Chapter 10 Love Knows Where the Heart Is

"Hey little one, do you want to go for a horseback ride?" Pierre asked her.

"It has been a while since I have been, but sure I will go." She told him as she walked out of the kitchen sliding glass door then out into the fields to the stalls.

Pierre followed her holding her hand as they made their way to the stall where the horse was named Pepper she was a 15-hand appaloosa mare.

"She is very pretty, Pierre can I ride her?" Stephanie asked while she was rubbing her ear.

"Yeah, I will tack her up for you." Pierre told her.

"I can do it" Stephanie, went into the tack room, she picked up some brushes went back out to Pepper and started to brush her. She took the curry comb used it. She used the hard brush next and then the soft brush. She used the hoof pick to clean the hoofs. After she was done she brought the brushes back to the tack room.

Pierre came out with a western saddle and pad.

"I take it you know how to put this on." He asked her with a smile on his face.

"I do" She told him. She went to Pepper and put the saddle pad on her. She put the pad on her and then the saddle strapped the saddle onto the horse.

Pierre said as he was putting the bridle on her, "You have done this before."

"Yup, I use to go horseback riding most of the time when I was younger. I loved it I felt I was so free on these guys." She then led Pepper out and ready to mount up.

"Hey little one, do need help mounting?"

"nope I got it" She put her foot in the stirrup and pushed off the ground she was mounted in no time. Pierre ran up and gave her a helmet.

She took the helmet put it on, "It fits perfectly" She clicked the claps together.

"Here Mr. Sherman, Lighting is ready." The stable hand told him. Pierre got on and when he did . Stephanie took off on Pepper.

Pierre followed her on Lighting. He had a picnic basket on the back on Lighting.

She stopped trotting after a while, got off Pepper and brought her over to the shade so she could munch on grass.

Pierre stopped too, got off Lighting and did the same for him. Pierre took off the picnic basket and spread the blanket on the ground. He put the food out and they were both sitting on the blanket and started to eat some of the food that was there.

Stephanie saw all the food. There was, some juice, water, sandwiches and chips there.

"Wow Pierre there is a lot of food here?" Stephanie told him.

"Yeah, we will have some leftover, maybe I will bring some of the left overs over to the station" Pierre told her.

He pushed the food aside and took Stephanie's hands around his neck. He kissed her a passionate kiss. She put her hands under his shirt. He started to kiss her neck. She started to kiss his neck. She got his shirt off, and started to kiss his chest, when Pierre's cell phone rang.

"Pierre you should get that" Stephanie told him.

"Ok" Pierre picked up the phone and yelled, "What"

"Hey, it is Ranger, we got a match on the cigarette butt. It matches Joyce Barnhart." He dropped the phone.

Stephanie picked it up "Hello, Ranger what is going on?"

"Hey Babe, we got a match on the cigarette butt. But I can't tell you who it matches because it is a police investigation." Ranger told her. He hung up then.

When Stephanie was finished talking to Ranger. She noticed that all the food was picked up. "We better go, I have to go back to work" Pierre told him.

They got back on the horses, just as they got back on, shots rang out. Stephanie went flying on Pepper back to the stables.

"Crap" Pierre said out loud.

Stephanie was cantering down to the stables, she managed to slow down Pepper and managed to stop her. By the time Pierre caught up to her, he saw that Pepper was stopped, and Stephanie was done on the ground. She was looking Pepper over and noticed that one of her back legs was bleeding.

"I think she was hit Pierre." Stephanie told him.

He came over to Stephanie and checked her over. "Okay it is not you, so it must be her. He walked slowly up to Pepper and put a hand on her butt. He noticed that her rump was bleeding.

"Gasper he called to the stable guy. Call the vet Pepper was shot."

Pierre got on the phone called the police department, and then Rangeman.