Silence fell with a thud, like a concrete block falling to the floor and I instantly saw the hurt in Gunner’s eyes.
“Gunner, I?—”
“And there it is,” he snapped. “Well, thanks for the belief in the camp and in me, Cassidy.” He turned away and pulled the door open. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Then he was gone, and I immediately felt sick because what if I’d just rushed us to the ending that we might never have had.
Chapter 36
Say Something – A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera
Gunner
The thing about being angry with someone you care about is that it fucks with your head. When that person is someone you know you’re falling for it fucks with your stomach, too. Mine felt like it had a tornado inside it, whipping everything around making me feel constantly nauseous. The problem was the anger was still boiling in my blood, too. It was a maelstrom of feelings and emotions, good, bad and everything in between all because of that tiny damn brunette.
“You’re such a jealous girl, aren’t you?” I pulled an apple from my pocket and held it out, palm open, to Ariel, who had just nudged her way past Rocket, the horse I was working with, to steal his treat.
I often brought her into the training paddock with the skittish ones. There was something about her—so steady, so quietly sure of herself. Her inner calm had a way of settlingthem. Just like she did me. Just like she had every day since Mom had passed. Always there. Never leaving.
She took the apple without hesitation and ambled off, leaving Rocket to reclaim his spot at the fence. I fished out another apple and offered it up to him, just like I had my heart to Cassidy.
At least Rocket was grateful, his whiskers tickling my palm as he took the treat.
“Take my advice, Rocket boy,” I muttered. “Don’t let a woman in. It’s not worth it.”
“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good.”
I turned to see Nash strolling toward me, he was still wearing his gloves and his chaps and had dirt streaked across his face.
“You look like you’ve had a morning.”
“Yeah.” He took his ball cap off and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “We lost a cow. Almost lost the calf, too, but luckily I was with a couple of the guys checking the water tanks over there.”
“What the hell happened?” It might have only been one cow, but they were our livelihood. If it was illness it would not be good, especially if it was something that could spread through the herd.
“Wolf.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m worried that if he’s hungry enough to attack in the daytime that it’s because he’s got a family of more hungry wolves.”
“Shit. Did you see it?” I asked, looking him up and down to check he was okay. “You sure the Mountain Lion isn’t back?”
“No, it was a wolf. Managed to get a shot in. Think I caught it.”
“I told you to get Wilder to teach you how to shoot.” I slapped a hand on his shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Although, the day could have started better.” He stretched his back and groaned. “The trip to Bozeman was a failure.”
“Wilder called?”
“Yeah, he reckons they must have photoshopped the images they sent us because he had no muscle, looked like he might be nearer to ten than three and in our brother’s words, ‘his balls were like shriveled grapes’.”
“Sounds like a shit twenty-four hours all round.” I turned back to Rocket who was strolling across the paddock to Ariel. “I can’t get him into a stable without him kicking and bucking, then someone has to stay with him for at least thirty minutes.”
“Is that what he’s here for?” Nash wandered to the fence and propped one foot on the bottom rail. “Because he can’t be stabled.”
“That and the fact they can’t get him into a starting gate, which for a racehorse is pretty shitty.” We seemed to be getting more and more horses with that problem. Maybe the damn jockey needed training, not the horses.
“Hmm I get that.” My brother braced his arms and gave me his Dad expression. “And what’s wrong with you? Why look so glum chum?”
“Told you the horse.” I avoided his gaze, looking out to the green pastures in the distance. Emerald waves Cassidy had called them, and she was right, they did look like the swell of the ocean lapping against the grey of the mountains. I wanted to crumple to the floor thinking about her and what might be lost.
