Chapter 13
Winter
“Nice and slow, sweetheart,” Ade rumbles protectively, his palms gripping over the half-door to the stall that I’m currently standing in.
Carter’s Quarter Horse is on his feet and nudging playfully at my forearm, watching as I take the bridle from Maverick on the other side of the door.
I glance at Ade over my shoulder, before turning to the horse so that I can slip on his gear.
“I’m always nice and slow. Did he not like Carter putting on his bridle?” I ask.
“Sweetheart,” Maverick drawls, “he wouldn’t like Carter if he was made of sugar cubes.”
“Maverick!” I laugh, trying not to smile as I align the bridle.
“Slowly,” Ade says again, his deep voice commanding as he watches the horse.
I roll my eyes as I fasten the buckles, laughing softly as I spare Ade a look.
“Stop looking at him like that,” I laugh. “You’re so intense. I don’t want you to spook him.”
“I’m making sure that he knows we’re here,” Ade replies, glancing at my outfit before he looks back at the horse. “One more fuck-up and he’s off this ranch for good.”
I stroke my knuckles against the horse’s cheek. “We need to give him positive energy,” I say softly.
Then I loosely hold one of his reins, encouraging him to follow my lead as I walk to the door.
“Do you have the saddle?” I ask Maverick, glancing up at him as I unlock the hatch.
Maverick hauls the saddle higher over his forearm, his large bicep flexing as he shows it to me.
“It’s not the same saddle that Carter was using, because we don’t want residual scents to throw him off,” he tells me, and I nod my head in agreement, because I have no doubt that this horse can scent different riders.
“Thank you,” I say softly, pushing open the door and stepping over the threshold, and the guys move to either side of me, hovering protectively as the horse steps forward.
“Did Carter give him a name?” I ask Ade, glancing up at him over my shoulder.
“Nope,” Ade replies, his jaw still clenched as he eyes the horse.
And his broad chest swells even higher as he watches it sniff my curls with a tentative nudge.
He clears his throat and glances away from him. “You shouldn’t let him get that close to your face,” he rumbles quietly.
“We need him comfortable,” I tell him honestly. “We want him to bond with me, right?”
Ade grimaces and glances down at me. “Let’s just take this one day at a time.”
I breathe out a laugh, nudging his shoulder, and lead the way to the door of the stables.
The ranch is warm, hence the sundress, but I grab a jacket from one of the hooks anyway. We heard that there’s a storm on its way to the ranch, so we’re making the most of the weather before we have to move everything indoors.
“Did Carter have any names in mind for him?” I ask, glancing at the guys as we step into the sun, citrine rays illuminating the pastures as the ranch-hands work in the valley.
“Biter?” Maverick offers, and I give him a playful shove as he grins down at me.
“I’m saying ‘no’ to everything with negative connotations,” I say, yelping with laughter as he tries to tickle my waist.
“Who said biting was a negative thing?” he asks, smirking as I slap his hands away from me.
“Hey,” Ade says roughly. “That’s your future sister-in-law that you’re talking to.”
Maverick holds his palms up and drawls, “Who said I was being untoward?”
“You’re my brother,” Ade says darkly. “I know you’re being untoward.”
I glance back up at the Quarter Horse, still pondering a name for him, and he blinks down at me inquisitively as we reach the gate of the outdoor riding pen.
It’s where Ade set the barrels yesterday, and they’re still up in their clover formation, the dust sparkling in the sunlight as if it can’t wait to be ridden again.
Ade moves to my side as he unlocks the gate, opening it up so that I can step through before him.
I keep my shoulders back and my pace casual, strolling lightly as the Quarter Horse walks at my side, wanting to convey nothing but confidence in the hopes of building our bond.
“You guys should wait on the other side of the gate,” I call over my shoulder, keeping my breathing even as we walk slowly around the paddock.
“Winter,” Ade rumbles, his jaw muscles clenching as he watches us. “I told Caden that I’d look after you. You’re not staying in here on your own.”
I flick a curl over my shoulder and give him a look. “Just jump the fence.”
He stares back at me, long and hard, before cursing gruffly and turning around.
He tightens his fists around the panel, widens his stance, and heaves upwards, jumping effortlessly to the other side and then giving me a happy now? eyebrow raise as he stands with Maverick.
