PEDRO’S HONOR
THE BROKEN WHEEL RANCH BOOK #16
Deanna L. Rowley
CHAPTER 1
Pedro Alvarez heldhis breath as he signed his name on the bottom of the check with a flourish. He carefully tore it from his checkbook and looked up as he handed it over to the man sitting behind the desk.
“Here you go, Mr. Buckner.” He held his breath as the man leaned forward and took the check from him and studied it intently.
“This is going to cash, right? It won’t bounce?”
“Yes, I guarantee it.”
“You won’t mind if I call my bank to verify?”
“Not at all,” Pedro said as he boldly sat in the chair behind him, and pointed to the phone on the corner of the desk. “By all mean, verify it. I guarantee I have the money in the bank.”
While eyeing Pedro, Buckner picked up the phone, dialed a number from memory, and waited for it to be answered. Pedro openly listened to theconversation, and smiled when Mr. Buckner wrinkled his nose, and fumbled with his cell phone. Pedro stood and took both the phone and the check from him, found his banking app, and turned his head when Buckner opened it.
“Got it,” came the voice from the desk top phone. “We’ll run that through right now, Mr. Buckner.” They heard the clacking of the keyboard over the phone, and in less than two minutes, the voice came over the line again. “You’re all good to go, Mr. Buckner. The check has already cleared, and the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars have been deposited in your account. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
“No, thank you for your help.” He hung up and lifted the blotter in front of him. From beneath it, he withdrew a thin file, and handed it to Pedro. Pedro took it and read the entire contract, but before he shut the folder, he looked at Mr. Buckner and handed it back to him.
“Could you please sign it? I’m going across state lines with the horse I just purchased, and I want it all legal that it is now mine. Now that the check cleared, I would like everything legal.”
“Yes, of course.” Mr. Buckner took the contract back and signed it. He also went so far as to write a receipt for the money received. With everything in order, Pedro shook his hand, and saw himself out of the office, then out of the house. He made a beelineto the barn, and showed the signed contract to the manager.
As they led the horse he had just purchased from his stall, one of the hands lifted a crop, but before he could strike the horse, Pedro’s voice rang out clear but cold. The look on his face froze everyone within hearing distance.
“Touchmyhorse with that crop, then I’ll be calling the cops to report you for animal cruelty.”
“He doesn’t listen if you don’t beat him.”
“Then you’re a piss pour stable hand and need to stop working with animals. I can guaran-damn-tee you that in one year’s time, this horse will be running around a race track with only a few words from me and his jockey.” When the man snorted his disbelief, Pedro stepped forward and laid his hand on the horse’s neck, and started talking to him. With only a few words he led the horse directly to his trailer, and the horse entered without a problem. After Pedro closed it up, he turned to see the hand that had tried to wield the crop staring at him in shock.
Pedro tipped his hat to the man, and walked away. He climbed into his truck, leaned out, and said, “That’s how it’s done. Learn about the animal before using brute force on them. That will never work for what you want. Treat them correctly, and they will respond.” Then, he drove off with a wide grin on his face. He stopped at the end of the long drive to theranch he had just purchased his new horse from, and sent a text.
“Loaded and heading your way. I’ll see you in three days.” He had sent it to Faith, and waited for a response. It came immediately.
“Can’t wait to see you again. I’ve talked with Cole and Naomi, come directly to New Double, they’ll have the quarantine pen ready for your horse.”
“Thank you,” he responded, and programmed the address in his phone, then put it in the holder. He settled into his seat and pulled out onto the highway.
Three days later he pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store in Fool’s Gold, and took the advice of his best friend, and her boyfriend. He purchased enough groceries for two weeks, and after he loaded up his truck, he stopped at the gas station on the edge of town to fill up. Before he climbed back into the cab of his truck, he took an apple out of one of the bags, cut it into quarters, and walked to where the window on the horse trailer was. He held it out, and smiled when a set of lips snatched it from his fingers. He waited until they came back out, and laughed as he fed the horse.
“Only a little bit more, buddy, and we’ll be at your new home. You’ll have all the apples you want, and be treated with the respect you deserve and have earned. I’ll never hurt you in anger like Buckner and his people did, that I promise you.” He had looked directly at the horse when he spoke, and knew theequine had understood him. He went back to his truck, started it up, and settled in for the last leg of his journey. He was exhausted, but there was also an underlying thread of excitement coursing through his system for the new journey he was about to embark on.
Ten miles outside of town, Pedro saw something ahead of him and started slowing down. The person he saw walking held the reins of a horse, which was limping. He slowed even further, and rolled down the window, when the woman turned to look at him. He sucked in his breath and ended up slamming on the brakes.
“Ma’am, are you okay?”
“Nothing to see here, move along, please,” she said with a wave of her hand at him, and tried to ignore him by walking even faster.
“Ma’am, please stop, your horse is limping, and going at a faster pace isn’t doing her any good.”
The woman stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at him, this time, directly. He didn’t react to the bruises on her face. “Please, I know a little about horses, may I take a look?”
