Chapter 7
When Jensen woke the next morning, Shyanna was already gone. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tee and half walked, half stumbled down to the kitchen.
The eternally full pot of coffee was already refilled and hot. He knew it had been refilled because his dad and Leo had drained it before they left. They always did. He’d gotten a mug from the cabinet and poured a cup when he heard a sound behind him. “Mama?”
“Yes, Jensen. It’s me.” She walked past him, picked up the loaf of bread lying on the counter, and pulled four pieces out, then shoved them into the big four-slice toaster on the countertop next to the stove.
Holding his mug in both hands, he turned and leaned back against the cabinets. “I hear you want to talk to me.”
“No,” she said, taking the top off the butter dish. “I wanted your daddy to talk to you. I guess he did.” All the while, she never looked at him, just kept waiting for the toast.
“Yes. He did. And I didn’t like what he had to say. You went snooping around to find out about Shy? Why didn’t you just ask me?”
Dora snorted. “Because I figured you wouldn’t tell me the truth.”
“So now I’m a chronic, habitual, perpetual liar. I see. When did you―”
“I never said that, son,” Dora interrupted.
“No. You didn’t. Or did you? You just said I wouldn’t tell you the truth.
So here’s the truth. I love Shy. I’m pretty sure she feels the same way about me.
We live in the same world, have the same likes and dislikes, and want the same things.
I don’t think I could possibly find another woman who suited me so well. ”
“A jailbird?”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “I know Pop told you what I said. How would you feel if he beat the shit out of you?”
“Jensen Dirk Strader! We don’t talk like―”
“Answer the question, Mama,” he insisted.
“Your daddy would never do that to me!” she barked at him.
“Then lucky you. Not everybody has it that lucky. She didn’t sign on with the guy so he’d beat the shit out of her.
It happened. He was that kind of person.
She didn’t know that or she wouldn’t have gotten involved with him, I’m sure.
But when she finally took up for herself, a male-dominated judicial system sent her to jail.
I don’t know what happened to him, and I don’t care.
All I know is he isn’t around anymore. But I told Pop, and I’ll tell you,” he said, gathering his courage.
“If you make me choose between y’all and Shy, you’re not going to like the outcome, I promise.
So you need to decide if you’re going to be nice to her, treat her right, and give her a chance, or if you’re going to be total assholes and―”
“Jensen!” she shrieked.
“God damn it, Mama, stop it!” Her face turned bloodred and Jensen was pretty sure he’d gone a step too far by taking the Lord’s name in vain. “Look, I’m sorry for the language, but I’m frustrated. I thought I’d bring her here and you guys would love her. Instead … this is …”
He thought for a minute, then let it rip.
“You know, she told me people always wind up hating her. Even though she does nothing wrong, they just do. When she told me that, I thought it was the silliest thing I’d ever heard, especially when it came to y’all.
But look at that―she was right all along.
Thanks, Mama. I truly appreciate it.” Jensen had taken all he could take, and he turned and hustled back toward the stairs.
“Jensen! Stop! Jensen, we need to …” He couldn’t hear her as he climbed the steps, her voice fading into the distance and masked by the thundering sound of blood whooshing in his ears. Man, he was pissed!
He spent the next two hours upstairs, shaving, showering, and dressing.
Then he decided he’d go to the convenience store and get something to eat.
He could hear his mother moving around in the kitchen, but he didn’t care what she was doing―Jensen didn’t want to eat with her.
He didn’t want to look at her. He was far too angry.
By the time he got one of the ranch’s trucks and headed out, it was almost eleven. He’d make it to the university farm by noon, and that would be about right. He’d take Shy somewhere to get something to eat and then they’d come back. And eventually, everything would be okay.
It had to be. He’d accept nothing less.
Shyanna got up a little earlier than usual.
When she went downstairs, there was no one there, so she headed on out to Jensen’s truck and took off for the farm.
Her plan was to take care of all three horses before everyone got there and started working.
Sure, the students would take care of their basic needs, but she wanted to spend a little extra time with them.
Rhubarb expected it, and Cobra and Snowman would appreciate it, she was sure.
It was exactly as she’d expected―not a soul around except the night watchman, and he’d already seen her enough times to know who she was. She greeted him with a, “Hey, Tim,” as she passed, and he nodded to her.
