“Calmer,” I repeated faintly. Thrakul’s long tail, tipped with a spike, swished as he continued to watch us. “Right. Okay. They’re nothing like horses.”
“Definitely not.”
I pulled my tablet from my shoulder bag but stopped before turning it on. “May I take some notes and ask some questions that might sound stupid?”
“Go ahead.”
For the next hour, Becken walked me through the basics of sorhox care and handling. How they communicated with each other and the people who worked with them. Their social structure. Their particular quirks and needs. I took notes frantically, asking questions about everything from their diet to their response to different weather conditions.
“They’re really beautiful.” I watched a group of younger sorhoxes play in the far corral. Their movements were graceful despite their size, and there was something almost dance-like about the way they interacted.
“They are.” Pride shone in Becken’s voice.
“How long have you been working with them?”
“All my life, back where I come from. I came to the surface about six months ago to help establish this program.”
There was something about his carefully neutral tone that suggested there was more to his story, but I wouldn’t ask. I’d already pushed enough boundaries for one morning with my questions.
A sharp wind picked up, carrying the scent of snow and making me pull my coat tighter. One of the corral gates rattled against its latch, the metal clanging in a way that made Thrakul toss his head.
“That latch is loose.” I pointed to the gate. “Want me to grab some tools and fix it?”
Becken looked surprised. “You don’t mind getting your hands dirty?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve been fixing broken things for years.” I was already heading toward the table where I’d left the bakery box.
Twenty minutes later, we had the gate secured, and I’d spotted two other potential issues, including a loose bolt on the water trough that could cause flooding, and a fence post that was starting to lean in a way that would compromise the whole section within a month. Years of managing facilities had taught me to see problems before they became disasters.
My hands were definitely dirty by the time I’d finished, some of my carefully styled hair had escaped its arrangement, and I’d managed to get grease on my coat. But I felt more like myself than I had since arriving.
“You’re handy.” From Becken, it sounded like a compliment.
“Ten years of managing rodeo facilities where the emergency repair budget was a joke. You learn to fix everything yourself when you’re trying to keep a program running on next to nothing.” I wiped grease off my hands on a rag. “I’ve rebuilt entire arena drainage systems, rigged temporary lighting for night events, even welded broken chutes back together between competitions. When you’re the kid nobody really planned for, you learn to make yourself useful.” The latter slipped out, revealing more than I’d intended.
He gave me a sharp look, but before he could respond, my phone buzzed with a text. I glanced at it and winced.
“Problem?”
“Just my next appointment.” I checked the time and sighed. “I’m supposed to meet with a town council at ten to go over budget projections. For a future job.” One I’d head to when I left Lonesome Creek. Funny how I liked it here so much already that I didn’t want to leave.
“Better you than me,” he said.
I laughed. “Not a fan of budget meetings?”
“Not a fan of explaining what things cost to people who’ve never done the work.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve had clients say, ‘Can’t you scale back the safety requirements? Insurance is so expensive.’” I mimicked a dismissive tone, then caught myself. “Sorry, that probably sounds?—”
“Accurate.” There was definitely a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth now. He had tusks. I liked them. Liked everything about this male, actually, though I’d never admit it out loud.
I gathered my tablet and tea cup, reluctant to leave this easy companionship we’d found. “When would you like me to come to work tomorrow? I’d like to observe some actual training sessions if that’s okay.”
“Seven will be fine.”
“And Becken?” I paused at the gate. “Thank you for being patient with me. I know I came on way too strong yesterday.”
He nodded, already turning back to his work. “Tomorrow.”
