This Hick?

Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

KAREN

M y day of chores on the ranch had wiped me out. Muscles I didn’t know were a part of my body were aching. But there was something undeniably satisfying about it all. Despite my initial complaints, the physical labor had cleared my mind in a way that hours at a desk never could. The fresh air, the animals, and even cleaning the stalls had been oddly invigorating.

I got back to my room, my body coated in dirt and sweat. I could hardly believe what I’d just done. My hands were blistered and my muscles screamed with every movement. I collapsed onto the bed, a small laugh bubbling out. If my friends could have seen me today.

The chickens. Damn those chickens. I could still feel the grainy feed in my hair. I hoped like hell my uncle didn’t have cameras. That was not a moment I wanted the world to see. It was bad enough Cassidy witnessed it. That was humbling. But I could laugh at myself. And thankfully, Cassidy didn’t give me too much of a hard time about it.

I sat up, knowing I had to take a shower before collapsing for the night. I did not want to wallow in my sweat and grain. I had a feeling I was going to have nightmares about getting attacked by a three-hundred-pound chicken.

The hot water was soothing, washing away the dirt and grime of the day. My mind kept replaying every conversation and every interaction. Especially those involving Cassidy.

He’d been patient with me, offering guidance when needed but not in a mean way. He had been very helpful. The kids were a hoot as well. When I struggled to get some of the horses into the pen or corral or whatever the hell it was, Abby commanded some of the boys to help and they were quick to do so. They were good kids and I wondered how much of that was Cassidy’s influence. He was so sweet with them.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, my mind still on Cassidy. He’d shown me a different side of life today. His side. The way he worked with the animals, the children, even with the dirt and manure, was done with respect. There was a certain simplicity to it all.

I had to admit I might have misjudged him. His tough outer shell was hiding what I suspected was a soft side no one ever saw.

I slipped into my pajamas, feeling a little silly in my satin now that I knew just how inappropriate it was in this climate. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were red from the wind whipping against me all day. But my eyes—they were brighter, more alive. A spark that had been ignited by Cassidy and his ranch life.

I brushed my hair, using the last bit of my energy before crawling into bed. I pulled the heavy quilt over me and fell asleep almost immediately.

A high-pitched sound cut through the stillness of the night. I shot up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. I was disorientated, looking around with wide eyes. For a moment, I thought I’d imagined the noise, but my stomach tightened with a deep unease that told me otherwise.

I glanced over at the clock. It was just after two. I threw off the blankets and padded barefoot to the window, pushing aside the thin curtain to peer outside. The ranch was quiet, the lamp posts casting pools of yellow light along the fence lines. A sliver of moon and a million stars blanketed the dark sky as far as I could see. Nothing seemed out of place, but the tight knot in my stomach didn’t loosen. I could have sworn I heard something.

Maybe it was just a dream. Or an owl. Or a coyote.

I was just about to slip back under the covers when I heard it again. The sharp whinny tinged with urgency was not something I had dreamed up. I definitely heard it. I could hear the distress in that whinny. It scared me a little. I went back to the window to look for the source. It wasn’t the type of sound you could ignore, not when you felt it in your bones.

I needed to do something. I was torn between the warmth of my bed and the cold night outside. I could wake Uncle Don. The only other people I knew to alert were in the bunkhouse. If I was going to walk out there to get one of them, I may as well check on the noise myself just in case it was a bird or something silly. I didn’t want to give Cassidy another reason to laugh at me.

Swallowing my nerves, I pulled on my leggings and put on my coat over my pajamas. I shoved my bare feet into my boots and crept downstairs. The minute I opened the door, a blast of cold air hit me, biting through the thin fabric of my pajamas. I hesitated on the porch, hugging my arms around myself as the cold wind blew over me.

“This is stupid.” I whispered. What the hell was I doing? Why was I running headlong into the dark? This was not what I did.

I should go back inside, but I couldn’t. Something was pulling me forward, down the driveway, past the fences, toward the barn. Every instinct I had screamed at me to turn around, but my legs kept moving. As I walked, I felt more alone than I had in a long time.

By the time I reached the barn, my fingers were numb from the cold. I was shivering and cursing myself for not bothering to at least put on a bra. I could cut glass with nipples at this point. I grabbed the large wooden handle, pulled open the heavy door, and walked inside. The scent of hay and horses hit me immediately. The barn was warm from the heaters.

