Baya transferred his attention to her.
She had brought this on herself by wanting a family unit. From this side of her decision to marry him, she questioned her sanity. She closed her eyes momentarily and then smiled at all of them. “It is a wonderful name. It's the name of a little brown bird.”
Baya smiled at her as admiration softened his expression. “You're amazing, and generous to the core, Bonnie.”
Faith was pushing back her chair and beginning to gather the plates and silverware.
Daniel and Hope jumped up to help Faith, all three chattering as they left the room.
Baya's smile faltered and a spark of anger brought his voice alive. “What do you expect, Bonnie? You wanted a family and help raising the kids. Why resent what you asked for? I need to get to know these kids, so I asked them to help. They need to learn ranch ways. I can't help it that they are enjoying doing things with me. What do you want me to do? I'm trying not to
push you too hard.”
Bonnie couldn't answer what had her so upsetâ¦her kids starting to love someone else? Her own mixed feelings about being a familyâ¦with Baya? That moment of weakness in the kitchen the other day? She rushed to the kitchen without answering the man still sitting at their breakfast table.
~*~
When Baya led his plump mare out of the barn, Faith was helping Daniel saddle the pinto.
The miserable little horse turned, trying to bite him.
Daniel jumped back.
Faith's elbow caught the mare on the end of her nose. The mare was still twitching her bruised face when Bonnie walked up the hill to them.
“What's wrong with that horse's nose?”
Daniel opened his mouth but Baya squeezed his shoulder. “Allergies.” He didn't feel he was lying. The pony was allergic to Faith's elbow in a big way. He felt the giggle Daniel was holding back, and squeezed the shoulder harder.
Bonnie walked over to the pinto and scratched her ears.
Phoebe flattened them back. The pony turned her head, teeth bared, but Faith moved between the horse and her mother. The pony made eye contact with the girl as if to let her know the battle wasn't over.
“She seems like a nice little thing.” The long tan fingers scratched down the cheek and under the chin.
All fight went out of the pony; eyes half closed as the one place she couldn't reach got a good scratching.
Daniel tore out of Baya's hand and ran into the barn.
Faith's gaze met his momentarily before dropping so Bonnie couldn't see the telltale laughter lurking there.
Baya cleared his throat. “She's put together real nice,” he agreed. “Reckon she has quarter horse in her somewhere.”
“Nice shoulders.” Bonnie's hand rubbed over the shoulders and up the withers to the saddle.
Baya paused in tightening his saddle and looked at her. “I didn't know you knew your way around horses.”
“My grandfather had horses all my life. Part of the reason the kids learned to ride, too. I thought I'd ride out with you today and help round up the stock you wanted to bring down from the hills.” A telltale blush reddened her cheeks as she stared fixedly between the pony's ears.
He raised his gaze to the “hills.” The mountains shoved massive granite shoulders toward the sky.
“How well do you ride?” He watched her with skepticism.
“She rides good.” Faith looked up at him with a glare. “She knows more about horses than anyone I know.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise.
“I ride English. I've never been to a round-up though.”
“I only have these.” He nodded to the horses saddled. “We have the Shetland and a four year old racing quarter horse I broke this spring. He's green as grass, but gentle.” He looked at Faith. “Put your mother on Gadfly. I need to see how she rides.”
Bonnie stiffened. She moved to the tall thoroughbred and swung on. Glaring down at him, she gathered her reins and moved the horse down the lane. As she passed the house, she kicked the animal into a canter and continued past the bunkhouse, nudging the horse along with each motion of the lope. Turning at the corner, she trotted sedately back, posting exactly the way any well brought up academy trained rider should.
Baya groaned.
Faith looked at him with a frown. “I told you she could ride.”
“I don't need another trot-around-the-park rider, Faith. I need a hand.”
Faith frowned at him with all her old animosity. Her eyebrows about met themselves in the middle of her forehead. “I am not a trot-around-the-park rider! My mother isn't, either.”
