Chapter 4
Knox
Istand, checking my shoe to make sure it’s level. I’m trying to keep my eyes focused on the job and not the gorgeous woman watching my every move.
The way Jack talked, I was expecting to show up to put a shoe on a horse for a woman who was meaner and tougher than the bulls I rode. He made it sound like she’d be chewing tobacco and arm wrestling the ranch hands when I got here.
Instead, the first thing I see is a head turner.
She’s petite, a few inches shorter than me, with long blonde hair and a sweet smile.
The Kimes Jeans she’s wearing might be the death of me and her tight long-sleeve shirt with a vest shows off her toned arms and slim waist. It’s not the build of a woman who spends all day in the gym, but of a woman who works hard every day.
She’s beautiful. And she has no idea who I am, which is a breath of fresh air.
I’m no stranger to beautiful women. On the road, the barrel racers, breakaway ropers, and even some photographers and timers catch my attention, but this girl has something different about her.
Thanks for the heads up, Jack.
On the other hand, after I leave today, I’ll probably never see her again.
I grab eight nails, put them between my lips, and roll my box back to the front right hoof.
I pick the foot up, put it between my legs, and set the shoe on the foot to position it.
Holding the shoe in place, I start driving nails.
After I drive the last nail, I grab my nail block to block the nails.
Then, I pull the foot forward onto the hoof stand, clinch my nails and rasp the hoof wall down to the shoe.
“Well, looks like my work here is done.”
When I face her, her magnificent sea green eyes lock on mine. I’ve never seen eyes this color—it’s like looking into a sunlit ocean, where blues and greens swirl together in endless depths.
“What do I owe you?” She reaches into her pocket, snapping me out of my trance.
“Nothing, this one’s on Jack.” It’s his client, and the asshole is probably sitting at home laughing at me right now.
It’s clear she isn’t comfortable with that answer. “No really, I insist.”
“It’s all good, it took me less than fifteen minutes.” I smile and pick up my anvil, pinning it under one arm and grab my shoeing box with the other hand.
“Well, thank you.” Her lips form a perfect smile. She picks up the hoof stand for me, and we head back to my pickup.
“No problem.”
As I set my anvil on the tailgate, I hear something scurrying behind me. When I turn around, a flash of red hurls itself in my direction. I step to my left, avoiding impact as the ball of red goes rolling into the truck box.
“What the hell?” Turning back around, I see a red heeler regaining its feet and coming right to the edge of the tailgate, tongue hanging out, tail wagging as fast as it possibly can.
“I’m so sorry—that’s my little nightmare child. She thinks she’s going for a ride,” Kacey supplies as she sets the hoof stand down.
“Well hi, NC.” I reach out to let the dog sniff me.
Within a couple seconds, it shoves its nose under my hand encouraging me to pet her.
I reach out with my other hand, placing one on each side of her neck and massage behind her ears.
“You’re not really a nightmare, are ya? You just want attention.
” She throws herself to her side to demand belly rubs and I oblige.
Kacey smiles. “Come on, Rein, he doesn’t want you up there.”
“She’s fine, I’m a dog guy. I’d have one if I was home more.” I bend over to grab my shoeing box and the little red dog hops on my back, balancing herself on the top of my shoulders. I can’t help but laugh. “You are one crazy little dog, aren’t you?”
Kacey bursts out in laughter. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen her do that before.”
Note to self: If I ever see this girl again, make her laugh, she’s even prettier when she’s laughing.
“Okay, Rein. Down, girl.” The red heeler hops off my back. “Sit.” She sits, staring at me, tail still wagging, tongue hanging out. “Good girl,” I tell her, scratching her behind the ear. I can’t help but notice Kacey’s jaw drop.
Wide eyed, she says, “She must like you. She never listens to anyone but me and Dad.”
A cocky smirk slides across my face. “Looks like I’ve got a new number one fan, huh, Rein?” I might not know much about life, but I know if a woman’s dog doesn’t like you, she won’t either. By the look on Kacey’s face, I’d say Rein just did me a solid.
I load my tools into the truck and put up the tailgate. “Well, if you lose another shoe, give me a call. I’ll be here for a few weeks, filling in for Jack.”
“I hope I don’t lose any more. I have a jackpot this weekend, and I need him ready to win.” She gives me a small smile, then quickly looks away.
I wonder if she’s single . . . I’m not looking for a relationship—not after my last one—but I’ll admit this girl has caught my attention. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little flirting.
She shifts on her feet. “But in that case, my dad did want me to ask you if you have time to trim some broodmares.”
“How many?” Trimming broodmares is normally as fun as getting a root canal, but I wouldn’t mind doing it so much if it means I can see her again.
“There’s eleven—”
ELEVEN? Call the dentist, I’d rather get a root canal.
“ . . . this round. But I want to warn you, no one enjoys trimming them, not even Jack. He normally ends up with vertigo, a bad hangnail, or some other nonexistent ailment when he’s supposed to come do them.” She laughs like she’s joking, but I know she’s not.
