Chapter 3
Winter
I run the brush over Snowdrop’s coat, admiring the little braids I weaved into her mane, and she delicately tucks her chin over my legs on the hay-covered floor of her luxury stall.
“You did so good today,” I tell her softly, laughing as her beautiful eyes sparkle up into mine.
Even though I love all of the lesson ponies equally, I have a real soft-spot for Snowdrop. Caden rescued her when we were seventeen and she’s been ours ever since.
I kiss her fringe as she nickers sweetly, before smoothing over her coat as we relax in the stall.
“What did I tell you?” comes a rough voice, the sound of boots and hooves ricocheting around the barn, dust motes kicking up between the wood-slats as the ranch-hands storm toward the back of the corridor.
I startle for a moment, having been so caught up with taking care of the ponies after our last lesson, that I’d forgotten that the ranch-hands were still out on the fields even later than usual.
Snowdrop lifts her chin, sensing my surprise, and I force my heartrate to slow down, not wanting to get her riled up when the guys are around.
I lower my shoulders, feigning nonchalance, and continue brushing her coat as if nothing happened, and she carefully settles her head back down, her long lashes closing as I pamper her gently.
“Sue me,” a deep male voice rumbles. “So the Quarter Horse has spirit–”
“Carter,” Ade grinds out, “that horse almost broke your neck.”
“He needs more time with me,” Carter says roughly.
“Time with that horse is the last thing you need.”
“I’m your best competitor,” Carter states. “And I told you that we’ll win big with that horse.”
“And that’s all well and good,” Ade growls, “until he’s bucking you off of him every chance he can get.”
“Adriel–”
Boots scuff against the floor. “Don’t call me that.”
And that’s my cue to put the brush down, getting slowly to my feet so that I don’t startle Snowdrop.
She glances up at me with her pretty eyes, confusion on her brow as she tries to work out my reaction. So I lean down to embrace her neck, whispering, “You’ll be a good girl and go to sleep, okay?”
She blinks up at me as soon as I’m standing and then she gives me a demure look before turning away, folding into her usual rest position and making me exhale a sigh of relief.
I open up the door, step out into the hall, and slide the lock in place so that she’s safe and secure.
And the four remaining ranch-hands instantly whip around to face me, their eyes boring into mine as my boots hit the floor.
I dust my palms on my jeans as I walk toward them, my gaze on Ade as he straightens his spine.
“Didn’t know you were in here,” he rumbles gently, opening one arm out so that he can pull me in for a hug.
Ade is Caden’s oldest brother and the second-in-command at Hartstrings Ranch, maintaining most of the valleys, pastures, and cattle in preparation for eventually superseding their dad.
He settles his forearm protectively around my shoulders and I slide a glance at what he’s holding in his other hand.
He’s holding reins… that are chewed.
And they’re attached to the most beautiful Quarter Horse I’ve ever seen.
I look at the horse’s gorgeous face for a long quiet moment, realising that this must be the horse that the guys were just arguing about.
The horse’s eyes – crystalline and striking – flash to mine as he shifts his hooves, deliberating whether he wants to back away from me or nudge closer, his nose subtly scenting.
“Why are his reins chewed up like that?” I ask slowly.
Ade smirks down at me. “That was Carter.”
Carter slides him a dark look before dropping his gaze to mine, his broad chest heaving with frustration.
“He got flighty up the valley, and he whipped the reins out of my hands for a couple of seconds,” Carter rumbles. “He managed to give them a decent gnawing, but I got ’em back, so we’re fine for now.”
The horse exhales heavily, turning away from Carter in disagreement.
Ade shakes his head, allowing the horse to nudge his shoulder as he walks to the stall.
“Carter won’t break him,” Ade says gruffly, his deep voice rigid as he removes the saddle and tack.
And my jaw all but hits the floor as my eyes flick between the Quarter Horse and Carter – his clothes that are a little worse for wear making a whole lot more sense to me now.
“He isn’t broken?” I rasp, as the horse pads around the stall, his demeanour ambivalent now that he’s back in his domain.
“No,” Carter murmurs. “And I want to keep it that way.”
I glance up at his expression, the respect in his eyes as he watches the horse, and I can’t help but love the fact that he doesn’t want to break him – keeping him wild and free.
Ade flicks his gaze down to mine, his jaw flexing as we share a look.
