Page 97 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

She looked at Lucas, petting Goldie and chatting with Sully. “He does.”

Seeley whispered, “That’s the magic of the ranch.”

When Lucas went into the stall, Seeley pressed a kiss to her temple and lowered his arm.

“I told you I could handle it,” Lucas said a few minutes later when he came out of Goldie’s stall. “Sully said you’re not sure what Goldie has been through.”

“Unfortunately, that happens a lot. It’s not uncommon for owners to abandon their horses,” Seeley said.

“Maybe I’ll become a horse vigilante when I grow—” His words were lost to a pained expression as he gazed over Juliette’s shoulder.

She followed his stare to Sasha leading a severely emaciated horse through the side door. It was covered with scars from recent and old wounds, and its ribs and spine protruded sickeningly.

A sad sound fell from Lucas’s lips.

“Oh, honey,” Juliette said, her heart breaking for both the horse and for her son.

Seeley put one hand on Lucas’s shoulder, his other on Juliette’s back. “We can go.”

“No.” The pain in Lucas’s voice was palpable. “The horse can’t go. I’m not gonna leave just because it’s hard to see it.”

“I’m sorry,” Sasha said softly. “I didn’t know you were in here.”

“It’s okay,” Seeley said. “Lucas, look at me.”

Lucas looked at him, his jaw tight, his sad eyes shimmering with determination, but glassy, as if he were struggling against tears.

“Remember the first time I came to your house? When you found me and your mom arguing?”

He nodded.

“Earlier that day we’d rescued Queenie, the horse Sasha is leading, and another horse, Contessa. They’d been tied to a tree in an empty field and left to starve for who knows how long. Queenie was in critical condition, but she’s a fighter, and with our love and care, she survived.”

“Can’t you feed her?” Lucas’s voice cracked.

“We are. I promise she’s getting the absolute best care. She’s already gained weight.”

“Not enough. Feed her more,” he pleaded quietly.

Juliette was proud of him for respecting the rules Seeley had given him earlier about rescue horses and not shouting.

“We can’t. If she eats too much too fast, it could kill her. Do you trust me to take care of her?”

He nodded, his brows pinched.

“Good. She’s on this ranch, which means she’s your family now, too. Would you like to meet her?”

Lucas nodded again.

“Okay, but horses are intuitive. They respond to our emotions. If you’re sad or mad, they’ll sense it and react to it,” he explained. “Take a minute to get ahold of your emotions.”

Lucas breathed deeply.

“That’s good, honey,” Juliette said. “Just relax.”

Lucas shook out his hands, and after a big exhalation, he said, “Okay. I’m ready.”

They went to the horse, and Seeley spoke softly and stroked her neck. “Hi, sweet Queenie. How’s my beautiful girl?” The horse nickered. “Go ahead and pet her, Lucas. Show her some love.”