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very day she passed.”
    “Oh, I see,” Briney mumbled, stepping back
from Sassafras. “I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t realize that…”
    But Gunner shook his head, saying, “Please
don’t misunderstand me, Miss Thress. It’s not that I’m not willin’
to sell Sassy. It’s just that I’ve been waitin’ for the right
person to sell her to.”
    “Yes, but if she belonged to your mother…”
Briney began.
    Gunner leaned down so that his face was
almost level with Briney’s. “She was my mother’s, but I think she’s
tryin’ to tell us that she’d like to be yours now, don’t you?”
    Sassafras whinnied—nodded as if she agreed
with what Gunner had said.
    “You see?” he chuckled. “Sassy knows exactly
what I’m sayin’.”
    Tentatively reaching out—for the truth was,
Briney had already decided she wanted Sassafras and was so afraid
something would keep them apart that she was afraid to hope too
much—Briney stroked the horse’s velvety nose.
    Sassafras nuzzled Briney’s shoulder and then
touched her nose to Briney’s cheek.
    “She doesn’t seem averse to me, at least,”
Briney commented.
    “Nope. I’d say she’s already chosen you, Miss
Thress,” Gunner said. “And if you decide to take her…why, this’ll
be the easiest sale I ever made.”
    Briney smiled up at Gunner Cole. He wasn’t
going to refuse to sell her Sassafras. In fact, it appeared as if
he’d already made up his mind that Briney could, indeed, purchase
the horse.
    “Hey there, boss,” Charlie called, appearing
at the opposite end of the stable. Hurrying toward Briney and
Gunner, he pulled up short when he reached them. “Here’s you a
clean shirt,” he said, handing a rather faded red shirt to Gunner.
He looked to Briney then, asking, “Have you taken a likin’ to Sassy
here then, Miss Thress?”
    “Oh, definitely,” Briney admitted.
    “Good…good,” Charlie said, obviously out of
breath. “Ike said he’ll take over breakin’ that chestnut mustang,
boss.”
    “Thanks, Charlie,” Gunner said, slipping his
muscular arms into the arms of the shirt Charlie had given him.
“Why don’t you go on over and pull out Sassy’s old saddle? Let’s
see if it’ll work for Miss Thress here.”
    Briney bit her lip with secreted delight when
Gunner neglected to button up the front of his shirt before
reaching for the bridle hanging beside Sassafras’s stall.
    “Let’s saddle up Sassy and let you ride her a
bit, Miss Thress,” he said.
    “Oh! But…but I’m not prepared. I didn’t come
dressed for…” Briney stammered. Oh, how she regretted not wearing
the split skirt Bethanne had offered.
    “Oh, that’s all right, Miss Thress,” Gunner
assured her as he slipped the bridle over Sassafras’s ears. He
studied Briney up and down a moment and then asked, “You got your
bloomers and what not under there, don’t ya?”
    “Well, y-yes, of course,” Briney answered,
blushing to the tips of her toes.
    Gunner nodded. “Well, that’s good enough for
me and Sassy. We’ll get her saddled up and send you two out for a
bit. You did say you’ve ridden plenty?”
    “Yes,” Briney answered. “I’ve just never
ridden astride.”
    Gunner chuckled and exchanged amused glances
with Charlie as he returned carrying a saddle.
    “Well, you don’t worry a bit about that, Miss
Thress,” Gunner said. “Ridin’ astride is as easy as spreadin’
butter on warm bread. You mark my words—in twenty years or so,
there won’t be a woman in this country still ridin’
sidesaddle.”
    Briney watched as Gunner opened the bottom
door to Sassy’s stall and led her out of her stall and into the
stable.
    He clicked his tongue and said, “Charlie here
will saddle Sassy up for you today, but if you decide to take her
for your own, we’ll teach you how to do everything—saddle her up,
brush her, and rub her down when you’re through ridin’.”
    Gunner looked directly into Briney’s eyes
then. “Of course, I’d like nothin’