Wilde Horses. Jannine Gallant

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СКАЧАТЬ to watch. Her grandpa had joined him, and when Benedict bent to listen to something the older man said, his smile broadened.

      “Action!”

      Eden dragged her attention back to Kara as the woman ran toward the horses. Terror flashed in her brown eyes as she glanced over her shoulder and put on more speed. The rawhide dress slapped against her legs as she drew closer, and the horses pranced nervously away.

      “Cut! Someone calm down those animals. Kara, don’t get quite so close next time. We’ll cut Eden in before that point.”

      Assuming she was the “someone” the director referred to, Eden eased into the small herd and spoke in a low voice. “Easy does it.” She laid a hand on the warm flank of the nearest mare. “Shhh, no need to be afraid. This will all be over soon.”

      “Places.”

      With a sigh and final stroke for the Pinto, she hurried out of camera view as Kara took her place on the edge of the tepee village.

      “Action.”

      Eden noted the exact path the woman ran along with the rhythm of her gait. She’d damn well get it right the first time since she wanted nothing more than to get her horses away from the filming. Sooner rather than later.

      “Cut! Perfect. All right, Eden, get into position. Do you know what you’re doing?”

      As she approached her mark, she glanced over at Stafford and nodded. “I’ll manage my part. You make sure no one screws up on your end since I don’t want to do it twice.”

      The director’s brows shot up. “Who’s running this show, anyway?”

      She kept her mouth shut and took her place as the cameras focused on her from behind.

      “Action!”

      Legs pumping, Eden flew across the yellow prairie grass toward the horses, the soft moccasins on her feet barely touching the ground. She stayed on course, even when the agitated animals skittered and shied away. As she passed the mark where Kara had stopped, she cut to the left and ran up to the stallion she’d named Apollo, grabbed a handful of his mane and swung up onto his back. Clamping her thighs tight, she held on when he reared and came down in a full gallop. The rest of the herd ran with them.

      With nothing to use to control the horse but her legs, she applied pressure and spoke in a calming voice as she threaded her fingers through his mane. “That’s it, boy. I’m not going to hurt you. Whoa. Whoa. Slow down, now.” Leaning forward, she stayed low as they thundered across the prairie, then guided Apollo in through the open pasture gate. “Whoa, baby. Whoa.”

      The horse kicked and reared. Eden launched off his back and landed hard. Pain jolted upward through her back as she tucked and rolled. Nearby, boots pounded the ground. With an effort, she drew in a shaky breath and gathered her wits.

      “Are you okay?”

      “Yeah.” After a few more breaths, she opened her eyes and struggled to sit up.

      A strong arm wrapped around her back, and for a moment, she let herself lean against the welcome support. Finally, she glanced up into eyes the same color as the sky above them.

      Blake squeezed her shoulders. “You scared the crap out of me.”

      “Certainly not the first time I’ve landed on my ass, but getting bucked off is never fun.”

      He smiled. “Way to take one for the team. Are you sure you should move?”

      Eden grimaced then pressed down on his hard thigh to rise to her feet. Heat shot through her as muscle flexed beneath her palm. “I’d know by now if something was broken.”

      Standing, he kept an arm around her back to steady her. “If you say so.”

      “Eden, honey, are you all right?” Her grandpa limped closer, leaning on his cane.

      She forced a smile. “I’m fine, Gramps. Just tell me I don’t have to do that again.”

      “Didn’t you hear the crew cheering?” He let out a hoot and grinned. “You were spectacular.”

      “Definitely impressive.” Blake let his arm fall to his side as Eden stepped away. “You’re going to make me look bad in my scenes on horseback.”

      She brushed dirt off the buckskin dress then glanced up at him. “Don’t you have a stunt double?”

      “I do, but I prefer to act in all my own scenes whenever possible.” He grimaced. “Max would probably like to see me crash and burn, just so he could get a little more time in front of the camera.”

      “If you attempt to ride one of these beauties,”—she waved toward two of the Pintos eyeing them from a safe distance—“my money says you’ll land on your ass in under ten seconds.”

      “Do I get a saddle?”

      She narrowed her eyes against the bright sunlight. His stance had taken on a cocky edge, but she’d still back any of her horses against a city boy. “Sure.”

      “You’re on.” He reached out to grip her hand in a firm shake. “I may not be as good as you are, but I’m not a novice when it comes to horses.”

      Her fingers tingled, and she pressed her hand to her chest as soon as he released it. “We’ll see about that. What’s the wager?”

      The blue of his eyes deepened. “If I win, on my first free day you give me a tour of your spread…on horseback. If you win, I’ll muck out the stalls in the barn.”

      She covered her mouth to hide a wide grin, picturing his casual perfection covered in manure. “Can I post a picture on social media?”

      “You bet.”

      Her grandpa chuckled. “I think you’ve been had, Eden. Blake told me he grew up around horses.”

      She shrugged. “My guess is you’ve gone soft in Hollywood. The next time I’m working with Apollo, I’ll give you a shout, and you can show me your stuff.”

      “Which one’s Apollo?”

      “The stallion I rode. Seems only fair.”

      His eyes sparkled. “I’m up for the challenge.”

      “But right now, I have work to do just as soon as I change out of this costume and back into my jeans.”

      Blake frowned. “Maybe you should check in with John before you disappear.”

      “The director?” At his nod, she shrugged. “If the camera crew didn’t get the footage he needs, it’s not my problem. I did my job. See you later, Grandpa.”

      “Bye, Eden.”

      Turning, she headed toward the barn. Behind her, Blake spoke in a low voice. Not low enough since her hearing was excellent.

      “Is she always that…uh, straightforward?”

      “You СКАЧАТЬ