And so an hour later they were saddling up. Larry was showing them how to properly saddle a horse, and get the bit in its mouth. The guests’ horses were already saddled, reins on and all, but Larry took the time to show them step by step how it was done, using his own horse for the demonstration. The guests then were trying to climb aboard their horses. Joe, the guy from Chicago, managed to swing into the saddle on the first try. Linda was making little bunny hops but not getting very far. Larry chuckled as he sauntered over. “Need help there, little lady?”

Linda said, “’Fraid so,” as Larry twined his hands together, palms up, creating a makeshift launching pad for Linda to put her left foot into. Larry, though a slight man, lifted Linda with ease as he raised her to an easier level to land in the saddle. Amanda was determined to do it herself. She pulled up by holding onto the saddle, and with effort seemed to be climbing up the mountain of her horse, Lightning Bolt. She was halfway there, and put both hands over the saddle, hanging on so as not to lose the progress she’d made. At that moment, hanging onto the horse halfway up, foot awkwardly in the stirrup with the other leg scrambling to reach higher ground, she saw a man walk up from the right, from the guest house.

He had stopped and was surveying the situation. Amanda found herself the recipient of a delighted smile, half smirk, half devilish enjoyment at her predicament. She decided to ease herself with as much dignity as she could back onto the ground, wipe off her perspiring hands, and wait til Mr. Amusement found something else to entertain him. She looked over again when she reached solid ground, and saw that he was swaggering towards her. “Looks like you could use some help, Ms. ___________?” the question was there, but Amanda wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a name.

“No, I think I can handle this myself. I’ve ridden many times before.” The fact was, she had, but it had been many years, and apparently she’d been taller or the horses had been shorter back then. That or she’d just been in much better shape, able to swing up onto a saddle with more fluidity and dignity.

“Well, just holler if you could use a hand. My name’s Josh, by the way.”

“Hi, Josh,” Amanda mumbled with uncharacteristic unladylike manners.

Linda was sitting pretty atop her horse, looking with interest at her friend Amanda and the man who’d appeared out of nowhere. Her look over Lightning Bolt’s saddle at Amanda spoke volumes. It seemed to say, “Wow, where did this hunk of muscle come from? And aren’t you the lucky one to have attracted his attention?!” Amanda regarded her friend sternly, her look saying back, “Okay, maybe, just maybe, this man’s pretty easy on the eye, but I’ve sworn off men for quite awhile, thank you very much.” Linda just smiled to herself as she looked across at Larry, who was now astride his own horse, Larry’s bowlegs looking right at home around the belly of his horse.

Amanda decided to ignore everybody at this point, and she gamely put her left foot back into the stirrup and made a valiant heaving lurch upwards, trying to find a grip on the saddle.

“Uh, you might want to hold onto the horse’s mane, Ms. _______,” he paused, letting her know she’d never given him her name. “The horse has no nerve endings there and he won’t feel a thing. I promise,” he added when he saw Amanda’s disbelief. Amanda had never heard that before, but chose not to let him know that.

She tried it again, this time pulling on Lightning Bolt’s mane, and sure enough, she felt she was getting somewhere. Suddenly she felt a gentle push on her bottom, and to her horror found herself atop Lightning Bolt, her posterior still warmed by the hands of Josh. Amanda leveled him with a glare and said, “I was doing just fine, thank you.”

Josh just laughed and said, “Well, I have no doubt you would have eventually made it. I just didn’t want to keep the guests waiting another hour.”

“Oh!” Amanda huffed, mad that she couldn’t come up with anything more scathing than that.

Josh chuckled and slapped her horse’s rear. Lightning bolt had been semi-dozing through the whole ordeal, and startled by the unexpected rousing, started trotting off back towards the barn.

“Whoa there fella,” Larry called out. He trotted up to Amanda and Lightning Bolt quickly and easily grabbed Lightning Bolt’s reins, turning him and Amanda around and back towards the group. Josh was smiling, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Amanda decided to regain her dignity and ignore Josh. “I hope he isn’t one of the trail guides,” she grumbled to Larry and whoever else cared to hear.

“Naw – he has better things to do,” Larry said in amusement. “Well, let’s get going, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a beautiful day out, and it’s about time we see some of this great creation of God’s we call Montana.