Page 98 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

Lucas lifted a shaky hand and petted her.

“That’s right. Now look in her eyes and tell me what you see.”

He studied her as he petted her. “She looks calm and happy. I think she likes being petted.”

“She doesn’t just like it. She needs it,” Seeley explained. “When she got here, she was terrified. Her eyes were sunken and dull. They were hopeless. She wouldn’t lift her head or even look at us. Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for this kind of trauma. But with patience, love, and the right medical care, she’ll plump up, and her energy will return. This time next year, she’ll be a whole new horse.”

Lucas’s lips twitched into a smile. “Hear that, Queenie?”

“Attaboy,” Seeley said. “One of the best things you can do for a horse like Queenie is fill her with confidence and encouragement and show her love. There’s a good chance she’s never been shown tenderness before coming here. Tell her how great she’s doing, how strong she is, that she’s safe.”

“She’s going to have a great life,” Sasha said. “We make that promise to the horses who come here, and when they’re healthy and rehomed, they leave with a plaque with their name on it for their new stall. We call it their badge of dignity, giving them back what was stolen from them.”

“That’s cool,” Lucas said. “Can I help you get her settled in her stall?”

“You sure can,” Sasha said. “Her stall is on the side of the barn.” They headed down the hall that led to the other side.

Juliette touched Seeley’s hand. “Thank you. You explained everything so beautifully.”

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and it’s never felt like that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. Like I better not fuck up, because how Lucas sees animals and people who are suffering, how he’ll treat them, was hanging in the balance.”

She hugged him. “We are so lucky to have you in our lives.”

“I’m the lucky one, darlin’.”

Lucas wasn’t scarred by what he’d seen. He wanted to meet all of the rehab horses and hear each of their stories. As they left the last horse, he said, “Now I really do want to be a horse vigilante.” He pointed to a door. “What’s in there?”

“Tack for the horses.” Seeley pushed the door open.

Cowboy and Sully were inside kissing, and they startled apart. “Oh. Hey,” Sully said, pink cheeked. “Callahan was just…helping me reach something. On the…up there.” She pointed at the ceiling.

Cowboy’s Cheshire-cat grin said otherwise.

Sasha and Juliette stifled laughs. Seeley arched a brow.

“How about you knock next time?” Cowboy pulled Sully into his arms, and she buried her face in his chest.

“Come on, Lucas. We’ll see the tack room another time.” Doc closed the door.

“Mom, did you and Doc ever get caught making out in the tack room?” Lucas asked.

“No,” she insisted.

“We were too clever for that,” Seeley said.

“Seeley!” she chided, and heard a chuckle behind them. She turned around and saw Cowboy and Sully following them out.

“What?” Seeley said. “He obviously knows we did more than kiss. I mean, he does exist.”

“Yes, but we don’t have to admit it,” she said, which made Sasha laugh.

As they left the barn, Tiny and Wynnie drove up in a UTV. On Tiny’s lap was the little boy Juliette had seen with Sasha at the hospital, who she now knew was Ezra’s little boy, Gus. Sasha and Ezra had shown her pictures of him at the Roadhouse.

“Sugar!” Gus yelled as he scrambled off Tiny’s lap and ran toward Sasha. He was adorable in little cowboy boots and shorts, his dark curls bouncing around his cherubic face.