Before she flounced away Baya caught her shoulder. Feeling the fragile bones under his fingers he sighed. “Faith, you're one of the best riders I have ever seen. You are a natural. Your seat is secure and you move with the horse as though you were part of it. You'll be a great help with rounding up strays. Your mom does not have the same abilities and she's mad at me.” He looked at the approaching horse. “Let's hope she gets over being mad before the day is done. Go get Skip.”
The gray eyes stared at him angrily, torn between his praise and her loyalty toward her mother. “My mom's the reason I ride so well,” she said stubbornly before she left to get the colt.
The colt did not like being saddled unceremoniously. He sidled and snorted away from the man as the leather and fuzzy pad settled on his back.
Baya tightened the cinches and left him standing tied to the fence rail to get used to the small English saddle. He checked the cinches on each of the animals and called Daniel from the inside of the barn.
The boy returned with a smile still playing around his mouth. “Do I get to ride the ânice little thing'?”
“Watch it, buckaroo.” Baya smiled down at the boy. He looked across to Faith. “Faith, I want you to keep an eye on Phoebe. If she gets to be too much for Daniel let me know, and we'll trade out horses.” He looked down to see a rebellion growing on Daniel's face. He smiled, knowing that Daniel would ride the mare no matter what. No sister was going to put him back on a lead line.
“Will Hope ride Socks?” Faith questioned.
“I guess so,” he said slowly. “If she gets tired we'll take turns carrying her.”
“Will not.” Hope's flashed him a look of sheer stubbornness as she stomped into the barn.
Faith ran after her, just as Bonnie slid off Gadfly.
“Have I created a problem?” she asked.
“No. I'm afraid for the little one. It can be a long day in the saddle.”
“When she's tired, she'll let us know.” Bonnie retightened the saddle
girt
h. She looked so right standing next to the chestnut flank of the bay mare. Her slender figure did things to the faded blue jeans.
She turned too quickly for him to wipe the appreciation from this face. Her chin came up in haughtiness. “I'll help them with the pony.” She marched into the barn.
Baya turned toward the colt again, muttering under his breath.
“What'd you say?” Daniel looked up at him with laughter still written all over his grubby face.
“Nothing you need to hear,” the Baya growled at him.
“She looks like she's sleeping.” Daniel nodded to the mare.
Baya paused as he pulled the cinch on the green-broke colt and gave the pony a long look. “Yup.”
“Do⦔ The boy paused. “Isâ¦? Uh, what if she runs away?” The normally enthusiastic voice almost whispered.
The tall cowboy leaned against the colt and tilted his hat back on his head. “You can get hurt on any horse. They're not overgrown dogs like everyone wants to make âem out to be. They are to be worked. You have to learn the movement, the sway, of each horse.
“They differ from each other. That thoroughbred of your sister's has a longer stride and more bounce to her trot. My quarter horse is quick and often choppy. I can't tell you what that mare of yours will be like. Just hang on and don't ever let her get her head down, where she can buck. That's one ornery animal. They said she's been used in round up before. She'll know what is going on. Just hang on!”
Daniel nodded as the girls led the pony out of the barn.
They started toward the mountains ten minutes later.
Bonnie held the lead line on the Shetland as she rode the thoroughbred.
Baya had put Faith on his short mare and he rode the colt. The colt stuck close to the mare. When they got to the mountain meadow, he would put Faith on the colt. Until then, he would ride the kinks out of the gangly young horse and remind him what his job was.
Daniel's pinto settled down to follow the rest of the animals and, although she showed a tendency to want to kick anything that got close, traveled well with the group.
They followed the creek as they wound their way up the mountain.
Baya noted that Bonnie looked curiously around as they left the valley floor and started toward the horse pasture.
The aspens were shimmering, showing gildings of silver from the underside of their leaves. The stream whispered in places; roared in others. The green leaves slowly gave way to rockier terrain. As they reached the first plateau, he could feel the difference in pressure and the heady scent of pines began to waft down the slopes with each breeze.
