“I appreciate the honesty.”
Another nod from me.
“Hey, look at me.” His voice always held a sharp edge to it, even when he wasn’t angry. It was hard to read. And I liked to think I was pretty good at reading people cuz of my dad. But I never knew with Uncle Bad.
I took a shaky breath, my gaze finally settling on him. My hands trembled, the nerves tingling painfully.
“I ain’t mad, and I ain’t gonna hit ya.”
I flinched on instinct. I couldn’t help it. I was so used to my dad doing it that just the word set me on edge.
His hard hazel gaze softened, and he nodded as if he understood. He reached out a hand, like he was going to grip my shoulder, but pulled back at the last instant. I appreciated that; the burns still hurt.
“Your dad…did he hurt ya?”
I shrugged.
Bad shook his head, a streak of anger flashing across his face like lightning. He spit out the side of his mouth once more. “Well, you don’t gotta worry about that no more.” He looked to the ground, kicking at the dirt with his boot a moment before meeting my gaze one more? “How much did you hear?” he asked. “All of it?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So, you know about the deal between your aunt and I.”
I dipped my head, even though it wasn’t so much a question as a statement.
“Think we can make some progress in three weeks?”
I nodded once more, even though a traitorous part of me whispered little bits of doubt in my mind, my heart. What if Bad couldn’t help? What if he was wasting his time? I didn’t want to disappoint them. Not after everything they’d done.
I have to try.
He rubbed his stubbled jaw a moment before spitting once more. “Alright. Your daddy let you ride much?”
I waved my hand in a so-so gesture, pulling my shoulders up in a shrug once more, hoping he’d understand I meant a little bit.
“We’ll find out,” he replied, glancing back at the barn behind me. “Starting tomorrow, your job is to rehab that mare. She’s your responsibility. I want you soakin’ that back foot twice a day in Epsom salts, and hand walkin’ her three times. That’s includin’ weekends. If we can’t get her walkin’ again, we’ll have to put her down. And no one else can go near her.”
I nodded. I could do that. Better yet, Iwantedto do it. Busying myself always gave me a sense of purpose. Made me feel valuable.
Uncle Bad’s lips quirked up as he gestured toward the house. We fell in step with each other again as he spoke. “You ever worked with babies before?”
I shook my head.
He blew out a chuckle. “Well, ain’t no better time to start. Day begins at 4 am tomorrow mornin’. Sound good?”
Another nod.
Bad’s lips curled up into a grin. “Ain’t too many kids eager to wake up that early. You just might have what it takes to be a true cowboy, Maverick.”
Present day
Smoke filled my nose;it burned a path down to my lungs. Panic surged to life in me, the memory of Bad and I rippling and morphing into something else entirely.Flames. Screams. Pain.
I thrashed and called out, but choked on the taste of ash in my mouth. It coated my tongue, my throat. A warm, heavy weight settled on my chest, but it did little to ease the panic brewing within me.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
My eyes snapped open, my breathing labored and shallow. No fire or smoke greeted me. Only darkness. Darkness and a soft whine.
