Riding with Jim, Diana had expanded the area she covered, circling the buildings. She no longer challenged his riding skills, having decided that she could handle anything that she threw at him.
When she rode in the jumping arena, he even took Poco over some of the smaller obstacles.
This morning, he sat in the middle of the arena, taking advantage of the extra height Poco gave him. Beyond the arena fence, the land sloped down at perhaps thirty-five degrees. A trail, just wide enough for a car, switched back along the hill. About two hundred yards beyond the fence, it disappeared into the woods.
Diana cantered toward Jim with a mischievous smile on her face. He tensed, turning Poco to keep his eyes on her. She put Estrella at the four foot back fence of the arena.
"Oh, no."
Estrella cleared the obstacle easily and Diana turned him down the trail.
Jim only had to think it and Poco exploded into a full gallop. Jim circled the little horse to give him all the momentum he could muster. The gelding launched himself at the fence.
A loud knock. Poco's hind hoof clipped the rail. But he landed safely. And Jim kept his seat. Ignoring the trail, he pointed Poco straight downhill. He could think of no other way to catch Diana's bigger, faster horse before she entered the woods.
He leaned back and shoved his feet forward for the insane charge. If Poco fell, they might both be killed.
Diana saw him when her horse rounded the bend. If she continued at her present speed, they would collide. She pulled up with such force that Estrella reared. Poco slid to a stop in front of him.
The princess grinned, not done yet. She tried to dodge behind the little gelding. Poco and Jim were too quick. Jim seized her reins. The grin faded.
"Let go!"
"Not unless you promise to go right back to the stable."
"Let go!"
"If you don't go back to the stable, I'll make sure your father takes your horses away."
He met her glare with a benign expression. Finally, her shoulders sagged.
"Very well. Now I know why my father hired you."
He released the reins and she walked Estrella up the trail. Soldiers waited at the gate while more approached at a run, the colonel among them. When the gate swung open, the colonel directed his irritation at Jim.
"Mr. Collins, if this is an example of how you protect her highness ..."
"Colonel," Dina said. "I was testing him. I knew his horse could not clear that fence. I wanted to see how he would react. Poco cleared it, then Mr. Collins rode him down that hill like a madman. He did his job too well, Colonel."
She dismounted, handed the reins to Carlos, and stalked toward the house. Jim patted Poco and hurried after her.
So much for friendship. I'll be lucky if I don't get fired over this.
The princess did not stop until she reached their rooms. Jim closed and locked the door behind them. When he turned away, she stood a foot from him. She planted a firm, quick kiss on his mouth.
Jim stared as she stepped back.
"Whoa. Where did that come from?"
"Thank you."
"Thank you? For what?"
"For not backing down. For not letting me bully you."
"Ah, you're welcome. I thought you might fire me."
"Only father can dismiss you. And I would not want him to. You are so refreshing. All my life, everyone has treated me either like a princess or a child. Even the people I call friends defer to me. You call me 'ma'am', but you treat me as an equal. That is priceless to me."
"Okay. Are you done testing me?"
"Yes. I will not challenge your authority again." | 
