To Save Me

Chapter 3

Mrs. Kincaid wasn't joking when she said I'd know it when I saw it. There tied to the hitching post I didn't notice going by stood eeyore. I walked over to him and began petting him. I guess I scared him or something because he jumped at my touch.

"You woke him up." Sam yelled across the street as he leaned on a pole. " what can I do for you miss grace."

I stood a little straighter and found my voice. Hoping it didn't sound like a squeak I said, " your mother said I should catch you.  I just got the job of shop girl ,vet tech, receptionist, and ranch hand."

He chuckled before making his way over to me with a large bag. When he got close enough we could talk without yelling he said " you realize she set you up right?" but I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying I was a little busy watching him throw whatever he was carrying over eeyore's back. The way his well built muscles moved and how his shirt lifted just enough for me to see lines in all the right places. I blushed when he looked back at me noticing I wasn't paying attention to a word he'd just said. Snap out of it Grace. Focus.

"Set me up? How?"

He smiled a little half smile before bending down on one knee and cupping his hands together" I have two class periods of high school science that I teach, then I split my time between the shop and the clinic. At six I go to the ranch and work what I can there. She set you up. Now are you going to get on the horse or am I just gonna let you figure your own way up?" 

As everything was setting in Athena stuck her head outside the door "Sorry dearie. Samuel you be nice to her now. Maybe she'll teach you some patience." she mumbled as she bustled back inside the quaint little diner.

He sighed then said,"come on I ain't gonna hurt ya. Put your left foot in my hands and your hands on the horn and the back of the saddle. Ready? 123 and up onto the horses back I went. He dusted his hands off then gracefully slid onto the saddle behind me. At first I almost couldn't stand that he was touching me, but then I realized he wasn't moving he was letting me get used to him. I relaxed a bit hating that he knew what I was having to do.

Calm down Gracie, Grimm is gone. He can't ever hurt you. I closed my eyes tight and let out a long breathe. You can do this Gracie you're stronger than this. Just relax. I concentrated only on his breathing then I became aware of his warmth radiating off of him in waves. Throughout all of this he was silent and then finally he gingerly grabbed the reins from under my hands where they were wrapped around the saddle horn. He didn't know what to do with the other hand though and soon let it rest on the horn. I felt awkward yet very thankful to this man who knew what I needed. So I tried to tell him that I was thankful and that I was sorry but all that ended up coming out was, "how do you know what to do for me?"

I felt him tense slightly before responding. "A lot of it is pure instinct. I saw what you did back there in the diner, and I knew it was gonna be a long walk if you didn't let me get on.  The ranch is a rescue ranch. We take the sick, the old, the abused, and neglected animals from the bigger cities and try and give them a new loving home. Carnie here was an abused carnival horse. Like you at one time nobody could touch him except Rachel, but I slowly won him over, so apparently have you."

His voice was deep but still soft, his hands were dirty and calloused but appeared gentle. His body was strong yet supple, and his eyes spoke of laughter and sun filled days. "Thankyou"

He nodded. Then all of a sudden it was like a great idea hit him.

"Here you steer. Take the reigns like a joystick up his neck and straight keeps him going. To the side, see how he turns. Like a car. Always watch whwre you're going.He let me have full control of the reigns and left both hands firmly on the horn.