Can Cowboys Fix Mistakes? (Under Revision) (Maxwell Love #1)

Chapter 1(Revised)

Catching the left stirrup on her handmade saddle, that sits on a two-year-old colt, Jaelyn glances over at her brother Cane. He has the lead rope of the stud colt's halter dallied tightly around the horn of his own saddle that sits atop his strong bay gelding. She takes a deep breath and propels herself into the saddle seat as she sees him nod reassuringly. For the past five years the brother sister team has been starting colts for people. Today, they are putting the first real ride on the colt. The last two times they have only gotten on and let him get used to the idea of having someone on his back.

With one hand holding the lead rope and the other holding his reins Cane intently watches every move Jaelyn or the colt makes. "Careful Little Lynn," he mutters, using the nickname all her brothers call her.

Jaelyn settles herself deep in the saddle with one hand on the saddle horn. The other she slowly and gently moves around on the colt's neck then his hindquarters. After a few moments she shifts her weight around so that the saddle wiggles from side to side on the still growing back. She looks at Cane and nods. He waits till he is sure she is settled before smooching primarily to his mount, but to the colt as well. His bay gelding takes a step forward putting extra tension on the lead rope which makes the stud step up. Cane and Jaelyn look at each other and barely smile. They have done this enough to know that even the tiniest of progress is great, but not to celebrate your success before it actually happens.

After they walk a few circles around the round pen Cane raises his eyebrows in question and Jaelyn nods. He taps his bay with his spurs and he flows into a slow easy trot. The colt balks and sets back against Cane's saddle horn. This causes the bay to want to give into the pull of the colt, but Cane taps him again and he keeps the pace. In just as few choppy steps the stud colt slips into a trot beside the older horse.

After fifteen minutes of walking, trotting, stopping, and some figure eights they tie the colt to the pipe fence. The colt is sweaty and not near as snorty as it was when they started.

Once they are sitting on the DS saddle house step Jaelyn bumps her big brother. "Why didn't you give me the lead rope? He was doing so good; it would have been the perfect time!"

"Little Lynn, we have a weeks worth of work in front of us and you know just as well as I do that Bart can't live without your help."

She groans knowing he is right, but still aggravated. "Okay, okay, good point. Let's take the others for a spin!"

He shakes his head and follows her with a smile. After mentally looking over the horses they brought he settles on a green broke three-year-old filly. Jaelyn gets her trusty sorrel gelding, Chuck. They saddle and bridle their horses before leading them out into the area fenced around the house called the house trap. As they ride past the house Tyson Reed gets out of his white Dodge dually pickup that pulls a fourteen foot gooseneck.

Jaelyn takes one look at him and her mind goes back to that day. Her head swiftly turns in front of her as she smooches her horse and says, "Let's go, Chuck."

"Jaelyn, don't you think it's time you tell me what happen with him?" Cane declares loping up beside his sister a few moments later.

She shakes her head. Partly in reply to him; partly to remove the thoughts from her mind. "No, I do not want to go back to that day."

"It's been two years! And maybe if you told someone you wouldn't have to go back!" He exclaims. It doesn't' take much for him to get riled up anyway, but especially when it has to do with someone hurting his sister.

She spins Chuck around so she is now facing Cane. "He didn't want me to ride colts anymore!" Dropping her reins around the horn she flings her hands out. "There you happy now?"