The Cowboy Next Door & Jenna's Cowboy Hero. Brenda Minton

rope.

      His dad opened the gate and Jay led the mare through, moving fast to keep the other horses from following. Bill closed the gate behind him. A car door closed. Jay led the horse to the barn and tied her.

      Lacey walked through the doors, her face a dark silhouette with the setting sun behind her. He heard his dad behind him.

      “I’m going to the house.” Bill patted him on the shoulder as he walked away, greeting Lacey with a hug.

      “I’m sorry. I should have called.” Lacey looked a little lost, like she wasn’t sure. She stood a few feet from him, from the mare. “She’s beautiful.”

      “You don’t have to call.” He looked over the mare’s neck at the woman leaning against the wall. “You okay?”

      “I’m fine. I was on my way home from Bailey’s and I realized I really didn’t want to go home. There’s no one there.”

      “The police will find her, Lacey.”

      “And take her to jail.”

      “They won’t take Rachel to jail.”

      She reached to slide her hand down the neck of the mare. Jay slid the saddle pad into place and then lowered the saddle onto the mare’s back. The mare turned to look at him, but she stood still.

      “Do you want to ride her?” He tightened the girth strap and knotted it.

      “Could I?”

      “I think so. I’ll show you how to rope.”

      “No way!”

      He smiled and it felt really good. “Yeah way!”

      “I’d love it.”

      It would keep both of their minds off what they didn’t want to think about. He didn’t want to think about letting go of Jamie. She didn’t want to think about her little sister going to jail.

      “Come on, we’ll take her out to the arena.” He led the horse and Lacey walked a short distance away. “You do know how to ride, right?”

      “Of course. You can’t live around here for six years and not know how to ride.”

      He laughed because she bristled like an angry cat.

      “Let me ride her first and then she’s all yours.”