Rugged Cowboy: A Grumpy Sunshine Western Romance

Chapter 6

Wade hated days like this. Rain poured around him, making the ground slick and muddy. His clothes clung to him, chilling him to the bones despite the warmer temperature. He was working with Michael on one of the younger horses in the corral, seeing if the horse would be ready soon for working the cattle. He and Mike often trained the horses themselves, then they or one of the hands rode the horses with the cattle for years before they transitioned the mounts to the guest ranch side of the business, and only if the horse had the right temperament. Some horses were more suitable right from the beginning for the guests, while others needed working time. And if the horse was going to be used by guests for more trail rides and to work cattle, it was best if they had years of experience before putting a greenhorn on them.

The Buchanan ranch had changed a lot since Wade had moved there. It used to be Uncle Daniel, Mike’s father, and another cowboy, breaking the horses, and they used a less gentle method. But Ariel, Mike’s youngest sister, started training horses for therapy and she forced some changes on the ranch, including how horses were trained. They also needed in-house training with how quickly the guest ranch had expanded.

When Wade had first come to live there, it was basically a dude ranch, with families coming to live in a couple of rustic cabins to learn how to be a cowboy. They offered some hunting and fishing guided tours, but Aunt Sarah saw the possibilities in the families. Uncle Daniel was skeptical about the family side of things, but Aunt Sarah was persuasive and leveled up the guest side to a higher standard. Guests wanted to be pampered, have the amenities of spas and fancy things, along with good food, nice beds, but then go out and hike or ride horses and maybe even go on a cattle drive, all with luxuries. No one wanted to sleep on the ground with a bedroll and eat beans out of a can.

City Slickers was old-school and out of touch. So the Guest Ranch at Buck’s Falls was born. Expansion was rapid and everyone was enlisted to make it a success. It didn’t matter how young you were or the state minimum age for working. You had arms and legs, you worked. Gabe Buchanan, the second oldest, escaped the family and became a black sheep as a famous mystery writer. He’d recently reconnected with the family when he married his wife, Emma, though he lived a few hours away. Mike ran the business of the ranch once his father had a heart attack and Sarah still oversaw the guest ranch side, with the help of several managers. Rafe was a veterinarian in town and Ariel ran her children’s therapy business with horses at another barn on-site.

Everyone worked here in some capacity, even the orphaned cousin who no one knew.

Mike was perched on a railing watching him with Dutch, the young bay gelding they had just bought, to decide where he fit on the ranch. Working cattle? Trail rides? Or therapy with Ariel? They needed horses in all three spots, always.

Wade gripped the halter and forced the horse’s head to be still. He stroked between his eyes and down to his nose until the beast calmed. Then he gazed into his eyes. He couldn’t explain it, but he often got a sense of the animal from the eyes, which is how he understood Viv when she described the goats as having demonic eyes. She wasn’t wrong. Those little fuckers were crazy and their eyes totally proved it. They never looked at you straight and were always plotting something.

Meanwhile, Dutch was still under his regard. Wade ran his hand down the horse’s neck, feeling the tense muscles quivering under his touch, the breath sawing in and out. A noise came from the barn area and Dutch’s head reared up suddenly, pushing Wade back.

Wade’s hand slipped from the halter, and he fumbled for it.“Fuck me,” Wade yelled as his feet slid out from under him in the mud. He landed hard on the side of his ass, then his shoulder, then the back of his head, his breath whooshing out of him. The horse bolted in the opposite direction.

When he could catch his breath, he opened his eyes to see Mike and Viv peering down at him, expressions of concern on their faces. He groaned.“Don’t tell me the bastards escaped again.”

“Are you okay, Wade? Don’t move. We’ll get someone from first aid over here to check you out.”

He wiggled his fingers and toes. No way in hell was he lying on his ass in the wet mud where his cousin was watching while he waited for first aid to come and check on him. He may as well hand in his man card if he did that. He groaned and rolled to the side.

“Wade, what are you doing? You could have broken something.”

“The only thing he broke is his pride,” Mike said wryly, a hint of a laugh in his tone.

“You’re not helping,” Viv snapped.

“I wasn’t trying to. I was mocking, like any good brother does.”

“Fuck you,” Wade growled, getting to his hands and knees. Oh, he was going to feel this tomorrow. Check that. He felt it now. His back was already seizing on him, the pain enough to keep him on his hands and knees. He had to get up, couldn’t let Mike see him down.

A black-and-white face wiggled under him and licked the side of his cheek, once, twice, then nuzzled him, almost shoving him over in his excitement.“Festus, back off, buddy. You’re killing me here.”

Festus whined his distress at seeing Wade hurt, but stopped pushing. Viv’s hands settled on Wade’s shoulders, her hands stroking down his back. He only wished he felt better and could enjoy her touch.“You definitely did something to your muscles, but we don’t know if you broke anything.”

“If I broke my back, I wouldn’t have been able to move, now would I?” he growled.

She settled back, withdrawing her touch, her hands falling to her thighs.“I was just trying to help.”

“Fuck, Viv. I’m sorry. It hurts and I’m being a bastard. But really, it’s nothing serious beyond a wrenched back. I’ve had it before.”

“It’s true. He’s done it before. Hell, we all have. Can’t do this job without hurting something,” Mike declared from somewhere on the other side of Wade.

Viv snorted.“Well, he can’t stay here, kneeling in the damp rain and mud until he’s better, unless you subscribe to that alpha-male bullshit that you just rub some of this dirt on it and it will be all better.”

“Nope, I can help you get him to the spa,” Mike offered.

“What? Fuck.” Wade lifted his head, sending spasms down his spine.“No, just get me home.”

Mike kneeled down next to him.“Brother, this is worse than a simple muscle spasm. You need more than Advil and rest. Some time with a heating pad, a hot tub, maybe a massage might really help. It did wonders when I got thrown last month.”

Viv made a noise that sounded like a stifled laugh.“What? I can’t imagine a horse throwing you. You’re such a delight.”

Wade grinned despite the pain.“His horse is even more ornery than he is.” He dropped his head, giving in to the inevitable.“Fine. But I have muscle relaxers at home. Get me one of those, too. I’m going to need them.”

Mike nodded.“We’ll get you to the spa, then I’ll get your meds. Let’s go, brother.”

Fuck, this was going to hurt in more ways than one.