Seeing them together had been a surprise. They had something special, a bond not many people ever have. She was so attentive to his needs; it was like they shared a mind. Anytime he opened his mouth to ask for something, Josie came, item in hand, without asking.
That was just the kind of man Doug was. I’d watched how he interacted with his girls. The way he spoke was inherently different, he still showed the same love and respect to each of them.
It only furthered my respect for him. I had so much to learn, so much that wasn’t taught to me growing up. Frank had done his best, but by the time he’d stumbled into my life, I wasn’t much better off than he was.
I stood up and dusted my hands against my old chaps before turning down the radio. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot, especially since you didn’t have much to go off when hiring me.”
Doug nodded, a sad smile crossing his lips. “Well, Frank’s word carries…” He trailed off, shaking his head before correcting himself. “Carrieda lot of weight. If he said you were good, I’d be a damn fool not to listen to him.”
Would Frank’s death ever get easier? I wasn’t sure. It’d beennearly four months. After he passed, I had to remind myself I wouldn’t see his scowl greeting me the moment I walked into his barn. The bar was the same, constantly expecting to hear him call me out on whatever bullshit he disagreed with.
“He was a damn good man,” I said, clearing my throat. “The world didn’t deserve him.”
“Got that right, but he knew what it took to run these clinics, and you’ve got the talent.” Doug pushed off the doorway and strode to the horse I’d been working with since I arrived. “How’s Sunny treating you? She’s not giving you any trouble, right?”
“Naw,” I said, running my hand along her dark mane. “She’s just a little misunderstood.”
Her nostrils flared as Doug stepped closer, reaching into his pocket and pulling out what looked like two sugar cubes. He laid his palm flat, hovering just under her mouth. “She’s been through a lot. We rescued her from a real shit situation last year,” he explained, chuckling as Sundance reached out and bumped her nose against his pocket in search of more treats. “Bishop had been doing a patrol near the main road one morning when he saw Sunny walking along the road. She was bleeding badly down her right flank, and he lost it. Called me down before calling down the vet and the sheriff.”
My stomach turned. “What happened?”
Doug sighed. “He brought her to the barn to get cleaned up while I met the sheriff where she’d been spotted. We followed the blood back to her old home, finding three more horses standing in piles of their own filth. It was horrific. I don’t know what triggered it. Hell, could’ve just been the drive to survive, but Sunny had broken out of the enclosure. She caught herself on a jagged piece of wood.” He pulled out two more cubes and fed them to the horse. “She’s got a bit of a temper and doesn’t trust easily, but she’s a damn fine horse.”
“That she is,” I agreed.
Doug stood back, much to the horse’s dismay, and stuck his hands in his now empty pockets. “Bishop’s had a lot to say about you the past two weeks.”
I braced my arms along Sundance’s back. “Do I need to pack my bags?”
I’d come to enjoy Bishop. He was a surly bastard that didn’t take much shit. But depending on what he’d told Doug, I might just change my mind.
Doug laughed. “The opposite, actually. He said that you have a damn good head on your shoulders. And I’ve known that boy a long time. He’s not the type to blow smoke up my ass.”
I smiled, trying not to let the surge of pride I felt make me cocky. It’d been a long time since I’d felt proud of my choices or work, longer still since I’d had anything to smile about. Ever since I showed up, I’d found something worth having—worth fighting to keep.
“Well, thank you, sir. That means a lot coming from you.”
He waved me off. “Aw, don’t start that shit. I’m just someone who got lucky. I found my passion and ran with it.” He pointed at me. “That’s what I want to see you do, though. I’d like to talk to you about staying on, maybe taking a permanent position here at Black Springs. I’ve got to slow down here, but handing over the reins isn’t easy. And Bishop doesn’t have the temperament to deal with the public.”
Holy shit. A permanent position.
Here.
In Texas.
With Josie in reach.
When I first started training horses, I’d gotten in with a family who didn’t have Doug’s ideals. They ruled with fear rather than understanding, forcing their animals to submit in ways that made me sick—a stark contrast to the loving face they put on for the community.
On my last day employed, they’d told me to get my ass on the back of a horse who’d given me trouble. He was a mean son of a bitch who didn’t think twice about biting your hand clean off or stomping you into the dirt.
The moment he’d seen me coming, his nostrils flared, and he’d come running. I hadn’t moved fast enough, getting swept under his feet. If one of the hands hadn’t seen me go down, I would’ve been dead.
They dropped me off at the hospital with a medical bill the size of Texas and a forced resignation.
I’d spent several years believing my working with animals was over. It’d taken six months in physical therapy to get me up and moving again. After that, I’d learned they’d blacklisted my name at every ranch. Frank had told me to hang up my hat and walk away. He could see how it was tearing me up, twisting me into someone I didn’t recognize.
But that was just another reason I was destined to make this work.
