Page 96 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

“I can do that.” When they got closer to the rehab barns, Lucas pointed to two horses in a small paddock. “Why aren’t they with the other horses in the pasture?”

“That’s Posey and Dream. Posey, the Appaloosa with the chestnut coat and white splash along her hips, is blind in her right eye, and her left eye was removed because of an infection.”

“That sucks,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, especially since her eye could have been saved if her previous owner had cared for her properly.” Seeley’s voice held a bite, which Juliette understood.

“That’s awful,” he said. “Now she can’t go out to pasture or see anything ever again. Someone should do that to the previous owner.”

“I don’t disagree,” Seeley said. “But Posey’s safe and loved now, and blind horses can be put in pastures with other horses. You need special fencing and to make sure the grounds are safe, but Posey’s still skittish around some of the other horses, and she’s bonded with Dream. For now it’s best for her to be with the friend she trusts.”

“That makes sense.”

“There’s Sully.” Seeley motioned to another paddock, closer to the barn, where Sully was walking a horse. “Come on, I’ll introduce you. She’s walking Goldie.”

“Is that Cowboy’s girlfriend?” Lucas asked.

“His fiancée, yeah.”

“I met her last weekend when Seeley and I were at the Roadhouse,” Juliette said. “She’s really nice. You’ll like her.”

Lucas approached the paddock carefully and waved to Sully.

Sully waved and walked the horse over to them. The bay mare had innumerable scars on her shoulder and hind quarters and a bandage around its right front leg, but there was light in her eyes. “Hi, you guys. It’s nice to see you again, Juliette, and you must be Lucas. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about you.”

Lucas looked curiously at Juliette and Seeley.

“Why are you looking at us like that?” Juliette asked. “You’re a great kid, and you know it.”

“Whatever.” He turned back to Sully. “Cowboy said you’re a horse whisperer.”

She petted Goldie’s cheek. “I do love them. How about you? Do you like horses?”

“Yeah,” Lucas said easily. “We have two, Warrior and Maxine, and I grew up around them in California.”

“You’re lucky,” Sully said sweetly.

Knowing what Sully had been through, Juliette felt a pang of sadness for her new friend. She wanted to climb over the fence and hug her.

“How did Goldie get all those scars?” Lucas asked.

“She had a few not-so-nice owners, and she was rescued from being sent to a slaughterhouse.” Sully looked lovingly at the horse. “But she’s doing great. We were about to go back to the barn. Where are you heading?”

“To the rehab barn,” Lucas answered. “I’ll get the gate for you.”

Sully led the horse through the gate, and Lucas closed it behind them.

“Would you like to lead Goldie?” Sully offered.

Lucas’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. Can I?”

“Sure,” Sully said. “But don’t go too fast.”

He took the lead, pride shimmering in his eyes as he led Goldie toward the barn, and asked, “How long do you walk her?”

“She’s recovering from a bowed tendon, and she’s up to about fifteen minutes twice a day,” Sully said. “We’ll gradually increase that until she’s good as new.”

They walked into the barn, and as Lucas and Sully led Goldie into her stall, Seeley slid his arm around Juliette’s waist and said, “Is it just me, or does he seem really comfortable here?”