“For your safety as well as the horse’s. Horses are more sensitive than a lot of folks give them credit for, and we need to match their temperament with yours. I tried riding a horse once that didn’t like me, and I ended up sitting on an ice pack for the rest of the day.”
“Got it.”
George wasn’t entirely sure how true that story was, given Reyes’s experience, but it definitely made his point. Then again, George had once been a novice skater and had fallen on his ass on the ice dozens of times. No one was born knowing how to do every physical skill.
“Mounting a horse is fairly easy once you get the hang of it.” Reyes pointed to wooden set of three steps. “But for you younger riders and folks who are a little nervous, we do have steps. However, we do not have steps out on the trails if you get off your horse, so it’s best to give it a try at least once.”
A soft murmur went through the guests. Two more cowboys, Hugo and the older guy from the guesthouse, came out of the barn leading horses of their own.
“Now, this beauty to my right is Attitude, or Tude for short,” Reyes continued. “Hugo over there has Valentine and Ernie’s with Hot Coffee.”
“Tude is Mack’s horse,” Levi whispered. “And Hot Coffee is Reyes’s.”
Huh. Seemed odd to use personal horses for ranch demonstrations, but maybe that was part of keeping them in the barn? George had no idea how the ranch worked behind the scenes, and he was glad Levi knew a few of the details. It kind of gave them an advantage over the other guests.
“We’ve also got another experienced horseman in the group this week,” Reyes said. “Mr. Levi Peletier over there works up at the ghost town during the on season, doing trick riding and demos. Maybe we can persuade him to do a little demo for us later in the week.”
“Yes!” Faith piped up. “Let’s see that.”
Levi chuckled, then braced one foot on the bottom of the corral fencing and raised himself up off the ground. “I can be persuaded with a six-pack of Grand’s Cream Soda,” he joked before stepping back down.
“You work cheap,” Reyes replied.
“Eh, I’m on vacation.”
The easy banter relaxed George even more as they watched Reyes demonstrate the right way to brace their left foot in the stirrup, grab the pommel, and push off with the right leg. He made it look so damned easy, but the guy also had years of practice under his belt. Reyes talked about adjusting the stirrups to the correct height for each rider, followed by an admonishment not to ride too long the first time.
“Sitting astride a saddle stretches your thigh muscles a lot, and the longer you stay in the saddle, the more uncomfortable you’ll be once you dismount.”
Levi’s lips twitched, as if finding a joke in the phrasing but George didn’t get it.
Hugo mounted Valentine and showed them how to make the horse start walking by nudging her flank with his heels, leading with the bit, and gently pulling the horse to a stop. Seemed like basic things George had seen time and again in movies and on TV, but he’d never done any of it himself.
Hell, this was the closest he’d ever been to a live horse in his life.
Reyes did a demo of dismounting, and by that time, George noticed a new, familiar face had joined them at the corral: Miles Arlington. Reyes’s husband and head chef at the ghost town’s saloon. He was out of work, same as Levi, and from what gossip George remembered the pair lived in a cabin here at the ranch. Probably watched the tourists for something to do.
“Now,” Reyes said, “we’re going to separate you all into three groups and give you each more hands-on time with the horses.”
Hugo ended up with the older quartet, while Ernie took the family unit. George let out a breath, grateful to be working with Reyes and Levi his first time mounting a horse. Everyone was let inside the corral and their groups broke apart. Miles remained outside the corral but followed them to where Reyes led them.
“Have you ever ridden a horse before, Miss?” Reyes asked Faith.
“Only a little pony, but Dad says I’m big enough to ride a big horse on my own if I want,” Faith replied in a soft, earnest voice. “Am I big enough?”
“I’d say so but how about I walk beside you the whole time.” To Rey, he said, “We do have safety helmets if you prefer she wears one.”
Rey cast a look at Samuel, who shrugged with his eyebrows. He’d only known the men for a few hours, but Rey definitely seemed like the nervous parent in the pair. “I’d prefer a helmet, yeah. Sorry, sprout, but at least this first time.”
She frowned but didn’t question him.
Reyes shouted at someone to bring a junior helmet and the steps. “You’re old enough to ride, but definitely not tall enough yet to mount without help.”
“Okay, sir. I’ve never ridden a horse before but I really want to.”
“And you will in just a few minutes, Miss.”
“Faith.”
“Miss Faith.”
The entire exchange was both touching and adorable. George leaned against the corral with Levi nearby, watching while Reyes helped Faith adjust the strap on her helmet. He led her to the steps and gently showed her how to put her foot in the stirrup and swing her other leg over. She let out a giggle of delight when she was finally on Tude; the horse barely twitched.
“Look, Dad and Papa!” She grinned so widely she showed off a single missing tooth. “I’m on a horse!”
Both dads had their phones out, snapping pictures, and it was one of the most affectionate, familial scenes George had observed in a long damned time. Reyes adjusted her stirrups, and then carefully led her around the corral. He let her try to rein Tude in herself, sticking close the entire time. Samuel filmed the whole thing while keeping a tight grip on Rey’s hand.
Faith rode for a while, having the time of her life up on Tude, until Reyes asked who wanted to go next. She said her dad had to go. It took Rey a few times—and a bit of a boost from Reyes—to get up, but he managed. Samuel went next, and since Levi didn’t need to practice—the lucky son of a bitch—all eyes were now on George.
Reyes impressed the hell out of him by allowing Levi to coach George through it. “The saddle gives a little,” Levi said. “Don’t let it scare you. You just pull yourself right on up. You’re an athlete. I know you’ve got the muscles.”
His confidence in George boosted his own self-confidence a bit more. He put his hands everywhere Levi indicated, got his left foot situated in the stirrup. Took a strong hold of the pommel...and shocked the crap out of himself by actually dragging his ass up and into the saddle. “Wow,” George said, keenly aware of exactly how high off the ground he was now. “Dude.”