Twelve

Amber took a deep breath and smiled up at the clear, blue sky. She loved North Dakota weather in the summer. An hour ride into the Badlands would bring breathless views as well, so the guide had said.

“All right.” Tom Snickett pointed at her as he led a large brown beast around. “You can have Blue.”

But the horse is brown. And it looked to be twice as tall as Amber. “You want me to get on that?”

Another man brought a stool over and set it next to Blue while Tom held on to the reins. “Blue is one of our calmest. She won’t do you wrong.”

After a quick glare at Muriel who already sat astride a white horse called Black, Amber took a step. Despite her shaking knees, she forced herself to walk toward the horse. Tom lifted his hand, signaling Amber to stop.

“Try not to be afraid. Horses can sense fear.”

Fantastic. If he wanted her to feel confident and douse the fear, he’d said the wrong thing.

“Chin up, chickadee.” Muriel waved. “You can do this.”

Amber tried to think of something else besides riding, and her thoughts landed smack on Dr. Selman. Not good. Her pulse hit high gear as she thought about his phone call. Muriel had said he wanted to speak to her. On the drive over, she dialed his cell. Getting no answer, she left a message.

Tom still stood waiting, so Amber shifted her focus to the horse.

“Okay.” Tom held the reins at Blue’s head. “Grab hold of the saddle horn with your left hand.”

Amber stood on the stool, grateful she didn’t have to figure out a way to haul herself up the side of the living mountain and somehow sling her right leg over the beast’s back. She grabbed the saddle horn and stuck her left foot in the stirrup. So far so good.

“Now grab the back of the saddle with your right hand, put your weight on the ball of your left foot, then sling your right leg over the horse.”

She could do this. Amber bit her lip. Hands on the saddle. Push on the left foot. Right leg over, swivel.

Once her right foot found the other stirrup, she released a sigh.

Tom lifted his hat and handed her the reins.

“Nothing to it,” she said.

“Hold the reins in one hand. When you’re going left, pull the reins a little toward the left side of Blue’s neck. Going right, pull to the right. Not too hard, though. Blue knows the drill.”

“Got it.” Piece of cake.

Amber drew a long, shaky breath, keenly aware of every little movement and twitch of the horse beneath her. She wasn’t sure how many riders were ahead of her in the line, or behind her for that matter, but she counted seven that she could see before the rest disappeared into the tree-shrouded trail. When the line began moving, her horse fell into step by rote, and Amber rocked with the rhythmic movement that was Blue. After a while, Amber began to relax. This wasn’t bad. Not bad at all.

Though she’d mastered her anxiety over the horse, for now at least, her emotions were anything but calm as she considered Dr. Selman. He’d never called her about work before.

Again, her last words to him played over in her mind, torturing her. “I need to keep my personal life. . .personal.” Oh, how she wished the words weren’t true. That she’d never said them. How she wished she didn’t have to keep to herself—especially where Dr. Selman was concerned—for fear someone would find out the awful truth.

Muriel rode Black directly in front of her and turned her head to peer at Amber. “How you doing?” she asked, while smacking her lips.

“Hey, no fair, where’d you get the gum?”

“I’d toss you a piece but you might fall off trying to catch it.” Muriel’s eyes grew wide as she peered past Amber. “Oh, my. . .”

Fear squeezed her chest. She took a glimpse behind her, seeing nothing unusual. “What is it?”

Muriel turned her back to Amber once again, her shoulders bouncing up and down in laughter.

“You’d better tell me right now before I spear this horse forward right next to you.”

“You mean spur? Considering you’re not wearing spurs, maybe a gentle nudge would be better,” Muriel called over her shoulder.

“Whatever. Now, please, what did you see?” The trail began to incline and Amber leaned into Blue in order to keep her balance.

“Remember who called earlier? Did I mention I invited him to go riding today?”

“Uh. . .no.” What did that have to do with what Muriel had seen?