It was dim inside with just a few nightlights along the floor. I heard one of the horses moving about and quickly made my way down the aisle.

Rouge was pacing in her stall. I had gotten to spend some time with her earlier that day. I knew she was Cassidy’s favorite. I could tell by the way he talked to her and gave her a little more attention than the others. She whinnied again, pawing the floor with her hoof.

I didn’t know anything about horses. Hell, I’d never even been close to one before I came here. But now I was about to walk into a stall with a thousand-pound animal that could trample me if she wanted to. Cassidy had told me she was special, that she’d been on the ranch as long as he had. “Oh girl,” I said and shook my head.

I could see something was wrong. Despite my fear, I couldn’t just leave her like this.

My hands shook as I fumbled with the latch. “Okay, girl, be nice. I’m going to try and help you.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I stepped inside. Rouge’s ears flicked toward me, her head snapping around as if she was surprised I’d dared to enter her space. She tossed her head again, her dark eyes wild, and for a second, I thought I’d made a huge mistake.

My hand was shaking as I held it out toward her, palm first, just like I’d seen Cassidy do.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath in the stillness of the barn. “Horses are our friends. What’s wrong?”

Rouge snorted, pawing the floor again, but I kept my hand out, moving slowly, cautiously. I had no idea what I was doing. This horse could crush me in an instant, and yet, something told me she wouldn’t.

“I don’t like the dark much either.” I murmured, inching closer. “Never have. I get it, you know? It’s hard when you can’t see what’s around you. Cassidy said you were a lady of advanced years. Is your eyesight going? Can a horse get glasses?”

Rouge’s ears flicked toward me again. I moved close enough to touch her. My hand hovered just above her nose. For a brief moment, I hesitated. This was insane. I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t some horse whisperer like Cassidy. What if she spooked? What if?—

Rouge dropped her head, pressing her nose against my hand. I gasped, the soft warmth of her exhale sending a shiver up my spine. She stood still, her entire body relaxing in a way that took my breath away. It was as if she’d been waiting for this moment, waiting for someone to just be with her.

My fingers brushed over her nose. I stepped closer, no longer afraid. I reached up to stroke her neck. The muscles beneath her coat twitched, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she leaned into my touch, her body language telling me everything I needed to know.

She needed comfort. She needed someone to be here with her in the dark.

Before I knew it, I was standing so close I could feel the heat of her body against mine. I wrapped my arms around her neck in a loose embrace, whispering soothing words she couldn’t understand. I wasn’t sure what possessed me to hug a horse, but the moment I did, something inside me shifted. The weight I’d been carrying, the confusion, the loneliness all melted away in that moment.

I closed my eyes, feeling a tightness in my throat that I hadn’t felt in years. There was something so pure, so simple about being here with her, about knowing that in this moment, neither of us cared about the past or the future. All that mattered was now.

I didn’t even realize tears were spilling down my cheeks until I felt Rouge shift beneath me, her head nudging me gently. I sniffed and wiped my face with the back of my sleeve, feeling both ridiculous and oddly liberated. I didn’t have to pretend with her. Rouge didn’t care if I felt like a failure or if I had no clue what I was doing with my life. She didn’t care that I was lost.

She just cared that someone was willing to spend time with her.

I was so wrapped up in the warmth of the connection between us that I didn’t hear the soft footsteps behind me at first. It wasn’t until I felt a presence nearby that I turned, wiping at my tear-streaked face and realizing I wasn’t alone.

Cassidy was standing just outside the stall, his cowboy hat tilted back on his head. It made me smile to see he wore his hat even in the dead of night. I wondered if he actually slept with it on.

“She never lets anyone get that close,” he said quietly. “Except for me.”

My breath caught in my throat, and for a second, I didn’t know what to say. Rouge nudged me again, like she didn’t appreciate the attention being pulled from her.

“I don’t know why I came out here,” I said. “I heard something, and I couldn’t ignore it.”

Cassidy nodded, stepping into the stall with me. He moved with the kind of quiet confidence I was drawn to. He belonged here in a way that I certainly didn’t.

“She’s been restless the past few nights,” he said, reaching out to run a hand along Rouge’s side. “Old girl’s not as strong as she used to be, but she’s still got spirit.”

I smiled, my hand still resting on Rouge’s neck. “That’s how I felt after all that whiskey the other night.”

That got a smile out of him. For a moment, we stood there, neither of us saying a word.

“You did good, Karen. She trusts you.”