With one foot in the stirrup and one hand on the horn, Calvin hoisted me up on Gretchen. I straightened myself in the saddle, rocking side to side until I was somewhat comfortable—well, physically. ere was nothing comforting about being six feet up in the air with nothing strapping you in. I made sure my shoes were rmly in each stirrup and inhaled deeply, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out. I didn’t like feeling like I wasn’t in control. My personality was Type double A, and right now, I was at the mercy of this thousand-pound horse.
“You all right?” Calvin glanced up at me.
I nodded but I’m sure the look on my face gave way to the fact that I was not all right. Calvin didn’t know it, but I had a slight fear of heights. You had no power when you were in the air. One slip and gravity would pull you to the ground. I sealed my nod with a smile just to reassure him.
He handed me the reins, and I held them tightly. Calvin put his foot in the stirrup on George, grabbed onto the saddle horn, and hoisted himself up, swinging his leg over in one fell swoop. He made it look easy.
“Hold the horn,” he reminded. Calvin had taught me all the parts of the
saddle before I even got on the horse. He also made sure I got to know Gretchen through grooming before he saddled her up. He said it was important to establish a bond before you rode an animal. I grabbed the horn with one hand.
“You ready?” He smiled.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go over some of the basics again. I’m applying light pressure with my left leg while pulling on the left rein to get him to turn,” he said. George turned to the left. “You try.”
I took another deep breath and did the same with Gretchen. She turned her head just like Calvin said she would.
“See. You got it.” He smiled proudly. “Now, how do you stop the horse?” “Pull back on the reins and say woah.” I readjusted myself in the saddle. “ at’s right. Ready to start walking?”
I nodded.
“Hands soft on the reins. Apply some light pressure with both legs.”
I did what he said, and the horse started walking. Calvin got George to walk right beside Gretchen and me at a nice slow pace. I was fascinated by the idea of domesticating wild animals. ey did as we said because we trained them to forget their nature, to disregard who they truly were. But nature can’t be erased. It’s always there, lying dormant, waiting for its turn to resurface. Even Siegfried and Roy couldn’t keep the tiger in the cage.
“How’s it feel?” Calvin sat tall on George, the reins in each of his hands. “Better than I thought it would.”
“You look good on that horse, Grace.” He winked. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
His cheeks ushed, and he pointed up ahead. “Let’s go down by the river.”
I nodded, and we walked slowly across the green pasture until we got down to the water. My thoughts rolled like the water babbling over the rocks.
It wasn’t so bad here. Actually, it was better than I thought it’d be, despite
the few hiccups. And Calvin . . . well, he had been a good host. at hadn’t always been my experience with Airbnb.
“You never told me why you picked my ranch,” he said. “I know Dubois was, in a way, fate, but why me?”
I glanced at Calvin, trying to get a read on him, but his face was serious.
“Couple reasons, actually. I liked that it was secluded. You know I don’t
have that in the city. And you seemed nice and attentive, a person I wouldn’t mind spending ten days with.” I smiled brie y and then refocused my attention on the horse and the path ahead of us.
“You got all that from my Airbnb pro le?” He tilted his head.
“No. I got all that from social media. People basically put their diaries online for the whole world to see,” I said with a laugh.
“So, you researched me?”
“A little. It’s a dangerous world we live in, and I had to make sure you weren’t some creep or crazy person.”
He nally smiled back. “You’re smart, Grace. I like that about you.”
“Why’d you start doing Airbnb in the rst place?” I asked. “Doesn’t the ranch keep you busy enough?”
“It does.” He nodded, continuing to keep George’s stride in-line with Gretchen’s.
He paused the conversation and had me turn Gretchen to start walking along the bank. Between the sounds of birds chirping and the babbling river, I
nally felt relaxed. e sun’s rays warmed every inch of my exposed skin.
When Calvin was beside me again, he continued. “It costs a lot of money to run a ranch, so Airbnb helps keep the whole thing a oat.”
“Ever think about giving it all up and starting over somewhere else?” I asked.
“No.” His answer was curt, and I think it had to do with his parents.
I noticed he didn’t say much about them, just that they’d passed and they had wanted him to take over. His shoulders would tense and his body would brie y sti en at the mention of them. I could tell he was carrying a darkness inside of him. But I guess we all were though. Calvin just didn’t carry his well.
“Ready to trot?” he asked, changing the subject.
I reminded myself to ask him more about his past and his family. It felt like he was hiding something, something sinister or shameful.
I looked at Calvin and then Gretchen. “I think so.”
“All right, you’re gonna want to get loose like a noodle so you ow with
Gretchen’s movements.” He shimmied his upper body dramatically. “Sit deeper in the saddle. Hands are still soft on the reins, and the cue is applying pressure with the legs or a little tap with your heels. You ready?”
I followed all of Calvin’s instructions but was still rigid. Gretchen went from a slow walk to a trot, bouncing me up and down as she scampered. It was jerky and uncomfortable, so I tried to loosen up and ow with her—but my body just wouldn’t. Calvin caught up, trotting alongside us. He moved with George nice and smooth—not like me. I held onto the horn tightly, trying to keep my balance and make the ride smoother.
“You got this, Grace. Loosen up a little more. You’re doing great.” He smiled.
I appreciated his encouraging words, but they weren’t working. I couldn’t seem to get in tune with the horse’s movements. Gretchen’s ears swiveled, and she started trotting faster.
“Woah, girl,” I said.
All of a sudden, she burst into a full run. I pulled back on the reins, but she just ran faster and faster. Nature had resurfaced.
“Gretchen,” Calvin yelled. “Yah, yah,” I heard him say, trying to get George to catch up to us. He sounded like a cowboy in one of those old John Wayne
lms my dad used to watch. “Pull on the reins!”
“I am!” My voice was panicked. “Pull just one side then,” he yelled.
I did, and Gretchen reared, lifting her front legs o the ground. My eyes went wide, and I screamed as she bucked me o . My body hit the ground rst with a thud, followed by the back of my head smacking against the hard, dry dirt. I saw stars, and the world around me faded quickly. e last thing I saw before it went dark was Calvin standing over me.
