Then, from the other side of the corral, a woman laughed. Emmett looked up and saw Nollie watching him. Nollie had been watching the gray stallion since sunrise. She had seen one rider lose his hat, another lose his nerve, and a third hit the dirt hard enough to limp away, cursing. By midmorning, the whole spectacle had turned into rough frontier entertainment.
Men laughed, traded wagers, and offered advice from the safe side of the fence. Nollie found most of it amusing. She had grown up around horses and men who liked to talk bigger than they lived. The difference between confidence and foolishness had never been hard for her to spot. She stood near the corral rail in a soft doeskin dress worked with red and blue beadwork.
Small turquoise pieces held back part of her dark hair. Her eyes missed very little. That was why she noticed Emmett. He was not laughing with the others. He was not boasting that he could do better.
He simply stood with one hand on the top rail studying the stallion nearby. Blaine Harrow gave a sharp laugh. Blaine owned more cattle than most men around Copper Creek and carried himself like the size of his herd settled every argument before it began. Two of his riders had already tried the stallion. Both had landed in the dirt.
That brute needs a man with some backbone, Blaine said. Not another fellow trying to sweet talk him. A few ranch hands chuckled. Emmett did not answer. Nollie noticed that too.
Gus Marorrow folded his arms beside the trading post. Horse has been wild for years, he said. High country north of here. Took three men to get him down here. Blaine spat into the dust.
Then three men did half the job. Emmett finally looked at him. Maybe they did nothing more. Nollie smiled. There was something unusual about the stranger.
He did not seem afraid of being judged, and he did not seem interested in proving anything to the crowd that made him worth testing. She walked toward him and stopped a few feet away." You think you can handle him? " she asked. Emmett glanced at the horse. I think he's had enough handling for one morning.
That brought a few laughs. Nollie raised an eyebrow. Not the answer she expected. Behind her, Blaine called out, "Careful, girl. This one may talk that horse to sleep before sundown."
More laughter. Nollie looked back at Emmett. An idea came to her. Reckless, funny, harmless. At least it seemed harmless then.
She raised her voice so everyone around the corral could hear. Tame that horse, cowboy, and I'll marry you. For one heartbeat, Copper Creek went silent. Then the place exploded. Men slapped hats against their knees.
Someone whistled. Even Gus Marorrow laughed. Nollie laughed with them. Why wouldn't she? No one had stayed on that stallion yet.
Emmett studied her for a moment. There was no embarrassment in his face, no wounded pride, just a small smile. A promise is a serious thing, he said. Nollie grinned. Then I suppose you'd better fail.