“Uh-oh.”
He chuckles. “It’s about lessons.”
I glance at him. “Caison mentioned it,” I say. “What exactly are you interested in?”
“Barrel racing,” he says. “Ruby saw it on TV with Pop. Hasn’t stopped talking about it since.”
I nod slowly. “I don’t usually start girls that young. Six or seven is more typical.”
“I get that,” he says. “But some kids start at four.”
He mentions a name I know well. Dusky Lynn Hall.
I snort. “Dusky’s a prodigy.”
“She is,” he agrees. “But at five years old, she’s tearing up the youth circuit. Winning belts and blowing minds with impressive runs.”
“I know, but like I said, she’s an exception.”
“Maybe Ruby is an exception.”
I shake my head. “All parents think that about their kids. But I can tell you from experience, nine out of ten are wrong.”
“Not the worst odds I’ve ever faced.”
“I bet not.”
“If you’d had the chance to start younger, would you have wanted to?” he asks.
The question lands heavier than he probably intended.
“Yeah,” I admit quietly, “I would have.”
He nods. “I don’t care if Ruby’s great. I don’t care if she does a few lessons and then decides it’s not for her. But she’s excited. And I want her to try everything that interests her. Pick it up, try it on, see if it fits.”
“I can appreciate that, but I just—”
He turns to face me. “I grew up with a man who never asked me what I wanted. He decided the day I was born what and who I would be and forced me to take every step that would get me right where he wanted me. I just want her to have something that’s hers. And maybe it’s too early to let her make big decisions, but what will this hurt?”
Well, damn.
He needs to stop talking because it’s making it very hard for me to continue to loathe him. And everything in me wants to continue.
His voice softens. “Her life got turned upside down. She’s in a foreign place. Without her mother.”
I swallow. And curiosity has me wanting to ask more about her mother, but I bite my tongue because Ruby is within earshot.
It’s not my business anyway.
“Holland wants to pay,” he adds. “And you can charge him triple if you want. Really stick it to him.”
That makes me laugh.
“No, seriously. I insist.”
“I’ll see if I have a horse mild enough for her,” I say. “I’ll let you know.”
“We’ve got a pony at Ironhorse,” he says. “Her name’s Honey. Giles suggested I teach Ruby to ride on her. She’s real gentle, and she and Ruby have bonded. I can have her trailered over if you decide to work with her.”