“Dad and Grandpa always made me trim the broodmares. This week is pretty booked for me, but I can do them early next week if that works? Say Tuesday?” I hear myself say.
What is this woman? Some kind of witch? I met her twenty minutes ago and I’m agreeing to trim eleven broodmares just to see her again.
She looks surprised. I can’t blame her. No one in their right mind wants to trim eleven broodmares, but I have ulterior motives. Stupid and pointless motives that might get the shit kicked out of me by a bunch of mares, but I’ve done dumber things in my life.
I’m just glad Trey isn’t here to see this—he’d give me so much shit. I can hear him laughing, saying, “There are easier ways to get laid, dude.”
“Yeah, that’ll work, but if you don’t want to do them, I completely understand.”
She’s giving me an out. And of course I don’t want to do them, but I do want to see her again.
“I can handle a few broodmares. I’ll be back next week. Nice to meet you, Kacey.” Then I do something I know shouldn’t: I wink at her before turning on my heel and leaving.
Great. Fucking broodmares.
I stop at two more farms before heading back to Jack’s.
I’m staying in the apartment above his barn while I’m here.
I’ve known Jack since I was a kid. He used to try and ride bulls but lacked the natural ability, so when it didn’t pan out, he learned to shoe horses from my grandpa.
He’s always moved around—he’d be in Oklahoma or Texas for a few years, then Kansas.
Now, he seems to have settled in Colorado for the time being.
I walk in the back door to his kitchen without knocking and holler, “You owe me $50, old man!” The screen door slams behind me. I hear Jack before I see him—his crutches squeak against the floor as he shuffles into the room.
“What are you going on about? I ain’t givin’ you $50. You’ll just spend it on entry fees and then fall off.”
He’s not wrong, not about the entry fee part, anyway. But I don’t fall off . . . that often.
“You sent me over to The Diamond Hart Ranch to put that shoe on with no warning. Actually, with the opposite of a warning. The rancher’s ‘rough and tough daughter’ you said.
She was raised by her single dad and ‘will run that ranch soon’ you said.
The way you talked, I was expecting to meet Teeter from Yellowstone, but I got Bella Hadid instead. ” I give him a displeased look.
He laughs. I knew it—he knows exactly what he did.
Since I got here, he’s been going on about how I’m getting older and need to be thinking about my future.
You know, the usual; get married, settle down, have a pack of kids, and grow old with a good woman.
Ironic coming from him, considering he’s an old bachelor himself.
I tried to tell him it’s not worth the time and effort. After Megan and I broke up at the finals a few years ago, I swore off dating. Things were great when I was home, hard and confusing while I was on the road, but we made it work.
Until the National Finals.
When I didn’t ride well and lost the world title, she left me—publicly—for another national finals qualifier who placed better than me that year.
And while I wouldn’t say I was devastatingly heartbroken, it stung. I was already in a rough headspace and her betrayal sent me into a spiral. The only thing that pulled me out of it was a swift kick in the ass from Trey and my love for bull riding.
When I finally got my shit together and went back on the road, I swore I was done dating. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no monk, but I’d rather focus on my career; winning a world title is the goal. I can worry about relationships when I retire.
It’s every cowboy's dream to be a world champion, and I’ve come so close so many times.
This is my year, I can feel it. I don’t need a girlfriend messing with my mental game .
. . but that nagging voice in the back of my head keeps saying, what’s the harm in a little flirting?
Kacey seems cool and it could be fun to have someone to hang out with while I’m in Colorado.
Jack sits at the table. “Who the fuck is Bella Hadid?” When I glare at him, not giving him a response, he continues, “Nothing I said was a lie. She is tough and when Cody slows down someday, she will run that ranch. As for anything else about her you might have found . . .” He pauses, considering his words.
“Pleasing . . . that’s on you.” He accents his speech with a smirk.
I give Jack the fakest smile I have. “Even if that’s true, I didn’t charge her, I told her it was on you. So you owe me $50.” I’m fully aware I’ll never see the money and to be honest, I don’t really care. I just like to give the old man a hard time. It keeps him young.
Jack gives me a look, letting me know I’m 100% right about never seeing that money. “How were your other stops? Did any of the horses give you trouble?”
I pull out a chair and sit across from him at the table. “Nope, everything went well. That filly over at the Johnson’s had a touch of thrush, a bacterial infection in the hoof, but I got the frog trimmed up and bars cut out. That should open the foot up to keep the thrush from forming.”
“Good. The Johnsons are nice people.”
“Yeah, they seemed like they were on top of it. I did, however, sign up to trim eleven broodmares next week . . .” I say slowly, waiting for his response.
He chuckles. “Eleven broodmares you say? That’s interesting. I can’t imagine anyone who could talk you into doing that many fire breathing drag— Oh, wait a minute . . . The Diamond Hart Ranch has broodmares. Huh. Wonder who asked you to trim those. I guess you’ll see Kacey again next week.”
I get up, heading to the fridge to grab a drink and hide my smile. “Yep, I guess so.”