Amber gave a quick glance behind her but couldn’t see beyond the few riders following her. She had a difficult time believing Dr. Selman would spend his morning on a horseback ride. Then again, she was. To Amber, he seemed like the sort of person who had important things to do. Far more important than this.

Muriel’s words came back to her. “I think Dr. Selman might have a thing for you.” Amber’s palms grew sweaty. Could it be true? She stroked the horse’s mane absently. She couldn’t believe he was interested. Not really. Any interest he expressed was purely out of concern for her as an intern at the museum, and she’d already squashed his intervention into her personal life.

No, Dr. Selman wasn’t interested in Amber. And even if he were it would all blow away like the dust once he found out about her brother.

❧

Somehow while sitting in his office, thinking over his concerns for Amber, Brandon had convinced himself that he needed to butt in to her life. When Muriel mentioned horseback riding, of course Brandon had brushed it off as ridiculous. And now, sitting on the back of a horse, his memory was a bit fuzzy. All his well thought out reasons for being here now seemed contrived.

He’d known Tom Snickett for years, and once Brandon made the decision, the deed was as good as done.

He considered his teaching at the previous Wednesday night’s Bible study regarding the apostle Paul. Brandon wished he could teach it again next week, considering he now better understood what the apostle had meant when he said he knew the right thing to do but he did the wrong instead.

Brandon shouldn’t be here. Yet here he was.

Why couldn’t he have seen this clearly before? He had no right to insert himself into Amber’s personal life. Never mind that her roommate had encouraged him. A sour taste formed in his mouth. Even without Muriel’s whispered encouragement, Brandon would have found a way to interrupt Amber’s day. To make sure she was all right. A week of avoiding her hadn’t diminished his concern.

The only good news was that he was at the end of the line. He could turn his horse around and head back without anyone being the wiser. He’d taken Tom’s ride before and knew the trail would soon open up to a field where the riders had more freedom. Amber would see him then if she hadn’t already—that is, if he didn’t turn around now.

He reined the horse out of line but had only ridden a few feet when he heard Tom’s familiar voice behind him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Brandon smiled. “I remembered something I need to do.”

Tom caught up with Brandon, and they stopped.

“On a day like this? You don’t want to miss the view now, do you?” Tom asked.

How could he get out of this? Gladys was right. He really was an absentminded professor, or rather, museum director.

At least. . .where Amber McKinsey was concerned.

“I guess what I needed to do can wait.” Brandon followed Tom at the end of the line.

The trailhead opened up to a meadow where the riders were allowed to break the line as they headed to the other side. There they would tether the horses and hike a few yards through the trees until they came to a high bluff, offering a scenic viewpoint of the rough terrain of the Little Missouri River Badlands.

“I always get nervous at this part.” Brandon drew his horse to a stop.

“Is that so?”

“Seems to me you’d get nervous, too, giving these inexperienced riders this much freedom.”

“You worry too much, Doc. These horses are gentle. Besides they all know to follow Kevin’s lead.”

“If you say so.”

Tom grinned, then urged his horse into a lope, leaving Brandon who studied the trail behind him, considering his options.

“Dr. Selman! You decided to come.”

At the familiar voice, he turned to see Muriel riding up to him.

“Of course I came. What you said worried me.”

Muriel’s smile seemed to say she held a big secret. “I’m sure you needed some sunshine, too.”

“It’s a beautiful day.”

“Amber isn’t too good on a horse. I probably shouldn’t have left her.”

In his opinion, the riders should have been kept in a tight single-file line for the entire trail ride. Leave it to Tom to be creative. His trail ride was the most popular.

Brandon followed Muriel up the line and then he spotted Amber as several riders spread out to give her space. Her horse appeared skittish, tossing its head. Amber made matters worse by tugging on the reins and kicking the horse with her heels, sending mixed signals.

