button up shirt. With an inward sigh of resignation, she turned to face the inevitable.
Mark glanced up, then sat back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her face. “Whoa, what happened?”
She gave him a wry grin. “I discovered you weren’t lying about the bull analogy.”
He surged up from his seat to move around his desk. “Did she kick you?”
“No.” She held up a staying hand. “No, it’s okay. She did exactly what you told me she’d do. This happened on my way over the fence.”
He squinted at her injury. “You should have waited for me. You could’ve really gotten hurt.”
“I’m okay.” When he looked to lecture further, she insisted, “Honestly.” She’d love a few aspirin for the headache throbbing in her temples, but no way she’d tell him that. “Can you just relax for a minute? Because now I’ve got a problem and I need your help.”
He sat on the edge of his desk, motioning for her to sit before folding his arms over his chest. “Go ahead.”
“When she charged, I ran—”
“I would hope so.”
“Except that now puts me back a step. She thinks I’m afraid of her, but I still need to figure out a way to stop her from charging.”
“Britt, listen to me. I don’t want you—”
“Mark, I said I’m fine.”
“And I said, listen to me.”
Britt snapped her jaw shut and swallowed her arguments.
“I don’t want you to get hurt doing this, which means you don’t go in that arena alone.” He silenced her impending protest with a scowl. “Furthermore, if I feel there is no progress to be made, I want your word that you’ll let it rest and stop the training. I’ve got enough to worry about without adding your safety to the list.”
His unwavering gaze told her he was one hundred percent serious.
“Fine, but you’d better give me a fair chance. She deserves that much,” she relented ungraciously, rising to her feet.
“I know, and I will.”
“Thank you.”
He dipped his chin in silent acknowledgment. “Now, about that problem…”
Britt made her way over to the window to look out at the arena. “I have to be able to stand in front of her without backing down.”
“What if Casey and I rope her?”
“I considered that, but it won’t work. I don’t want to force her, and it wouldn’t stop her from charging, it would just reinforce her distrust.” She turned back to face him. “I do have an idea, though. If I play kinda like a matador—”
“Nope.” He was shaking his head even as he said the word.
“Hear me out,” she insisted. “When she gets close enough, I’ll step aside and give her a crack on the chest with a riding crop.”
He appeared to be considering it, but when he remained silent, she asked, “Unless you don’t want me to use the crop?”
“No, I trust you, but I’d still have no way of helping you.”
“You’ll be by the gate, ready to rope her if you need to.” Through the window, she watched Casey park his truck. “Casey, too, if that makes you feel better.”
A glance over her shoulder confirmed it didn’t, but after another moment, Mark nodded reluctant consent. They met Casey on the way outside, and he noticed her bruise right away.