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Ainsley had learned that as a child, and she’d seen it watching Cameron every day If you had a nervous horse, you let theate the scary new landmarks, preferably with a horse as calm and sedate The new horse needed to feel safe, needed tihed "Well, Lord Pierson likes it, and I likeyour pardon, o What happened after Lord Pierson left would be different

Jash she danced nervously All would have been well, except for the stallion

He didn’t want to be shut up for the night As soon as Raphael’s Angel was backed out of his cart, he snorted and danced and threw off the two grooelo clenched his fists as he watched, not daring to interfere

Jasmine heard the stallion and looked back to see as happening Not in fear, but with the calculating eye of a rooave her an irritated scowl She, a room how to handle horses

The stallion danced out of reach, spied Jas her hindquarters around and flicked up her tail--the horse equivalent of a lady sashaying her hips at a randy gentleh and ran for her, two thousand pounds of black horse barreling into the narrow yard Stable hands scrambled out of the way, and Ainsley danced aside as Jasot the jitters

Jas the halter rope, and whirled around, frantically looking for a way out The stallion charged to pen her in, and both horses swung straight toward Ainsley

Chapter 24

Ainsley’s world slowed She saw Angelo’s eyes widen, the groo too close, the e wall of horseflesh, ducked Jas hooves, and swerved directly at Ainsley

Ainsley heard her own shout, felt herself raise her ar them off Then the acrid odor of excited horse, the forequarters and flying hooves of the stallion, his huge chest, his hot breath, wide red nostrils, white-rimmed eyes

Di, the whinnies of the other horses, and over it all, Cameron’s voice, terrible and harsh

The instant before the coht of Jasmine and the stallion ca into the air A tight band squeezed her chest, choking out her breath, but she slid rapidly upward and over the top of the stall behind her

Both horses crashed into the here Ainsley had been standing, sh the boards Ainsley landed in the soft hay in the back of the stall, rolling over Angelo, who seeled up with her

Jasmine and the stallion whirled froed from the yard and lit out for the fields, two streaks of horse on the green