“Pick ‘em up.”
I held onto the saddle with a death grip in one hand and reached out with the other to grab the knot holding the two thin straps together. As soon as I snagged it, I pulled back on the reins, anxious to get control of the horse.
The horse stopped going forward.
I panicked, watching Mack get farther and farther ahead, worried my horse would run to catch up and dump me on my sorry butt. I’d probably fall right onto a snake, and with the way my luck was going, I’d land on him while he was sunning himself fang-side-up. My whole body tensed into a human-shaped board of solid fear.
The horse snorted and began walking backwards.
I yanked on the reins some more, trying to get her to stop, but she wouldn’t listen. She just kept going faster the wrong way.
“Mack!” I shrieked. “It’s broken or something! It’s in reverse! It’s going in reverse! How do you make it go into drive?!”
He twisted in his saddle and started laughing.
I was torn between laughing with him and crying, my whole body trembling, even my lips.
“Stop squeezing her sides and let the reins loose. You’re telling her to go backward with your conflicting signals!”
I immediately shot my legs away from her sides, sticking them straight out like Hawaiian canoe out-riggers. I dropped the reins to her neck again and held onto the horn with both hands. I would have slid right off and saved myself from the nightmare of riding this beast if I’d thought I could land without dying.
The horse moved forward and ambled over to where Mack was waiting. The bulk of my rear end was pushed up off the saddle by two very tense ass-cheek muscles.
He couldn’t breathe for a little while, due to all the laughing he was doing. I, on the other hand, was sweating-hot and cranky, wondering what had possessed me to listen to this idiot and get up on this monster when I knew damn well it would be a mistake. He could charm the fangs off a snake if he wanted to. “Can we go back now? I think I’ve seen enough scenery.”
Mack leaned over and grabbed my horse’s reins, pulling the animal up next to his. “Get over here, girl,” he said, wrapping his hand around my neck and pulling me closer. He leaned in and kissed me right on the mouth.
I squealed against his lips, fearing I was going to fall too much to appreciate their warmth.
“I gotcha,” he said, putting his arm around my waist and steadying me. My horse shifted under the saddle, but she didn’t move away.
I let him kiss me this time briefly before pushing him back. It felt too nice not to. “You’re going to make me fall,” I said, pushing him away.
He smiled, all kinds of happiness lighting up his eyes. It made me think of sugary sweetness and vulnerability, things I never showed anyone. Things I’d removed from my repertoire a long time ago. He’s braver than me.
“I think you’re going to be a natural in the saddle,” he finally said.
I tried to hit him, but he was too far away. “I think when I finally get off this thing, I’m going to kill you. I hope you can run fast.” I plucked the reins off the horse’s neck and held them in a slightly-less-shaky grip.
“Is that a promise? Cuz if it is, I can run extra slow and give you half a chance of catching me.” He winked and clicked his tongue, sending his horse forward and leaving me behind again. He spoke to me without looking back. “Pick up the slack in the reins, but don’t pull on them. Rest your toes in the stirrups but don’t squeeze the horse with your legs. Just pretend you’re straddling a log. Find your center balance.”
“Straddling a log,” I grumbled quietly to myself. “Why don’t you go straddle a log, you big dope.” I gathered up the reins and pictured myself riding a stupid log over a stupid rushing river, letting my stupid moccasined feet just hang down.
The horse moved forward instead of backwards, and after a while I was surprised to find her pace calm and relaxing. The rocking motion soon worked its magic on me, lowering my blood pressure and dispersing the images of death that had crowded my mind. I took a deep breath and exhaled, letting out all the tension that had gathered. As my butt cheeks took a vacation from turning into rock, I settled lower into the saddle and found the process of riding the horse almost pleasant.