“Thank you,” I say back to him, strolling past the guys as we complete our loop, and giving the horse a little stroke as I hold his reins even looser.
We walk casually around the pen, the sunlight shimmering around the ranch, and then I release his reins completely and start strolling solo, wondering if he’ll follow.
“Winter,” Ade warns, but I ignore him as I cross the paddock. I keep my gaze away from everyone, pretending to look over the pastures, as I wait for the horse to make his move.
Because the thing about a horse that isn’t broken?
He’s in complete control of his spirit.
And seeing as Carter wanted to keep this horse unbroken, I need to work with that beautiful spirit.
We’re going to build a bond based on trust.
Because in this paddock, we’re both equals.
And if we’re going to compete in the rodeo, we’re going to have to learn to be a team.
I hear hooves pause in the dirt, the air growing quiet as he works out his options.
Stay still, go his own way… or follow the pink-haired ranch girl.
I flick a curl and let out a sigh, resting my chin on my forearms as I watch the riders in the distance. They’re working on a fence that got damaged during the cattle transfer, making sure that everything’s fixed before the storm sets in.
Around ten seconds pass by, and then, slowly, there’s movement, gentle steps sounding behind me as I wait patiently by the fence.
And warmth flickers in my chest when I feel him finally nudge my shoulder, asking politely for my attention as he huffs quietly and pads at the dirt.
I turn gently and meet his eyes, those wintery irises bright and curious.
He followed me, I think to myself.
And that’s the best thing I could have hoped for.
“Hey, big guy,” I whisper up at him, tentatively lifting both of my hands so that I can touch his cheeks.
He rears back slightly for half a second and then, after searching my face, he nudges forward again, allowing me to stroke my fingertips over his cheeks as the sun shimmers on his gorgeous coat.
“You missed me,” I whisper happily, and he makes a tiny sound that has me giggling. “Want to walk around the pen?” I ask, and I drop my hands as I move around him, smiling to myself when I hear him turn, immediately padding behind me as I head to the barrels.
And when I glance over my shoulder to look at the guys, I can’t help but laugh at the expressions on their faces – Ade’s jaw practically hitting his boots as Maverick grips his fingers through his dark hair.
“Well, fuck me,” Maverick rumbles, chuckling in awe as I continue strolling.
Ade swipes his tongue over his bottom lip, his gaze flicking between me and the horse as he rubs his jaw.
“You’re doing real good,” Ade calls out. “Just keep it nice and slow, sweetheart, okay?”
“I am keeping it nice and slow!” I reply, laughing as I glance back at him because he’s so paternal.
“I know,” he reassures me, that deep voice of his rumbling quietly, “but one step at a time, Winter, okay? I don’t want either of you in over your heads.”
“So no riding today?” I ask him genuinely, because Maverick brought the saddle and the horse seems well-behaved.
But Ade shakes his head as he looks back at the horse, years of rodeo expertise refining his eyes.
“No riding today,” Ade confirms quietly. “He’s doing so good with you, and I don’t want to push it.”
I look to Maverick to see what he thinks and he gives me a nod in agreement, suggesting that we keep to the un-reined walking for now.
Because even if riding is easy for a broken horse, an unbroken horse can be a lot more sceptical about it.
I peek up at Carter’s horse, curiosity blazing in his irises as he follows behind me, and I can’t help but smile as he nudges my arm, padding softly as we walk to the guys.
“Should we try him out in another pen, or take a stroll up the valley?” I ask.
Ade winces as he looks down at me. “Can’t we just keep him in this paddock for now?”
“We need him familiar with lots of different spaces,” I remind him, “so that he doesn’t freak out when he gets to the rodeo.”
“When he gets to the rodeo?” Maverick drawls, smirking as I give him a mischievous smile. “‘When’, not ‘if’, huh? You’re one confident little cowgirl.”
I swish my hair as I re-loop the reins. “I learned from the cockiest cowboys I know.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Maverick grins, and Ade rolls his eyes as he exhales a sigh.
“Right,” Ade says finally. “Okay, yeah. Let’s get moving.”
“To the next pen?” I ask hopefully, and Ade meets my eyes as he opens the gate.
He watches me in silence, searching my gaze before he nods his head.
And I can’t help but smile.
“Yeah, sweetheart,” he agrees softly. “Let’s go to the next pen.”