“Give me a minute,” said Bede, low, husky, a wince passing over his features.
From behind him, Galen heard Owen say, “We tied the horses up,” and Toby saying, over and over, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Shaking off everything, the pounding of his heart, the worried hovering presence of Toby and Owen, and the worry that he would never be as good an instructor as Zeke, Galen leaned forward, his arm slipping around Bede’s shoulders.
He hadn’t meant to do it, but now their faces were close, Bede’s warm breath on his cheek. Close where he could see the wince around Bede’s eyes, the struggle in his body against the pain of his fall.
“Anything broken?” Galen asked, reaching to touch the curve of Bede’s cheek, then drawing his hand back. “Bent? Sprained?”
Bede opened his eyes, a flash of dark blue, and laughed under his breath. “If I say yes, that I’m hurt very badly, can I have the rest of the day off?”
“Yes,” said Galen, smiling, taking a deep breath, his whole body sighing with relief.
If Bede could make jokes, then he was okay. But the lesson was a disaster. Galen doubted if anyone on his team had learnedanything, but he needed to draw the lesson to a close in a professional way, so that his team would be willing to try again.
Galen gently helped Bede to his feet. He pressed Bede’s hand on the top fence railing so he could steady himself, and looked him over.
Bede nodded as if to say that he was really okay. Galen was tempted to take Bede to the nearest emergency clinic to make sure he was okay, but then Bede took a step and another, and pushed his shoulders back.
“I’m okay,” he said. “Stop fussing.”
With a small snort of laughter, Galen took another breath and gestured Toby and Owen close. “Let’s do everything in reverse. Let’s take off their tack and put it away. We’ll groom them, give them a treat, wipe down the tack, and then it’ll be time for lunch. Okay?”
He got nods from all three, then watched closely as they unsaddled and groomed their horses, walking around each horse and man, reaching out to guide as needed.
The work seemed to settle his team and, in turn, that settled the horses. Their ears went forward and their heads were down, relaxed, tails switching the flies in a mild way.
“Good, Toby,” he said, coming alongside Penny. “Slow pets to the neck is good. It’s not just that you’re grooming your horse, you are connecting with her. And next time, don’t kick like that. It’s cruel and unnecessary.”
Likewise, Galen made sure to praise Owen as he drew the body brush slowly across Diamond’s chestnut rump. “That’s right, Owen. Keep your body close as you groom. That’ll let Diamond know where you are at all times.”
As for Bede, he looked a little stiff as he carried his saddle and blanket into the shed, but he wasn’t limping.
The look he threw Galen as he came out of the shade of the shed indicated in no uncertain terms that Bede did not wantGalen fussing over him. So even though he wanted to, Galen didn’t fuss, but he did stay close until his team had finished the task, fed the horses their treat, and released the three chestnuts into the field.
The trio promptly went close to the herd, dropped their heads, and began nibbling on the short, summer-brown grasses.
“Lunchtime, guys,” said Galen, waving them close. “You did good today. And while accidents happen—” Galen paused to let the idea of this sink in, giving Bede another once-over, “—they can be avoided by paying attention at all times. These horses are domesticated, but that doesn’t mean you can stop paying attention. Okay?”
“Okay, boss,” they all said in unison.
“This afternoon, we’ll go back to treating those knapweed holes, and tomorrow, after breakfast, we’ll have another lesson with the horses.”
He sent them off to lunch. Bede followed the others, then turned, pausing as if to wait for Galen, but Galen waved him away.
He walked down to the lake along the path and stood in the shade of the few willows that grew there. The lake was flat and still and, with the sun overhead, a dusty blue, like the color of an abstract painting.
He needed a moment to himself.
Had he not gone slowly enough, explained enough? Toby hadn’t been acting up, it had all just gotten out of hand. He wouldn’t blame them if they asked for a different instructor in the morning. Someone like Zeke, for example.
With a sigh, he doffed his cowboy hat, ran his fingers through his hair, then put his hat back on. The afternoon would go better for sure. Tackling the knapweed wouldn’t be so rough, if they were only doing it half days.
He would keep an eye on Bede and make sure he was okay. Then he would pull one of the other team leads aside and ask for advice. He could only do his best. That’s what his dad had always said. He believed it before, he could believe it again.
Chapter 24
Bede
