Golden Colorado Read Online Free PDF Page A

nose.
    James waited patiently for her to copy his movement. Minnie wasn’t sure she wanted to get so close to the horse’s mouth, but once again, stiffening her spine and strengthening her resolve, she placed her palm on the bridge of the mare’s face, just below her eyes. The mare stared at her sleepily. Slowly, as James had done, she stroked her hand down the length of her face, and then over her nose, her eyes widening when she felt the soft fuzzy softness there. She giggled.
    James offered a low laugh, and the sound warmed her heart.
    “Watch this,” he said. He pulled a chunk of carrot from his pocket, placed it in his palm, and moved his open palm beneath the horse’s mouth.
    Minnie watched in amazement as the horse wiggled its fuzzy lips and gently took the carrot from James, crunching on it loudly. Then the mare nuzzled her nose against James’ chest.
    “She wants another one,” he said with a grin, glancing down at Minnie. “Do you want to give it to her?”
    At first Minnie wanted to shake her head and say no, but James was looking at her with such a sense of pride and encouragement. She nodded. He dipped his hand into his pocket, and, keeping his fists clenched, placed the carrot bit into her hand.
    “When you feed it to her, keep your fingers flat and pressed together. That way she won’t mistake your fingers for food.”
    Minnie glanced up at him in alarm, and he smiled. “Don’t worry. No matter what you feed her, carrots, apple bits, whatever, if you give it to her with your fingers flat, she won’t bite you on accident.”
    Minnie clenched the carrot in her palm for several moments, working up her courage. She assumed that the mare smelled the carrot in her hand though, because she turned her attention from James to her. To her surprise, the mare gently nuzzled her chest. The horse weighed probably a thousand pounds, at least to Minnie, but she knew that the mare wasn’t trying to hurt her. She just wanted the carrot.
    Slowly, Minnie lifted her hand, opened her fingers, and held her palm underneath the mare’s mouth. The mare’s lips reached for the carrot and wiggled. Minnie giggled as the hairs on the horse’s muzzle tickled her hand. To her delight, the horse snatched up the carrot, only leaving behind a thin trail of slobber. She looked down, realized that she still had all her fingers, and grinned up at James in delight, asking, “Do you have another one?”
    He laughed and hugged her close, making her feel warm all over. “I think you’d better give a piece to the other one, don’t you agree?”
    Minnie did, and since then she had learned how to brush down the horses, keeping one hand on the horse’s croup or rump as she rounded their backsides to avoid being kicked.
    A week later, she had learned how to milk the cow. Watching James and his gentleness with the animals made her feel even more affectionate toward him, and her own bravery at overcoming her fears gave her a huge sense of pride in herself. James was learning patience, and she was gaining self-confidence. Before long, they were sharing conversations deep into the night, lying together on their makeshift straw bed.
    The nights grew colder, but to her surprise, the barn was warmer than the soddy, for now. Still, she worried about another fire. They would need to light a fire soon to stay warm at night, wouldn’t they?
    After broaching that question with James, she had been surprised that once again when he nodded in agreement. An open campfire in the barn filled with straw was definitely not a good idea. One day he told her he needed to go into town, but wouldn’t be gone long, and certainly back by the midday meal.
    Minnie busied herself in the barn, brave enough now to muck the stalls and put down a clean bed of hay for the horses and the cow. She even began to talk to them, and though they didn’t answer back, she was feeling so much more comfortable. She still grieved over the fact that she couldn’t bear children,