“I have.” He nodded. “I was curious about what you do and what you’re doing for my ranch.” He smiled and shook his head. “I have to be honest—social media isn’t something I’m interested in, but I like what you’ve done.”
She kicked a stone with her boot. “It’s a necessary evil these days. Just be glad I didn’t get you started on TikTok.”
He gave her an inquiring look. “Do I want to know what that is?”
Ellie laughed. “Probably not.”
They went from the sunshine-bright day to the dim interior of the barn. Two saddled Quarter horses waited for them.
“You’ll be riding Sapphire.” Tucker rested one hand on the neck of a dappled gray mare with a silver mane and tail. “Saph’s got a great temperament, but she’d be happy going at a run if allowed. You’re an experienced rider, so I’m confident you can handle her.”
“She’s gorgeous.” Ellie stroked Sapphire’s nose. “We’re going to have a great time together, Saph.”
The mare bobbed her head and snorted in response.
“My mount is Spirit.” Tucker moved to the chestnut gelding that was a deep red with a red mane and tail. “He’s a great ranch horse.” Tucker patted the huge beast. “Don’t know what I’d do without him.”
“They’re both beautiful.” She slid her small pack off her shoulder. “I brought peanut butter cookies and a thermos of lemonade.”
“Great.” Tucker inclined his head toward the saddlebags on Spirit. “I’ve got the sandwiches. Fritos corn chips, and water bottles.”
“I love Fritos.” Ellie tucked her pack into one of Sapphire's saddlebags but pulled out her camera to take pictures on the trail. Tucker stood beside her on the left side of the mare, and she handed him the camera to hold. She slipped her left boot into the left stirrup and swung up and into the saddle.
A familiar thrill swept through Ellie as the big horse shifted beneath her. “Riding is in my blood.” She stroked the mare’s silver mane. “Wouldn’t it be great to give you your head, Sapphire, and let you run as fast as you can?”
The horse snorted and tossed her head.
Ellie grinned and looked at Tucker, who wore an amused expression. “I’ve got a training field perfect for running and jumping if you’d like to take Sapphire out sometime.”
“I’d love to.” Ellie beamed at him. “It’s been a good while since I’ve had the opportunity to do that.”
“Then it’s settled.” Tucker handed her the camera and the reins. “Whenever you’re ready, we’ll get you out to the field with Sapphire.”
“Wonderful.” Ellie slipped the camera strap over her head to handle the horse without interference while Tucker mounted Spirit.
The horses trotted up to a gate, the Border Collies joining them. Tucker dismounted, let them through, and closed the gate behind them. They repeated the process at a second gate and then headed along a trail to the Superstition Mountains.
The ride was beautiful, with the scenery changing from the low desert to a higher elevation. It was still early spring, so the weather was mild in the Gold Canyon area but grew cooler the higher they traveled into the mountains.
The dogs chased rabbits and lizards along the way, but kept close.
They reached the Hieroglyphic Trail, a mile and a half long. Ellie stopped to take pictures every now and then.
She looked over her shoulder at Tucker, who followed her on the trail. “Did you ever search for the Lost Dutchman Mine as a kid?”
“My brothers and I did.” Tucker shook his head. “It was a foolhardy thing to do, but then my brothers and I did a lot of dumb things when we were young.”
The Superstitions were home to many legends and myths. The most well-known was the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine, which was so pervasive that some people searching for it had even lost their lives.
“My brothers searched. They never let me tag along when I was young.” Ellie looked ahead. “I think my favorite myth is “The Curse of the Thunder God.”
“A powerful god who guards the Superstitions,” Tucker said. “If you disrespect the spirits of the land, you’ll pay a price.”
“And, of course, there’s the portal to the underworld.” Ellie grinned and looked over her shoulder. “A great place to set paranormal fiction novels.”
Tucker smiled. “We’re close to the petroglyphs.”
They approached a boulder-filled canyon and moved on to the Hohokam settlement, where an ancient Native American tribe had once lived, possibly from 1 CE to 1450 CE. They reached a rocky field where pools were still filled with water from winter rains.
