Chapter 5 #3
The next thing she knew, a presence was bending over her. “Shy? Honey? Wake up. Mama’s got dinner ready and Pop and Leo want to meet you. You awake?”
Shyanna rubbed her eyes. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m awake. How long have I been asleep?”
“About two hours! I think you were just worn out. Ready?” he asked and took her hand, then stood beside the bed.
Shyanna let him help her up to sitting and threw her legs over the side of the bed. “Yeah. I’m ready.” She had no idea what she was ready for, but whatever it was, she might as well face it.
The drive back to the university farm after dinner didn’t seem quite as far from the house. “I think everybody really liked you,” Jensen said as he drove.
Shyanna just sat leaning up against the door. “They just don’t know me well enough. They’ll decide they don’t like me before long.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jensen couldn’t understand why she talked about herself that way. There was nothing wrong with the woman, and yet she was sure everyone hated her. That made no sense. “You’re a good person, Shy. Why are you so sure everybody will hate you?”
“Everybody always hates me before it’s all said and done,” she muttered.
Jensen shook his head. “I don’t hate you. I won’t hate you. So that’s not true.”
“Just wait. You’ll see,” she said, and he could tell arguing with her would do no good.
As soon as his truck pulled up at the university farm, Shyanna peeled out of the cab and practically ran to the fence.
She hadn’t even made it there before she whistled loudly and in seconds, Rhubarb was galloping full-out toward her.
The big mare stopped short of the fence and when Shyanna climbed it, Rhubarb pressed her face against her mistress’s chest and waited while Shyanna rubbed her neck.
Oddly, Cobra and Snowman were nowhere to be seen.
“You love that horse, don’t you?” Jensen asked, grinning.
“This is going to be hard. We’ve never been apart, especially after Rainmaker disappeared,” Shyanna said as she scratched behind her mount’s ears.
“You mean overnight?” Jensen was floored when Shyanna nodded. “You’ve never gone anywhere overnight without her?”
“Who’s going to take care of her? And where the hell would I go? It’s not like I’ve got family to visit, and I don’t have anywhere else to stay except the trailer.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared into Jensen’s. “Haven’t you noticed that little window over my trailer’s bed?”
“No.”
“Well, take a look at it. It opens right into her stall in the trailer and she can stick her head in. I slept like that for years, at least anytime she wasn’t in a stall in a barn on site at some fairgrounds or arena,” Shyanna said, and Jensen watched as her gaze fell and her lashes drooped in embarrassment.
“She’s been my best friend since the day I got her. ”
Her only friend had been her horse. No wonder she felt weird leaving her behind. “Did you get her as soon as you started competing?” he asked, trying to find out more about their bond.
Shyanna nodded. “Almost as soon as I left the facility. They gave me a little bit of money and the first thing I did was go to the auction and buy a horse. That was two days after my grandpa loaned me the money for the trailer and gave me his old truck to drive, since he couldn’t drive anymore.
I managed to make it last until the trailer was paid off and then bought another one.
But Rhubarb’s been down that road with me every mile of the way, haven’t you, girl?
” Shyanna said to the horse and rubbed her muzzle gently.
The mare lipped her fingers and butted her head against Shyanna’s chest again.
“You bought her at an auction?” Jensen was a little surprised. He’d thought she’d probably saved up and bought good stock.
“Yeah. She was way underweight and had sores all over her. She’d been beaten and starved.
The auction is where they brought horses to …
I don’t want to say it. Let’s just say they met with an unfortunate end and leave it at that.
But there was something in her eyes, a spark, that told me she was a survivor.
I wanted to honor that, and I thought maybe she’d be as good for me as I was for her.
I wasn’t wrong. She’s a phenomenal horse, and I’m lucky to have her. ”
“She’s lucky to have you. You obviously love her,” Jensen said as he watched the two of them together. The horse watched her mistress constantly for cues, and every touch of Shyanna’s hand on the animal’s hide was gentle and loving.
“I do. I can honestly say she’s the only thing in this whole world that I love,” Shyanna answered. “I mean, I like you and … it’s too early to … what I mean is …” she stammered.
Jensen smiled. “Stop. It’s fine. I understand, really. The two of you have been together for a very long time. Of course you love her. That’s only natural.”
“I daresay you love Cobra and Snowman,” Shyanna said with a grin, never looking up at him.
“I’d say I do, the hardheads. Cobra’s just an old lunkhead.
I can predict every step he’s going to take because he doesn’t do anything new―ever.
