But what did he know?
He was better at reading horses than humans. People attempted to hide their feelings. Horses didn’t do that. When they were afraid, they twitched, tremored, or reared. When they were happy, they nickered and swung their tails. When they were angry, they pinned their ears back and pawed the ground. Pretty straightforward.
From inside the barn Cleo nickered. The boarded horse was barn sour. Charlotte had been working with him, but the gelding still resisted leaving the stable.
The sound of rustling grass drew his attention. Gavin headed toward him, Braves ball cap pulled low, shading his face from the sun. “Nice horse you got there.”
“This is Dominic. You ride at all?”
“Only horsepower I’m familiar with is the kind in my Sierra Denali.”
“It’s a nice truck.”
“It gets the job done.”
Gunner glanced up the hill. “Stable’s going up fast. Every time I look up, there’s another wall in place.”
“Framing is nice that way. Charlotte around this morning? I thought I saw her truck earlier.”
“She took off a while ago. Said she’ll be back shortly though.”
“I’ll catch her later then. I thought, if she didn’t mind, I might bring my daughter over sometime to see the horses—that’s all she’s been talking about lately.”
“How old is she?”
“Just turned four.”
“That’s not too young to start riding. We have a gentle pony who’d be just the right size for her.”
Gavin gave a sideways grin. “Let’s see if I can talk her mom into the idea first. Emma’s been trying to ride our golden retriever, but that’s not working out too well.”
“Don’t guess it would.”
“Well, I should get back to the job. Try to make some progress before the storm rolls in.”
“Take it easy.”
Gavin took a few steps, then turned, walking backward. “A few of us guys are heading to the Trailhead tonight at six. Good band. You’re welcome to come hang out.”
Gunner considered the offer. “Thanks. I might do that.”
Gavin nodded and continued up the grassy slope.
Gunner wasn’t much for close ties—he enjoyed the whole footloose-and-fancy-free way of life. But he’d be here awhile and it wouldn’t hurt to make a few friends. He gave the rope a tug. “Come along, Dominic. How do you feel about saddling up, huh, boy?”
A plume of dust rose in the distance from behind Charlotte’s vehicle as she navigated the drive. He waited around the paddock a minute, hoping to have a word with her. Get more backgroundon Dominic. Usually the solutions to problems lay in the past, and he wasn’t afraid to dig around a little for those answers. In the long run it would save a lot of time.
But when Charlotte exited her truck, she just waved and headed inside the house.
“Well, I guess that ride can wait.” He didn’t think the gelding was too eager for a saddle anyway, and forcing the issue would do more harm than good.
“Let’s get you back to your stall, huh, boy? I’ll bet Cleo would like the company.”
A few minutes later Gunner loped up the porch steps and knocked on the front door.
Shortly Charlotte appeared behind the screen door. Her eyes looked a little bloodshot like she might’ve been crying. Or maybe she had a bad case of allergies.
“Sorry to bother you. This a bad time?”
