Jamison walked toward the horse, talking in a hushed tone as he continued to canter toward the far side of the arena. She raised her voice a bit. “Melissa, grab his mane and pull yourself upright. That’s a good girl. You’re doing fine.” Melissa heaved herself the opposite direction and fumbled for her stirrup, then drew back on the reins and brought Mocha to a halt. Kate knew what was coming next—the explosion of temper she’d seen in the barn when Rufus had frightened Melissa’s horse. She’d hate to be an animal that made this girl mad. Kate would bet that any minute the crop Melissa held would flay Mocha’s backside. She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath for several seconds, until she felt the need for air and released it, then sucked air into her lungs. She stared at Melissa, shocked at what she saw. The other girl spoke in a soft, soothing tone, stroking Mocha’s neck and patting him like he’d done something right instead of wrong.