And Snowman’s just about as rattled as a church lady at a strip club.
” That made Shyanna laugh. “Today he’s startled by a piece of paper blowing past on the ground.
Tomorrow he’s afraid of a bird sitting on the fence.
I never know with him. But when he steps into the arena, he’s all business, and I can trust him. ”
“That’s what matters,” Shyanna said, finger combing Rhubarb’s mane.
“Lemme check on my boys and we’ll go back to the house, but I’m sure they’re fine.
Roger assigns students to care for the horses, so they’re getting plenty of attention.
” He grabbed Shyanna’s hand, pulled her down off the fence, and they walked to the barns, Rhubarb following them the whole way along the fence line.
Sure enough, Cobra and Snowman were tethered in the corridor of the barn, a girl beside each one. As soon as the two interlopers walked up, one of the girls, a dark-haired, green-eyed beauty, looked up and smiled at Jensen. “You Coach Strader?” she asked.
“Used to be,” Jensen answered.
She held out her hand, which Jensen promptly took. “Amber Thompson. You’re a legend around here. Pleasure to meet you. Hey, SammyJo, come over here!” the girl called out.
Another girl, smaller and thinner with golden-blond hair and big blue eyes, rounded Cobra’s hindquarters to stand beside Amber.
“Coach Strader! I’m SammyJo Myers. It’s so great to meet you!
” she gushed and held out a hand for Jensen to shake.
“Is this Mrs. Strader?” she asked as she smiled at Shyanna.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jensen could see his lover blushing. “No. This is my friend, Shyanna Owens. She’s a roping competitor, but she wants to go into bronc bustin’ and bull riding.”
“Oh, cool! I’ve done a little bull riding,” Amber offered and extended her hand to Shyanna. As they shook hands, she added, “I’m not very good at it. Have you done it before?”
“Oh, yeah, I have, but not much though. I’m hoping to get some practice time in while I’m visiting here,” Shyanna told her.
“That would be awesome! I’d love to help you,” Amber chirped.
“Me too!” SammyJo told her.
“I’d like that.” Shyanna smiled at the two young women. “Thanks for being kind to me.”
They both seemed startled, and Jensen knew they’d never understand.
“Oh! Well, you’re welcome,” SammyJo said.
“By the way, that big bay mare, Rhubarb―is she yours?” Shyanna nodded.
“Beautiful horse, and so sweet too. We were brushing her down a little while ago and she just kept trying to kiss us,” the blond girl said with a grin.
Shyanna beamed like a proud mama. “She’s a good girl, but when the rubber meets the road, she’s a fierce competitor.”
“Always good,” Amber said.
“Yep,” Jensen added. “Shy, it’s probably time we went back to the house and got some rest, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, probably so,” she answered, and Jensen could tell she didn’t really want to go. Being there with the horses was where she felt most comfortable. Oddly, she seemed pretty comfortable with the two students too, and that was a surprise. “We’ll probably see you two tomorrow if you’re around.”
Amber untied Cobra’s lead from the cleat on the wall and waited as Jensen ran a hand down the dun’s neck in goodbye. “Oh, yeah, we’ll be around, especially after classes. So you guys have a good night.”
“Good evening to you too,” Jensen told her and SammyJo. “Thanks for taking care of them.”
“Our pleasure,” SammyJo assured the two as they turned to leave.
As soon as they were in the truck, buckled in, and he’d started the engine, Jensen dropped a hand on Shyanna’s thigh and smiled over at her. “Do you feel okay leaving her now that you’ve met some of the students?”
Shyanna gave him a tiny nod that matched the slight smile she wore. “Yeah. They seem to really like the horses.”
“They do. I think they’re in great hands with those two.”
“Does Roger know I have a felony conviction? I’m not supposed to be around schools,” Shyanna said, and he could hear the humiliation in her voice.
“I told him. He said if anyone asks, he checked to see what the conviction was for and decided it was okay for you to be there. Your conviction had nothing to do with anyone underage, so I think we could get by with it. That okay?”
“Yeah,” she said quietly.
“Good.” Jensen threw the truck into gear and spun the wheel toward the drive out of the facility. Shyanna was at ease with the helpers at the barn, and that would let her get a good night’s sleep.
And he knew she needed one.
Dora and Roland were in bed when they got back to the house. They’d stopped along the way and gotten ice cream, something he’d discovered Shyanna loved.
Leo was sitting in the living room when they stepped inside. “Hey! Everything okay over at the university farm?” he asked.