“Okay, good. All the horses are out in the paddock, it should be easier to clean.”
“That’s what Cole said,” Shay laughed, and they got to work. Two hours later, he put his fork away, and put the wheelbarrow back where it belonged. Looking at Ann he shook his head. “Much, much faster with the horses out. Will they be out all day?”
“Yes, and we’ll let them out every morning, however, when summer rolls around, and we have hot days, we’ll let them back in the barn to beat the mid-day heat and sun.”
“Got it. Well, I have to go talk to Cole, that is, if you don’t have anything for me to do. He wants me to work with Faith. I have no idea what I can do, but I’ll be with Cole.”
“That’s fine. We had some fans delivered a couple of days ago, I’m going to put them in the stalls.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, they’re very simple house box fans. As I just mentioned, when the horses come in from the mid-day heat, we’ll turn the fan on them to cool down. It’ll also help with the flies. I’ll just secure them with bungee cords.” At his look, she shrugged. “The same way I did it last spring.”
“Oh.” Shay nodded and started to walk away. “Let me know if you need help.”
“Thanks, but Manny’s going to be here any minute. He and Scott can work over here today.”
“Good.” Shay walked away, went to the break room to refill his coffee cup, and grabbed a donut from the box on the counter. He didn’t know who brought them, but he read the sign to help himself, so he did. With his cup in hand, and eating the donut, he headed to Cole’s office. He caught him as he was coming out.
“Good, you got the donuts.”
“Yes, who brought them?”
“Lois, it’s a new recipe she tried out.”
“These are homemade?” Shay asked in shock as he popped the last bite into his mouth, and actually licked his fingers. “Tell her they are great.”
“I will, you done with the stalls?”
“Yes, and all the tools are put back.”
“Come with me,” he said, and Shay noticed he had a stopwatch around his neck, a pen behind his ear, one in his hand, and one in his pocket. He also carried a clipboard with several sheets of paper on it. Shay didn’t say anything, just followed him. They went out, got into a golf cart and took off toward the back of the barns. A few days ago, Shay had seen several people unload these carts off of a flat bed. Since he didn’t know if he needed to know, he hadn’t questioned it.
“Have you seen the track yet?” Cole asked.
“Track?”
“Race track? She hasn’t started yet, but Faith’s been moving horses all morning. Clem and Scott’s been helping her.” Cole looked at him with a smirk. “Ducky is supervising.”
Shay didn’t know what to say, so he remained silent and looked at his surroundings. As they pulled up to a barn, that he hadn’t known existed, he saw Faith dressed in her riding pants, and it took everything in him not to get hard. He loved the way they hugged her ass, but knew now was not the time to get horny.
Cole called out, Faith turned, and when she saw Shay, she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” She looked between the two and didn’t see anything wrong in their expressions so she didn’t panic. “Where’s your brace?”
“I have a smaller one on beneath my jeans. Caleb approved.”
“Nothing,” Cole said. “I brought Shay over to teach him how to take the stats. He says he’s healed, and I believe him, but I’m going to go by what Dr. Johnson says, and wait for another two weeks before I give him more duties. Once Pedro arrives, you’re going to need someone to bring the horses to you here on the track, that’s why Scott is here today. You know how it goes. You’ll be on the track, Pedro will be here observing, writing down what he has to, and Shay will be the one bringing you the horse, walking it back to the barn, cooling it down, and rubbing it down after removing the saddle.
Cole turned to Shay. “Did you get all that?”
“Yes, I’ll be Pedro until he arrives, and Scott will be me until then. I’m to listen to you, observe, bring a horse out, stage it, take the one just ridden away, and make sure they are unsaddled, rubbed down, and get the next horse ready to be ridden.”
Faith grinned as she walked over and laid her hand on his bicep. “Such a smart boy.”
Not worrying about the others around him, he bent down, picked her up, and kissed her soundly. He whispered for her ears only as he lowered her to the ground. “I’ll show you who’s a boy when we get home.”
She laughed and stepped away from him, but the look on her face said it all. Shay rubbed his hands together, anticipating what would happen that night once they went to bed.
