"Oh, right."  Justus nodded, holding the candy to Mule, catching hold of the gelding's upper lip as he took the treat, giving it a playful tug.  Then he wiped his hand on his pants.  "I got more fer later, after I get a chance ta wash up."  He didn't indicate if he was serious or teasing.

"So, now," he set his coffee aside and grabbed the halter that was hanging on the stall door, "how 'bout a closer look?"  Entering the stall, he patted Mule's neck, then slipped the halter over his head and led him into the breezeway.  "He's real easy-goin'" he explained, picking up a brush and starting to run it over the brown and white coat that wasn't as sleek as it would be in a couple months, once the winter layer was shed.

Suitably chastened, Justus did a quick verbal retreat as he fed the second candy to the horse, who happily took it. Constance watched.

"So, now," he set his coffee aside and grabbed the halter that was hanging on the stall door, "how 'bout a closer look?"

"At what? Ohhhh, the horse," the city girl suddenly got it.

Entering the stall, Justus patted Mule's neck, then slipped the halter over his head and led him into the breezeway. "He's real easy-goin'" he explained, picking up a brush and starting to run it over the brown and white coat.

Of course Constance followed, though not too closely and not directly behind the big animal. Even as a child she had always been warned by her father's coachman to never stand directly behind a horse, on rare occasions they might kick. And you did not want to get kicked!

"You said that, yes," she trusted Justus was right about good ol' Muley.

"Bet he likes that," she remarked, "I always loved it when the maid ran a comb thru my hair when I was younger. Especially when I would get back from swimming and my hair was mess of wet tangles, she had the knack not to pull any hair out."

She had many good memories about those days but her father was not one of them!  Oh and when he got older, her brother was just as bad.

Justus laughed.  "He likes anything that don't involve movin' around!  This helps keep him all clean an' pretty, so th' other horses don't laugh at him!"

The pinto was was standing contentedly, his head hanging almost to the floor, his eyes closed.  Occasionally, his tail swished at flies.

"You wanna try?"  Justus offered Constance the brush.  "Just go with his hair, an' watch out fer that tail!"

Justus sure made it out that this was one lazy horse, it was kind of funny really. Constance smiled.

The pinto was was standing contentedly, his head hanging almost to the floor, his eyes closed. Occasionally, his tail swished at flies.

"You wanna try?" Justus offered Constance the brush. "Just go with his hair, an' watch out fer that tail!"

"Sure, I used to brush my little sisters' hair so how different can it be," she took the brush willingly enough and stepped up right next to the big animal, "Well, except my sisters do not have tails of course."

She had watched his strokes and merely copied those as she began to brush the horse who stood very still. But then, who doesn't like their hair brushed?

"You have any brothers, sisters?" she was curious, they really didn't know a lot about each other after all.

"Nah, I got some cousins back in Texas, but they kinda got tired lookin' after me while Pa was in th' War."  He'd been very young at the start of the war, but he tried to help his Ma as much as he could while he was the 'man of the house', but after his mother died and he'd been taken in by family, who really did try their best, but he was rebellious and bitter, unable to understand why his folks had abandoned him, so he'd been quite the handful!

'it's just you and me now,' his Pa had declared,'we'll look out for each other!'

Now, looking back, he realized his Pa hadn't been a good man, and the man who had returned from the War was even worse.  That was why Justus was in Montana.

He pulled a metal comb from the tack box and started smoothing Mule's mane. 

"Makin' a new way now, with ol' Mule ta carry me along...slowly!"  He chuckled, then asked, "Ya wanna sit on him?  I can lead ya around."

No brothers or sisters, Justus declared, just cousins. And they didn't sound like those were very close. Constance nodded.

"I've got one older brother and two younger sisters," she informed him in return.

 

 

"Sure, won't take long."  Justus assured her, he didn't want to push her too far this first time.  "I'll just walk him out ta yer buggy, how's that?" 

He took Constance by the waist and lifted her onto the horse so she was sitting sideways, and maintained a light grip until she was settled...well, and he was enjoying the contact!  "Just turn kinda facin' front an' hold onto his mane.  Won't hurt him none if ya pull on it some."  He smiled.  "Ya ready?"

"Sure that should be fine," Constance nodded to his suggestion she mount up and he'd walk the horse out to the buggy.

He took Constance by the waist and lifted her onto the horse so she was sitting sideways, and maintained a light grip until she was settled...well, and he was enjoying the contact!

Her eyes lit up, he was stronger than he looked, this one. And he had saved her from the possible embarrassment of trying to scramble up on that horse, it was a tall creature up close.

"Thank you!"

"Just turn kinda facin' front an' hold onto his mane. Won't hurt him none if ya pull on it some." He smiled. "Ya ready?"

Constance nodded, "Sure, you can start. I'll be fine. So this is what they call side saddle riding then?"

"Reckon it's like that," Justus commented as he started to lead Mule and his passenger out of the barn, "but I can't say as I've never ridden that way myself!"  He chuckled.  "I've heard that side is as safe an' easy as regular.  Mrs. Pike uses a sidesaddle now an' again, but then, she's just as easy with no saddle at all!"

Mrs. Pike truly did have a way with horses, and she was pretty fearless when it came to handling them, but then, she'd grown up on a farm, around working horses.

"Guess when we go ridin' I could ask ta borrow her sidesaddle."  Not that he had any idea how to instruct in how to use one.  "Hey, when did ya say that thing was in town?  I'll hafta see 'bout gettin' there fer that."

While he wasn't particularly keen on the play or whatever, he didn't want to let Miss Constance down.

For now she'd settle for this method of staying on the horse, not choosing to risk anything more complicated. Maybe someday though. That is if there ever were more lessons. That depended on this cowpoke. But so far things were going smoothly with her and young man.

"Guess when we go ridin' I could ask ta borrow her sidesaddle," Justice stated, "Hey, when did ya say that thing was in town? I'll hafta see 'bout gettin' there fer that."

"Oh yes, well they put a poster up now outside the theater. Opening performance, evening of April 1st, 7:00. Hopefully you can make that?" Constance would indeed be disappointed.