Read Takin' The Reins for Free Online

had crushed her dreams, it was time to make changes. From now on her new mottos would be: Simplify and live life one day at a time.
    Laying her head back, she closed her eyes and continued to imagine all the improvements that could be done to the ranch to make it her own. Her eyelids grew heavy. She was finally about to nod off when a loud crash made her jump. Jordan’s eyes flew open. The sudden crashing and banging sounded like metal cans under assault. Were there trash cans beside the house or near the barn? She hadn’t noticed earlier. Trembling and frozen in the armchair, she tried to determine the direction from which the noises were coming.
    Suddenly, a beam of light shot through the living room window and blazed across the room. Her head jerked. The curtains! She’d forgotten to close them before going to bed. Her heart started to race. Someone’s outside! I need a weapon . What can I use for protection? She leaped out of the chair and dashed into the kitchen. After grabbing a mop leaning against the counter in a bucket of sudsy water that she hadn’t dumped yet, she gritted her teeth. Not the dripping mop, dummy! You’ll slip and kill yourself. A knife is what you need!
    She yanked open the silverware drawer—made a quick mental note to straighten it later—and fumbled through the utensils until she found a carving knife. She raised it to the light of the moon which shown through the clear kitchen window. The knife’s sharp edge glinted like a diamond. Bolting back across the room, she flipped off the table lamp. Had she locked the front door? She couldn’t remember. Surely she had, but she wasn’t sure. Her mind was in a jumble. She ran to the front door. Her hand touched the lock just as something outside bumped against it.
    Jordan bit back the urge to scream. She flipped the lock and swung away to press her back against the wall. By this time, the banging and clanging had stopped, but there was that other noise again. It was a bump against the door, and a whimper. Raising the knife into the air, she prepared to strike. Her heart had nearly skittered to a stop. The slamming of car doors and the squealing of tires left her confused, but relieved. She scooted to the front window and peeked out just in time to see an old pickup peeling down the drive. Despite the moonlight, the truck kicked up dust. It was too dark to make out a license plate number or the make or model of the vehicle. Everything had happened too fast.
    She lowered the knife to her side and inhaled several deep breaths. Before sorting out what had just happened, something like claws scratched on the door. She jumped again. Could it be a bear? She was out in the middle of nowhere where anything was possible. She gripped the knife securely and peered out the window again. A dog jumped up and pawed at it. Her hand fluttered to her chest. When she rapped on the glass, the dog sat on its haunches and barked. Still holding the knife, Jordan unlocked the door. The dog ran in and sniffed around like he owned the place. She slammed the door shut and quickly relocked it.
    “Who might you be?” she asked the black and white Border Collie. The dog sat down on the tile floor and wagged its tail.
    “Where did you come from? Was that you knocking over my trash cans?”
    Although that was possible, Jordan knew the dog hadn’t flashed a light in her window, but the one-sided conversation helped calm her jittery nerves.
    “You look like a nice little fellow,” she said, petting his head. A silver nameplate on his collar caught her eye. She flipped on the living room light and read the engraving.
    “Tag. I wonder where you came from. Wherever it was, you arrived just in the nick of time. I think you helped chase away a bad guy.” The thought of someone lurking around her property in darkness sent chills across the nape of her neck and down her arms. Glad for the company, she scratched the dog under the chin and he licked her hand.
    “You’re my hero,