’s compliment. It almost made her want to give in but then she saw Douglas leading the big chestnut toward her. The horse was bigger than all the others and Julia took a step back.

“They can sense fear,” Douglas informed her.

“I know!” she snapped. “I’ve seen enough cowboy movies. They always say that in the cowboy movies.”

Douglas grinned.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

That was when he smiled.

“Oh all right,” she gave in, mainly because the children were there and she was trying to retain as much dignity as she could considering she knew she was going to lose it all in mere minutes. “What do I do?”

While she had both feet planted firmly on the ground (thankfully) and Douglas adjusted the stirrups, he patiently and competently explained what she should do. She listened as intently as she could considering how much she loved his voice and what it did to her insides. As this went on, the children cantered around them, giving them a wide berth.

“You ready to go up?” Douglas asked, motioning to the horse with his head.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she grumbled, reaching out as he taught her and taking the reins and the pommel, putting her left foot in the stirrup.

She was pleased she’d heaved herself up to straighten her leg but it all fell apart somehow and she began to fall backward. She didn’t go down as Douglas’s hand found her bottom and gave her a firm push. She ignored the hot imprint his hand left like a brand on her behind, swung her leg over and forced her foot in the opposite stirrup.

He continued instructing her as he walked her and the horse around in circles, his hand on the horse’s halter. She never took her hands off the pommel but did as he said in every other way. When he suggested she take her hands from the saddlehorn, she tried it but immediately felt herself sliding off so she grabbed on again.

“You have to use your legs,” he noted.

“You’ve told me that already, like ten times,” Julia muttered.

“Then do it,” Douglas suggested good-naturedly.

She tossed him an irritated glance. “If I could, don’t you think I would?”

“Julia, I know your legs are far stronger than that.” His voice was full of warm familiarity and humour both of which played pleasant havoc with her insides.

Nevertheless, she wanted to clobber him.

She tried harder, did better and he stepped away, allowing her free reign, calling instructions to her. She was actually doing it and was rather pleased with herself when she led the horse in a wide, slow circle then back to Douglas where she successfully pulled the beast to a halt.

“Well done,” Douglas complimented her, his eyes shining with admiration, like she’d just won Ascot.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s more the horse than me.” She didn’t like the way his compliment made her feel, all tingly and happy. Well, she did like it; she just didn’t want to dwell on it. “I can’t imagine why someone would do this of their own volition. I’d rather pet him and feed him apples than ride him.” She finished, leaning forward and running her hand down the horse’s neck.

“Take your feet out of the stirrups,” Douglas commanded unexpectedly.

She lurched up and the horse danced sideways at her sudden movement.

The children had wandered further away, Lizzie riding expertly in a gentle gallop while Willie and Ruby were doing a sedate saunter.

“Julia, take your feet out.” He was using that tone that brooked no argument and was standing so close to the side of the horse that she felt his heat through her calf. She was certain he would take her foot out himself if she didn’t do as he said.

She did as he said.

No sooner had she done it, than he grabbed the saddlehorn in front of her, put his foot in the stirrup, and, in one lithe movement, mounted the horse behind her. Both he and she in the saddle pushed her straight up the pommel as he put his other boot in the stirrup.

He reached around her and grabbed the reins from her unfeeling hands.

“What are you doing? This horse is going to collapse under the weight of us. This is cruelty to animals!” she cried, somewhat hysterically, wanting off, wanting to escape, wanting his lean body not to be pressing against hers from her bottom to her shoulder blades.

“Swing your leg to the side and straddle the pommel,” he ordered.