“Yeah, that’s great,” Ade says drily, “except for the fact that he’s supposed to become our champion rodeo horse. There’s a hundred thousand dollars about to be on the line here, and I’d like a little more certainty for my buck.”
“He wasn’t a big investment,” Carter grits out. “He didn’t cost a million dollars, so who cares if he wins?”
But from the look that Ade shoots him, Carter can tell that he said the wrong damn thing.
“He didn’t cost a million dollars, but you know what does?” Ade asks roughly. “This ranch. Your paycheque. Every guy on our books. And if this horse doesn’t become my paycheque, then guess what happens to yours?”
Ade gives the horse a firm rub to the nape and then steps out of the stall, his broad chest heaving as he meets Carter’s eyes.
They stare at each other for a long moment, not with malice but with mutual understanding.
If the ranch doesn’t continue securing income through competing in the national rodeos, then there won’t be enough money to maintain the horses and cattle, let alone to pay the ranch-hands who live here twenty-four-seven.
“Give me another week with him,” Carter says.
Ade watches him for a beat and then looks away. “Fine. One more week.”
Carter rolls his shoulders and his chest expands, gratitude flickering in his eyes as he glances at the horse.
“I’ll make it work,” he rumbles.
Ade nods. “I damn sure hope so.”
Then Carter and the other ranch-hands head back down the barn, dust kicking up around their boots as they walk out toward the bunkhouse.
I cast a look over my shoulder, back toward Carter’s beautiful horse, and he watches me with curious eyes before folding his legs and settling down.
I twist my lips to hide my smile.
He doesn’t look so scary to me.
I step quietly out of the stall, closing the door as Ade takes off his riding jacket, and then he’s collecting his clean clothes from a neat pile on the work-stand, patiently waiting for me to pick up my dress as I do the same.
Then we’re walking in the direction that the guys just left in, Ade looking frustrated with the day as he rakes his large hand back through his hair.
“You really can’t stand the guys calling you by your Bible name, huh?” I tease softly, and he breathes out a husky laugh as we step out into the evening sunbeams.
The gold hues reflect against his irises like the rays sparkling off a creek-bed.
“Carter isn’t ever calling me Adriel again,” he rumbles quietly, a handsome smile on his mouth as he nudges my shoulder with his. “That’s family only, and even then it’s hit and miss.”
I shake out the dress that I was wearing this morning, before I slipped into the riding gear that I wear when I teach, and then I refold it over my forearm, deciding that I should take a shower before I re-dress.
“So I can’t call you Adriel?” I ask, laughing as he playfully rolls his eyes.
“You can call me anything, sweetheart,” he says quietly, planting his boots outside the workshop as I step inside.
I turn around to face him and he tucks his thumbs in the loops of his jeans.
The workshop is where I stop off at the end of each working day, to write up the details on my classes and to have a little alone-time before dinner.
Three nights a week I stay at the ranch with Caden’s family, and for the other nights, Ade or Maverick drive me back to my parents’ place on the other side of our town.
Tonight is one of the nights where I’m dining with Caden’s family at the ranch.
“Saw your class this morning,” Ade admits, leaning his large shoulder against the doorframe. “You’re real good with those ponies. And Caden’s gonna love watching you work with the kids.”
I drop my gaze and laugh gently, loving the idea of Caden finally being back home. But I know that he’s busy with the start of game season, so I just shake my head, trying to stay in the moment.
“The kids were really sweet today,” I admit softly. “Watching them walk the ponies around the pen was, like, cuteness overload.”
Ade breathes out a laugh and looks out toward the sunset. “Yeah, it was real cute. Want me to wait here while you write up your notes?”
“It’s okay. I’ll be, like, ten minutes and then I’ll head up to the house.”
“You sure?” he offers again. “I can wait, Winter. I don’t mind.”
I hardly think anything would happen to me in the distance between the workshop and the ranch house, but I appreciate his persistence, laughing when he pulls me in for another hug.
“Ten minutes,” he rumbles when he finally releases me, giving me a serious look that has me rolling my eyes with amusement.
Then I pull the large door away from the wall until it’s almost closed and I have a little privacy, and I slip my cowgirl boots off my feet as I rest my dress on the hood of the truck, pushing my riding pants down my thighs.
I spent all of the morning and the early afternoon teaching and demonstrating for my classes, and then I rode up the pastures with Caden’s other brother, Maverick, when he needed a break from fixing one of the tractors.
And after almost a whole day on the back of my horse, I’m feeling a little sore.