“What were the animals you just got?” he asked, looking curious and a bit worried, too.
I started to explain the issues and situations of the newcomers.
“So while Izzy is otherwise in perfect health, he hasn’t been socialized. He’s been left on his own, was an intact stallion that wasn’t handled enough before coming to Jules’s rescue, and that has made him dangerous in the wrong hands.”
“Huh…”
I let Ben ponder my words, and we finished our lunches, then went back inside to continue working.
* * * *
As promised, there was a knock on the office door around one thirty.
“Yeah?”
Theo peered in. “Hey, do you have time to help me out with Izzy? I want to try something and need extra hands.”
I raised a brow at Ben.
“Oh, absolutely, I know that stuff is more important and we’ve made good progress here.” He turned to Theo. “Do you mind if I come watch?”
Theo smiled. “Not at all, no.”
We quickly wrapped up while Theo went back out. I put on my boots and explained to Ben why I changed into them from my sneakers, and he was mildly disturbed at the idea of a horse stepping on his foot.
We found Theo chatting with Sierra outside the office.
Theo introduced Ben and Sierra to each other, and Ben stayed behind when I followed Theo to the stable.
“What are we going to do?” I asked, trying to keep my eyes off his butt. How I hadn’t taken the opportunity to ogle him before, I didn’t know. Maybe it was because I was close to him now, and my brain was thinking I could look and maybe touch sometime soon?
“Well first of all I’m going to take Izzy to the round pen to see how he handles basic commands from the ground, but then I was thinking maybe we should take him and the twins to the arena?” He glanced at me as if he was asking my opinion, which surprised me.
“Oh, well I’m fully trusting you on this, so whatever you feel like doing is fine by me.”
Theo smiled. “I think you have an instinct when it comes to horses.” He continued walking to the paddock where he’d put Izzy with Ursula. “Plus you’re the boss,” he added kind of off-handedly, but something about his tone made my brain itch.
“I don’t like that idea.”
Theo frowned thoughtfully while going into the paddock to get Izzy. “I mean, you are? Technically you own the place now.”
“TechnicallyI think I haven’t made my mind up yet,” I reminded him, feeling oddly annoyed.
“What’s the other one’s name?” Ben asked, walking closer.
“She’s Ursula, the queen bitch.” I looked at the mare fondly. “Horrible to handle, but she loves jumping and basically anything Theo asks her to do.”
“Just need to get her saddled first,” Theo murmured, dodging her snapping teeth as he led Izzy to the gate.
I opened it and closed it behind them. Ben’s eyes were wide as he stared at the mare.
“Most of our horses are better around humans than she is.” I double-checked the gate, and then walked after Theo and Izzy. The latter was dancing around the former, who didn’t give a damn.
Before they even got halfway across the yard, Izzy was calmer.
“Do you see what Theo did? Or rather didn’t do?” I asked Ben.
Walking next to me, he thought hard. “Uh…he didn’t like…scold it?”
