Page 103 of Concrete Evidence
“He’s amazing. I love his gray color and black tail and mane.” Tessa breathed in deeply. “Thanks for not making me feel stupid about my questions.”
“We can’t learn unless we ask questions.” Avery patted Cozy. “Hey, handsome.”
“Can I pet him?”
“Of course.”
The girl stroked his neck and smiled. Wouldn’t be the first time a horse succeeded as therapy for those under stress. “Tessa, watch his ears. They tilt in the direction of where he’s paying attention. If they lay back, be cautious. By using a confident posture and filling him with sweet words, you can draw a horse in to make him feel safe with you.”
“Are you listening, Cozy? We’ll be good friends. I bet I can talk to you about anything. What’s next, Avery?”
“The best approach to riding a horse is caring for the animal first.” Avery pointed to a tack box. “Inside you’ll find a comb and brush.” Avery showed her how to groom the animal and Tessa obliged.
“Have you taught others to ride?”
“Many times. Are you ready for me to saddle him?” Tessa agreed and Avery picked up a saddle pad. She brushed off the dirt and placed the pad on his back. She then lifted the saddle onto Cozy’s back. “This is a western saddle.”
“Is that the kind most people use?”
“It is on our ranch.” Avery ensured the girth strap and right stirrup were clear before she laid the saddle on the pad and lined up the horn. “Watch how I tighten the saddle. No one wants a saddle to slip. Now I’ll finish securing the strap like a man ties a tie.”
“Dad showed me. He said every woman should know how to do it.”
Avery smiled. “The next time, you’ll bridle and saddle him, and I’ll watch. I think Cozy is ready for me to lead him into the arena.” She pointed to the stable door. “We’re heading to the indoor, air-conditioned arena to avoid the heat.”
Once they met the sunlight streaming in through high windows, Avery showed Tessa how to lead him. “Before mounting him, be aware Cozy senses your confidence, which I mentioned before. Some horses don’t mind if you mount from one side or the other, but some get skittish if approached from a different side. Cozy prefers mounting from the left. Reach up and grab the saddle horn to stabilize yourself. Put your left foot in the stirrup and swing your right leg over the saddle. Relax and sit back against it.”
Tessa took a deep breath before she anchored her foot in the stirrup and swung her right leg over the saddle.
“Congratulations. You made it.”
Tessa grinned. “So far. So good.”
“Keep your weight in the stirrups. Hold the reins firm yet gentle, allowing them to rest. Don’t pull back unless you want to stop. If you pull too tight, the horse believes he’s in charge and will likely rear up.”
Avery led Cozy around the arena, encouraging horse and rider. What a grand way to shake off the weight of the tragedies. Horses had been Avery’s haven for years.
For a few hours, Avery had forgotten about the storms invading their lives. If Jake committed the murders, who ordered them?
Thunder cracked in the distance.
58
THE PLASTIC SHOEBOX CONTAININGJake’s Nikes matched Avery’s description of the young man who’d helped her after the car explosion. Marc and Roden searched under the bed, between the mattresses, in the pillows, and the bookshelf. Nothing else surfaced in Jake’s bedroom.
Mrs. Drendle blocked the doorway of Jake’s room with her five-foot-four body. “Where are you taking my son’s shoes?”
“Evidence,” Marc said. “Shoes matching these were identified at a crime scene. We need to have any dirt or debris from the soles analyzed. If nothing matches our crime scene, it’s to Jake’s benefit.”
“That’s crazy. My son paid a hefty price for those.”
Roden took over. “Ma’am, your son’s shoes are amazing. Wish I could afford them. I assure you, once we’re finished with our investigation, they will be returned.”
“He’ll be furious.”
“We need to check Jake’s garage before we leave you for the day. Does he share the space with you and Mr. Drendle?”
“Jake has his own garage. My husband and our lawyer should be here any minute.”
