No Bones About It (No Fail Heroes #5)

1. Skin And Bones

CHAPTER 1

Skin And Bones

K imi Twinishe adopted the sneer she’d practiced in the mirror and stared down the man who tipped her creep meter into overdrive. “I don’t need an actual racehorse. I need one that looks like a racehorse.”

The creep didn’t drag his gaze from her chest when he replied. “You pulling a fast one?”

She forced her voice to remain calm as she lied. “Not on you. I need one that will fool someone else.”

He almost raised his gaze at that. “You doing anything illegal that could get me in trouble?”

Nope. She wasn’t the one doing the illegal things. “No. Look, I need a horse that looks like it costs a bundle, but I don’t want it to cost a bundle. Are you able to help, or am I going somewhere else?”

Kimi shoved the cash she’d been holding in plain sight back into her pocket. She’d barely pivoted away when he grabbed her arm.

She didn’t have to pretend the shudder his touch created as she jerked away from him. “Keep your hands to yourself, bucko.”

Wade Hendry held up his hands and tried the smile he probably thought was charming. “Easy there, lady. I think we can come to a deal. ”

She cocked her hip and projected attitude, which wasn’t all that hard. She was good with attitude.

When she didn’t respond, Hendry smiled with an attempt at an aw-shucks attitude. He’d have to possess an actual soul to pull that one off.

Kimi tilted her head and waited some more. Hendry pulled out his phone and texted someone. A few seconds later, he gestured to a nearby paddock. A man led a large horse into the paddock. A slight limp in her gait. Something wrong with her left foreleg. Too much training on an injured leg?

Anger quivered through Kimi, but she locked it down so it didn’t show. Instead, she forced her face to remain neutral as she looked over the animal. Everything about the horse screamed neglect. No pep in her step, head down, leaning away from the man.

It took several slow breaths before Kimi managed to speak. “Will it give me any trouble?”

Hendry’s chuckle made her skin crawl. “Not a bit. She knows who’s the boss.”

Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed. Hendry took her silence as indecision and quoted her a price. A ridiculous price.

She raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “That’s at least four times what she’s worth.”

He grinned as if Kimi had passed some kind of test. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

Maybe not, but she could blame him for a hell of a lot of things. Even though she knew she wasn’t leaving this horse with him, she turned away.

“Okay, okay. Fine.”

It took less than a minute of dickering before Kimi agreed to the amount of cash she’d waved around earlier. Once the poor mare was loaded into her trailer, Kimi handed over the money and drove away.

She didn’t stop for over an hour, and only then to pull into a rest stop. She stayed in place for fifteen minutes, but no other vehicles entered the stop. For the next hour, she repeated the process, each time changing direction after each rest area and finally crossing the state line.

Dusk had turned to dark when she pulled onto her own property just outside of Phail, Vermont .

Her yard lights made it easy to reverse in so that the trailer lined up with the entrance to the smallest paddock. She’d prepared it the night before, knowing her task for the day.

Kimi shoved off her hat with the fake brown hair hanging from it and shrugged out of the long coat that disguised most of her body but kept her boobs exposed for the assholes to ogle. That way, they never remembered the details of her face. The sunglasses and makeup helped with that, too.

She dropped her head on the steering wheel and blew out a few breaths. Finally, she moved around to the paddock and opened the gate. The water and food troughs were full.

She crossed the paddock and opened the door to the small shed. It was a temporary single stable for her new arrivals. Warm and safe, with a soft light showing the space. Depending on what they’d lived through, some animals wouldn’t trust a building. She was prepared outside and in for this one.

A soft bleat had Kimi smiling. Of course, it was Popcorn coming to check on her. “Hey Popcorn. Yes, I’ve got a new friend for you. You’re going to need all your magic with this new one. I think she’s been through hell.”

The butterscotch goat bleated again and pranced closer. The other two stayed behind. They preferred to watch Popcorn take the risks first. Raspberry bleated out the strange noise that had earned her the name. Butter, Popcorn’s kid, bounced in place without vocalizing an opinion.

“Okay, ladies, I’m going to bring out this girl. Any ideas for names?”

No one had an opinion, and Kimi thought about it as she unlatched the trailer and lowered the ramp. The mare was a dark chestnut with a black mane and tail. Once her coat was healthy again, she’d be a stunner.

The mare stood against the wall, not daring to check out her trailer or her future. Kimi’s heart broke a little more. “Hello, Onigis.” As often happened, the name slipped out before Kimi had made a final decision. Onigis meant beautiful in Algonquian and it fit the mare. It was also a word the horse probably hadn’t heard before. Kimi didn’t want a name the mare would associate with Hendry or his people. Onigis worked on all levels.

