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“And what about the connection you’d felt to him right from the start? You were the only one he was willing to trust. Remember that?”
Emotion boiled up in her throat. This time she couldn’t even muster a verbal acknowledgment to what he’d said. All she could do was nod.
Henry’s soft smile melted the ice that had grown on her heart while she’d been getting flustered over this training session. “Okay. The best thing you can do right now is listen to that instinct. You were able to ride him without thinking much about it.”
“Yeah, but I was able to use the reins more.”
He shook his head. “It’s more than that. As both of you continue to ride together, he’s going to notice little nuances in the way you put pressure on him, the way you lean, even the way you hold yourself. You two are connected in amazing ways. I’ve seen it.”
Henry’s little pep talk worked. She didn’t want to admit it to even herself, but his words had helped to put everything into a better perspective.
Goodness gracious, she wanted to be angry with him for it.
It wasn’t fair.
Henry had it all. He was handsome. He was a hard worker. He was kind, and sweet… and the list went on for miles.
Why in the world was he interested in her? No wonder he wanted her to be better. He needed someone who could keep up.
Unless this was about finding someone he could fix. She’d heard about those kinds of men. No. That wasn’t Henry. She refused to accept that. His goodness was overwhelming.
Henry released her hand and took a step back. “Now, let’s go show Brielle what you’re made of.” He put more distance between them, preventing her from asking quietly why Brielle was the one training her.
Athena would have to ask him that question later.
Right now, she had more important things to worry about. “What do you say?” she whispered to Beast’s flitting ears. “Are we going to let the outside world die away so we can understand each other better?”
At first, Beast didn’t move. Not even his ears flicked forward. Then he pawed the ground and tossed his head, bringing a smile to Athena’s face.
“Good. Then let’s try this again.”
“Remember, you can’t talk to him. Not even clicking your tongue is permitted,” Brielle called out.
“I know!” Athena shot back at her. “And everything before we get in position doesn’t count either.”
Brielle blinked and then stared at Henry with confusion.
He shrugged before turning his grin to her. All it took was a wink and she was able to let everything he’d said wash over her.
Athena could do this. She could become one with the animal that everyone thought was a beast. She could help him prove them all wrong, just like she could prove to everyone that she was a valuable asset to the Keagan family ranch.
They came to a stop at the far end of the paddock and Athena got into position. While she didn’t have the full outfit, she wore the gloves, the boots, and the hat. The whip was in her hand, but she made sure not to let it touch Beast even when she felt she was losing control and might fling her hand around.
She settled better into the saddle and held the reins where Brielle had told her would make the biggest difference. Then she closed her eyes and took in the oxygen her lungs craved. Willing her heart to slow its frantic pace, she told herself that this was it. This was her shot. Her eyes opened and she ignored the craving she had to look in Henry’s direction.
He was watching her. There wasn’t a doubt about that.
Athena tightened her thighs, only not quite as firmly as she had last time. The back of her heel tapped Beast’s flank, and he stepped forward. His movements were more measured this time. They hadn’t worked on transitioning from walking to a trot yet. According to Brielle, they needed to perfect the act of walking the perimeter of the corral at an even pace. She wanted smooth steps and an even curve. This would demonstrate that Athena could indeed control the direction and the arc of Beast’s trajectory when in an enclosed space.
Brielle had also been insistent that it should appear that Beast maintained some control to give the illusion of his own freedom—whatever that meant.
“Good!” Brielle called out. “Do you think you can move him into a trot? Don’t forget to adjust your stance so you’re not being flung around the saddle.”
She bit her tongue because otherwise, she would have told Brielle off. They were doing well this time, and there was no reason to complicate things.
But one look at Henry and Athena knew she couldn’t ignore the request. She tapped her heels against Beast and without missing a beat, he moved into a faster pace. Initially, Athena was able to match Beast’s flow of movement. But then she lost the beat in her head and her rump hit the saddle in an awkward thud.
After that, everything unraveled.