Rhubarb snuffed and snorted at her until she’d been fed, and Shyanna spent the time standing in the stall brushing her down as she ate.
When she’d eaten the last of her feed, Shyanna led her to the paddock and turned her out.
Cobra was next, and the old fart was grumpy that morning.
“You’re sure in a bad mood,” she told him as he nipped at her leg, and she swatted his muzzle.
When she did, he nodded a couple of times and settled down.
She did the same with him, letting him eat as she brushed him down, then taking him out to the paddock.
Snowman was a different case. She poured his feed into his bucket from outside his stall and let him eat while she talked to him.
When he was finished, she led him outside, tied his lead to a cleat on the wall, and groomed him there.
He was too skittish to try to groom in the stall.
It would be a great way to get smashed against a wall.
But he seemed happy enough to see her, and even happier when she turned him out with the other two.
With all the grooming finished, she was putting away the grooming tools when she heard someone call out, “Wow, you’re at it bright and early this morning!”
“Hey, Roger!” she chirped back. “So are you!”
“I had a feeling you’d be here so I thought I’d come on over. You’ve already taken care of all three of those horses?” When Shyanna nodded, he said, “You know the students will do that, right?”
“I know, but I like to spend time with them,” she said, dipping her head a little as her cheeks warmed.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve got this old gelding.
Believe it or not, his name is Darth Vader.
” Shyanna laughed aloud and Roger chuckled.
“I know. Ridiculous. I didn’t name him. That was his name when he came here.
The kid he belonged to lost his scholarship and his dad lost his job.
They couldn’t take care of him anymore, so they wanted the school to take him, but we have a policy against that.
So they asked me if I wanted him. I said sure, why not, and took him to my farm.
He’s been there ever since. That old horse, he’s a lover.
He likes nothing better than to stand with his jaw resting on my shoulder and my arms around his neck.
My wife always says, ‘If you left me, it would be for Darth Vader. Boy, when I told everybody, I’d have trouble explaining that one! ’ Makes me laugh every time.”
Shyanna lifted her eyes shyly to his. “I haven’t had anybody but that horse for a long time, so we’re tight. She’s the only family I’ve got.”
“That’s not true anymore, though, right? I mean, you have Jensen and his family,” Roger said.
She let out a long sigh. “I don’t think his family likes me.”
Roger shook his head. “But I know Jensen. That won’t mean shit to him.”
Those words gave Shyanna a little hope. “Really think so?”
He gave her a broad smile. “Like I said, I know Jensen. When he wants something, he goes after it and he doesn’t let other people’s opinions alter his path.”
“Good. Maybe I stand a chance,” she mumbled.
Roger laughed loudly. “The way he looks at you? You stand way more than a chance!” He motioned for her to follow him as he walked away. “Come on. You need to get started. I’ve got you set up with some really good bulls today, some that’ll challenge you and give you some confidence.”
Shyanna could barely wait. She was positive it was going to be a great day.
“You know what you did wrong that time, right?” Roger called down to her from his spot in the stands.
“Yeah,” she yelled back. “I got in too much of a hurry to get out of the gate and didn’t have my seat right before we left it.”
“That’s right. You came out imbalanced and the ride didn’t get any better after that. But don’t worry―you’ll eventually get to the point that you take the same seat every time you climb onto a bull. Two more days and we’re going to switch you to broncs.”
“Oh, yay. I can hardly wait,” she grumbled under her breath.
“Show a little enthusiasm,” a voice called out from somewhere to her right. When she turned, she found Jensen making his way down the stands and toward Roger, grinning at her the whole way.
“Hey, look who decided to get out of bed!” she yelled up at him.
“Yeah, well, I took a shower and put on clean clothes, unlike some people I know,” he said, pointing at her.
She laughed. “No point in getting all cleaned up when I’m going to look like a pig by the end of the day.”
“How’s she doing?” she heard Jensen ask Roger when he reached his old friend.
“Oh, you know―bitching about this, grumbling about that―”
“Hey! No fair!” Shyanna yelled with her best pretend mad face.
“Yeah, I know how she is,” Jensen said, playing along with Roger. “Bitching, grumbling―”
“Was I bitching and grumbling last night?” she asked and watched Roger’s eyebrows shoot up.