Kimi stood in the back of the trailer and moved around the space, talking to Onigis and getting her used to a calm and friendly voice. “I’m going to help you, Onigis. We’re going to have some fun together, and you’re going to learn to believe that you’re safe.”

The horse flinched as Kimi approached. “You’re safe, Onigis. I’m going to help.” The mare didn’t protest as Kimi took the halter and brushed her neck. She’d probably learned that refusing a human’s commands led to pain.

Battling back tears, Kimi brushed her neck again. “You’re safe. Come on down and check out your new home. You’re got an inside choice and an outside choice. And you’ve got a few friends waiting to meet you.”

They walked into the paddock, and Kimi secured the gate. Popcorn bleated softly, causing the horse to freeze. Undeterred, the goat bleated again and danced around the paddock, never coming close enough to freak out the larger animal.

Kimi didn’t have a clue what the goat’s life had been like before a city vet friend had called her saying two goats had been dropped off at her office. Kimi had gladly taken them, and it hadn’t been long before Popcorn had proved she was pregnant. Now, the three goats were inseparable, with Popcorn as the clear leader.

The trio got along well with all the animals, including the five Angora goats who occupied a side paddock. Those easy-going animals got sheared twice a year, earning the money Kimi used on rescues like the one she’d pulled off today.

Popcorn bounced some more and bleated in her friendly way. The goat wouldn’t give up until she and Onigis were fast friends. Kimi had seen it take minutes or hours or days, but Popcorn never failed. Even the ornery old donkey, Snoops, tolerated her.

Kimi showed Onigis the small paddock and the entrance to the shed. They walked slowly around the paddock at least a dozen times, stopping at the food and water trough each time. The mare nibbled a bit, then shied away.

The bastards deserved to pay for making her so skittish. Was she afraid to eat her fill? Knowing her emotions would affect the horse, Kimi took in deep breaths and blew out the negative thoughts. Positive only.

Popcorn bounced into the shed, where the other two goats peeked around the door. “Here’s a safe indoor space for you. There’s a comfortable stall, lots of hay and water. That window lets in natural light, but I’ve also got a soft light that’ll keep it from ever getting dark. It’s on a solar battery, thanks to my friend Tansy, so you’ll never be alone in the dark again. Want to see inside?”

The horse shuddered as they stood looking at the shed, so Kimi gently turned and strolled away. She pointed out the closest paddock where a few sheep and a couple of cows grazed or snoozed. They were temporary guests and mostly ready to go back to their farms, but they would be company if Onigis didn’t want to go inside.

After a few more turns, she removed the halter and patted Onigis. “Okay, girl. I’m going to back up and let you explore a bit. I’m right here if you need me. Popcorn’s here, too.”

For a long while, Onigis stood exactly where she was. Kimi spoke to her occasionally. Raspberry and Butter crept into the paddock and settled in beside a fence. Popcorn continued to bleat and dance around the paddock.

Eventually, the mare’s gaze started following the goat’s antics, making Popcorn up her game. Smiling, Kimi slipped out of the paddock and closed up the trailer. She unhooked it from the truck and cleaned both of the license plates of the paint and mud she’d used to disguise them. Then, she parked the truck in the garage to keep it from view. She doubted Hendry had bothered to follow her to make sure she wasn’t going to the police, but she couldn’t be sure. Some people who abused and neglected animals were truly terrifying individuals. Kimi didn’t take any chances that they would find out her true identity.

When she returned to the paddock, Onigis had moved to stand beside the fence on the far side, near the goats, but not too close. Kimi watched for a few more minutes, but exhaustion was wearing her down.

Onigis didn’t appear to need her to sleep outside with her. Her body language was a tired horse with a few nerves. She might be more comfortable without humans around .

Kimi headed inside, put away her disguise, and showered away the makeup and the dregs of the day. Dealing with jerks like Hendry exhausted her mentally and physically.

Finally feeling clean, she braided her hair and pulled on her sleep shorts and a t-shirt. One last peek outside showed the mare sleeping with Popcorn nearby.

It was after two, and her alarm would ring soon enough, but she collapsed into sleep with a smile on her face.

G arrett Briscoe followed the GPS onto the gravel drive and around the back of the farmhouse to the yard and parking space beyond. As advertised, several paddocks and a barn were visible, with a large, fenced field behind.