They'd been riding about twenty minutes straight out of the valley.
Baya was being cautious of the children. He rode the young horse around them in a wide circle checking for problems. He gave instruction to Daniel about his riding and talked to Faith as if she were an equal. He refrained from speaking to Bonnie, but kept a close watch on the pony and Hope.
They crossed the stream where it widened into shallows. The horses perked up, seeming to enjoy the water that splashed on their bellies.
“Get Socks!” Faith turned the little quarter horse mare to come back to her mother and Hope.
The pony was trying to lie down.
“Kick him, Hope! Kick him!” Bonnie pulled on the slackened lead rope, and then stopped.
Hope kicked the pony hard in the ribs and began yelling at him.
Socks began buckling his knees again and the chubby little legs kicked him hard as she hit him with her reins. With a sudden rush, the pony moved forward. By the time he had reached the other bank, he cantered up it.
Bonnie followed.
When they came out of the stream, Baya dismounted and unclipped the pony's lead line. He looked up at Bonnie. “Reckon she'll do.” He grinned.
Behind him, Faith was hovering over the pony and her sister but she looked up laughing. The cheerful sound ricocheted against the mountains and faded into echoes.
Daniel's mare chose that moment to try to take a bite out of the green broke colt.
As the sorrel skittered away from the bared teeth, Baya caught the reins, but it was several more minutes before he could calm the horse and mount up.
They headed toward a jumble of rocks marking the entrance to the horse meadow. They'd kept to a steady walk, moving ever higher toward the granite mountains behind the ranch. Riding up the steep rock strewn trail, they finally crested to where a tributary emptied into the creek. A wide meadow stretched before them. Around the rock and tree rubble, was a small mountain valley surrounded by gently sloping sides.
Baya stopped beside Bonnie and called the children around. He pointed to where the little herd of a dozen or so horses grazed.
Below them, one of the animals raised a head and stiffened. The rest of the herd shifted and became instantly alert watching the intruders.
“That's the stallion.” Baya pointed to a dark stocky animal that stood off to the side. “He's an old one and knows how to get the animals down to the lower valley. All we have to do is get them moving. They won't want to leave this grass. I want to give it two or three weeks to grow and ripen, and then mow it for hay. We may need it in the winter.” He turned to Faith. “Now those horses are going to scatter like the wind if we don't get cooperation from that old stud. I'm going down there to do a preliminary gather and talk to the old boy. This is where we trade horses.”
Faith nodded
“This here is a young, green broke horse, Faith. Stay out of his mouth. Keep your hand light and talk to him with your legs. You got you mama's nice long legs. He'll hear you.”
Once again the girl nodded.
Daniel nudged his horse up next to Baya, as they began making the switch.
Baya held the reins close to the bit as the girl swung on the back of the colt. The difference in weight had the horse turning to sniff the girl's boot while Baya adjusted the stirrups.
“What ya want me to do?” Daniel's voice piped up.
“You'llâ” Both adults began at once.
Baya squinted at Bonnie.
Her brow crinkled distrustfully, but she settled back in the saddle silently.
“You'll ride down the valley on that side. I'll show you where to stay. That little mare is a terror but she's been to round-ups before. She'll stay put, as long as you make her mind.” He patted the pinto's shoulder and her ears flattened against her head.
“Faith you take the opposite side. Skip's a quarter horse cross. He'll be agile enough to move them along OK and might even remember how to wrangle some of them. Bonnie, you and Hope are going to take the drag. That means you ride behind and make noise, but not until I tell you to. I'm hoping that stallion and this mare will do all the work.” He patted the chubby little mare's shoulder.
“Does she have a name?” Bonnie asked curiously
“Lady.”
“She's too small for you.”
A snorting scream came up the valley and interrupted their conversation. The stallion begin circling the other horses.
Baya mounted his mare and motioned them to follow him. He circled along the edge of the valley. Baya left Faith on the far side with specific instructions.
Bonnie kept looking back over her shoulder when they moved away from her daughter and the gangly colt.