The Cowboy's Healing Ways (Cooper Creek) by Brenda Minton Page A

reached to pet the buckskin inside, and the horse inched his dusty yellow head close to hers. She rubbed the animal’s face and neck.
    “Looks like she’s picked her own horse.” Travis indicated with a nod. “Jackson’s old gelding is as gentle as any. I’d let her ride him.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Not a better horse on the place. Jackson would probably let you take Buck on up to your place if she likes him and can ride him okay.”
    The door at the end of the building opened. Jackson walked back in, looking pretty agitated and talking to himself as he headed their way.
    “Any luck?” Travis asked as he opened the stall door and led Buck out, holding tight to the halter he’d slipped over the animal’s head. Laura had moved back, close to the wall, as though she thought the horse might run her over or worse.
    “None.” Jackson eyed his old horse. “What’s up?”
    “Laura’s going to learn to ride.” Travis snapped a lead rope on the horse’s halter. “I told Jesse that Buck is the best for a beginner.”
    Jackson ran a hand down the horse’s neck. “He’s as good as they come. If it works out, take Buck on over to your place. Better for her than an Arab.”
    Jesse blew out a breath. “I wish you guys would lay off.”
    Both brothers laughed.
    “Not on your life.” Jackson headed for the tack room. “Does she need boots?”
    “Yeah.” Jesse smiled at Laura. “And she can talk. Let’s go see what we can find.”
    Laura gave the horse a last look. “He’s bigger out here.”
    Jesse laughed at that. “Yeah, he’s pretty big. You’ll be fine, though.”
    They found boots and she slipped them on, her jeans staying tucked inside. When she stood, he gave her the once-over and nodded.
    “Do I pass?” she asked with a soft smile.
    Jackson left the room. Jesse pulled a hat off the shelf behind her and settled it on her head. “You pass.”
    Maybe he really was done for, the way his brothers said. He wished it was that easy. He wished a woman could walk into his life and make him feel settled and ready to stop searching for a past he couldn’t grab hold of and a future he couldn’t stop second-guessing.
    He looked up and Laura was watching him, questions in her gray eyes that looked as if they might match the questions he couldn’t find answers for.

Chapter Eight
    “W here are we going?” Laura held tightly to the leather reins Jesse had handed her after she first mounted.
    The horse walked with a steady, plodding gait. From time to time Buck shook his head, rattling the bit. When he did that, she grabbed the saddle horn and waited for the inevitable, meaning her on the ground, broken and bruised.
    Jesse shifted in his saddle to look at her. “You can relax.”
    “Can I?” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She shook her head. “Nope, sorry, I can’t.”
    He laughed, the sound husky, raspy and a whole lot sexy. He looked good on a horse.
    “You will relax. Just trust the horse.”
    He said it so confidently. Of course he was confident—he’d grown up this way. She’d watched him saddle his horse, then swing a leg over to land easily in the saddle as the horse sidestepped and shook his powerful head.
    “Okay, I will relax. I will enjoy this.” She said it with a conviction she didn’t feel.
    He moved his horse a little closer to hers. “You will. I promise.”
    He promised. She swallowed the lump that lodged in her throat and thought about promises so easily spoken, so easily given and, in her life, so easily broken.
    They continued to ride along the creek and eventually up a slight rise onto a paved country road. Ahead of them she could see buildings and what looked like a church.
    “Is that the community church you attend?”
    He shook his head. “No. That’s the community center. My brother Jeremy Hightree bought it a couple of years ago. He’d planned on tearing it down, but I guess God and Beth had other plans.”
    “Beth?”
    “His wife. She talked him