The full moon with clear skies had been the major reason for Garrett to push through the drive well into the night. Miss Kitty had handled the journey from Tennessee well, but she’d be happier once they were off the roads. Empty highways had made the last few hours of the drive easy despite the wacky curves and climbs of Vermont.

He surveyed the land, checking for the smallest paddock, and then he turned the truck around and backed the trailer up to its gate.

The clock showed almost three in the morning, but he couldn’t stop yet. Once he climbed out of the truck, he checked the paddock to ensure it was safe. No breaks in the fence. No broken pieces sticking anywhere waiting to cause damage to his horse. Perfect.

Garrett unlocked the trailer and pulled out the ramp. “We’re here, Kitty. Our new home.” He wasn’t normally much of a talker, but this mare spooked easily and his voice was one of the few things to soothe her. Had been since she’d arrived as a rescue all those months before.

He moved into the trailer and ran his hands down her neck and flanks, talking the whole while. “You’re a beautiful lady, Kitty. Grandpa Ed would approve.” Garrett’s grandfather had been a huge Gunsmoke fan, and the pretty mare reminded Garrett of Miss Kitty from the old TV show. She was sassy and cute, but she’d been through hell in her early life and it showed. She’d earned the right to live her remaining years in peace.

“It’s a good place, Kitty. We’ve got friends here. Not that they know we’re coming, but they’re good men.”

The horse nickered and knocked Garrett’s Stetson off his head, making him laugh. “You’re fed up with all this traveling. Me too. We’re here to stay, though. No more trailers for a bit.”

The drive from the Tennessee Horse Rescue and Training Centre had taken days. Garrett had stopped in empty fields to give the horse a break when he could. His former boss and his wife had sold the center to developers and retired to travel. CC had given Kitty to Garrett, tears in his eyes. She likes your grumpy ass, Garrett. All the horses do. You keep in touch now, you hear? He was going to miss the old fart.

“What do you think, Kitty? Want to stretch your legs in the moonlight?”

The horse blew out a breath but didn’t argue when Garrett retrieved his hat and then backed her out of the large trailer.

They stood looking into the night for a long minute. The scene could have been from any of Grandpa Ed’s westerns. An older horse barn no one had used in a while, but it looked strong enough to stand for many decades more. Paddocks. Fences. Trees along the fence lines separating his land from his neighbors on both sides.

That made him grin. He wondered how long it would take Slick to come around to see who had bought the property next door.

Garrett’s former Army teammates all lived here now. In and on the outskirts of a town named Phail. Stupid name.

Troy Phail had talked them all into coming here. It had taken years, and Garrett was the last holdout, but Epic had been relentless.

Touting the benefits of small-town life and hinting at this secret project he needed their help with. A secret that everyone else knew.

Garrett wasn’t a fan of secrets. He didn’t care about the plan. He wanted to be left alone with his horses.

And he was a liar. There’d been plenty of land in other states he could have bought, but he’d been suckered into this bit of property. The pull of being close with his team again was impossible to resist. He’d been alone for a long time. Part of him had thought he’d spend the rest of his life that way. Now he was here, with nosy-ass friends everywhere he looked.

Slick and his new family living on the property directly to the north. Falcon and his lady lived north of that. Oz and his woman north again. Epic and Arrow in town. All six of them back in one place.

He was a sucker. But he was a sucker who’d found his place. Kitty tried to knock off his hat again, but he moved out of her way with a laugh. “Enough introspection already? Want to move out and see what it’s like in Vermont? Let’s go, pretty lady.”

And she was a pretty lady. A far cry from the scarred and terrified horse he’d first met back in Tennessee all those months ago. The Tennessee Horse Rescue and Training Center had been good for the bay. For them both. “And this place we’re building is going to be even better.” He hoped. But he didn’t let the doubt into his voice. Kitty needed his confidence.

Garrett walked the horse slowly around the paddock, letting her stop when she wanted to check out all the fence posts and grass blades. When she was comfortable, he removed the halter and hung it back in the trailer.

There were food troughs along the fences, so he used his supplies to fill one with hay and another with water for her.

Kitty didn’t appear more nervous or stressed than usual, so he locked up his truck and then removed his sleeping roll from the trailer.

He walked the paddock and found a relatively rock-free place for himself near the fence. Used to having his company at night, Kitty wandered the paddock once more, then stopped to stand by his head. Her head dropped to nuzzle him, and then she relaxed into a doze.

“Goodnight Kitty. We’re home, and it’s safe here.” Then he followed her into sleep.