Kevin and Tom were ahead, their backs to the group. Talking, they were completely unaware of Amber’s predicament. When her horse bolted, Brandon kicked his into a canter, coming alongside Amber. The horse was spooked, but worse, so was Amber. Eyes wide, she clearly didn’t know what to do.

Reaching across the distance between them, he grabbed her reins and brought both horses to a halt. He calmed the horse with soothing tones. Trembling and gasping for breath, Amber placed her hand on her chest.

She gazed over at Brandon, looking sheepish. “Thanks. I don’t know what happened. The horse just got scared. I didn’t know what to—”

“It’s okay. Not everyone is experienced with horses.” He grinned, hoping to inject humor into his comment. “I have an idea. Why don’t we walk?”

“Huh?”

“Tom will have us tether the horses up ahead. Let’s walk the rest of the way. I’ll lead the horses.”

Amber offered a timid smile and nodded her agreement. Brandon hopped off his horse then helped Amber off hers.

Brandon and Amber walked side by side, while Brandon held both horses’ reins, leading them through the meadow. Even though they walked in silence, it was a comfortable quiet. Being next to her like this felt natural and—as he watched the soft breeze lift a few strands of her dark hair—it felt right.

“Dr. Selman, I want to apologize for what I said the night you took me home from Gladys’s.”

“There’s no need, really. I understand. You didn’t want to tell me what upset you.”

She looked down, her hair swinging forward to hide her face. “It seems like every time something bad happens, you’re there.”

Brandon felt as if she’d struck him. What was she saying? He recalled that he’d knocked her over when they’d first met, colliding on their jog.

Eyes wide, she looked up at him. “No, that didn’t come out right. I keep having trouble, and you keep being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Or maybe it’s the right place at the right time.”

She smiled gently. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful you’ve been there. I’m embarrassed, that’s all. I wish you could somehow know a different side of me.”

I’d love to. But he kept the errant thought to himself. “I’m just glad I could be of assistance.”

“Is that why you’re here today?”

“What? A man can’t go horseback riding?”

That elicited a snicker. “Sure he can. I don’t mean to suggest that you’re here for me. It’s just that Muriel told me she invited you.”

Now it was Brandon’s turn to be embarrassed. “Honestly, I’ve been concerned about you ever since that night when you were upset. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

They approached the tethering line—a rope tied between two trees. Brandon grinned and offered Blue’s reins to Amber.

Looking anything but thrilled, she gave a half laugh then reached for them. Her soft fingers swept over his skin, stirring a longing inside him. He focused on the others who were already hiking the trail to the viewpoint.

“Thank you for your concern. It means a lot to me that you would go out of your way.”

How could he tell her that it was no trouble at all? He inhaled the crisp air. “Would you like to come to Bible study this Wednesday?”

“Sure, I’d like that.”

Warmth buzzed around in Brandon’s chest where it had no right to buzz. She was his sister in Christ and an intern at the museum and. . .his protégé.

“There you are. You guys are going to miss the view if you don’t hurry.” Muriel walked alongside them, appearing out of nowhere. That seemed to be her modus operandi.

“Did you tell Amber about the new assignment?”

Drawing a blank, Brandon stared at Muriel.

“You know—the reason you called today.” Muriel’s smile irritated Brandon. She started up the narrow trail, leading the way.

Brandon felt like an idiot. Following behind Amber as they made their way to the viewpoint, he noticed her slight form. He liked her runner’s physique.

“What’s the new assignment?” she asked.

Ah, yes, the phone call that had led to trail riding with Amber. “We’ve a shipment arriving next week—the Hamlin Exhibit on loan. I’m hoping you’ll assist me with receiving the collection and cataloging the artifacts.”

She stopped and turned to face him. “Really?” Her smile beamed and her eyes brimmed with joy. “Helping you with artifacts, working alongside you—it’s the sort of experience I came here to do. I’d feel like a real professional.”

She turned away to continue the hike.

Grand. While she might feel like a professional working beside him, beside her. . .he felt anything but.