The evening air on his face made his qualms and concerns about Maddie evaporate into thin air.He glanced over at Nell sitting in her saddle as if she’d been born on the back of a horse. Her hair, the color of the shimmery-gold sky now that the sun was moving toward the mountains, flew out behind in wild abandon, set free of the braid she’d worn at the picnic. As always, she had her gun strapped on her leg like a man.“What about the horses in the pasture we just crossed?” he called to her. “You don’t sell those to the army?” He watched Nell take a deep breath, as if happy to be out in the wide-open space.“Most are broodmares.” She lifted her voice over the sound of hooves pounding the earth. They loped along side by side so close he could reach out and touch her if he’d wanted.“The ones with good conformation and that have the traits we want them to pass on, like intelligence and a good, willing spirit, stay for breeding. The rest are either injured or just plain not ready to be started.
