24. Bailey
Bailey
W e pulled into the ranch a couple of hours before sunset. Everyone’s vehicles were parked in front of the ranch-style home, every Bronson, aside from Beckham, here to help unload the horses and get them situated. No matter the circumstances, rain or shine, the Bronsons showed up.
Lettie hopped out of the truck as soon as the tires stopped spinning, Rouge taking off after her. Brandy was talking to Callan when Lettie approached her, a smile lighting up their faces.
I got out of the truck after killing the engine, meeting up with Reed, who had made his way around the side of the trailer.
“Six horses, huh?” He stepped up on the wheel well, peeking in the trailer.
I chuckled. “Blame Beck and Lettie. ”
After getting a good look at them, he stepped down. “I figured that would happen. Though I was surprised when Beckham called my dad. He practically begged him to call the kill pen. I’m sure if Travis said no, he’d be on his way there right now.”
“I’m sure your mom would’ve had Travis’s head if he said no to him.”
“That’s why we’re packed full. My mom can’t turn down a sob story.”
Callan came over to us, his cowboy hat tilted low with his sandy hair curling at the nape of his neck. “I need the covered arena tomorrow so we’ve got to let ‘em loose in the pasture. It’ll be harder to catch them but Brandy’s confident she can handle it.”
Reed crossed his arms. “That won’t work. She’ll never get a halter on them out there.”
Callan’s hands shot up, palms out. “I don’t argue with the ladies. You can be the one to fight her on it.”
Reed’s eyes found Brandy standing with Lettie and Charlotte, narrowing before he took off in her direction.
I leaned my shoulder against the trailer, directing my attention to Callan. “You get any new students?”
“Two. I could fit some more into my schedule, though, so I posted a flier on the board at Lennon’s store.”
“I don’t know how you deal with it - teaching so many new riders. I could do it a few times, but after that?” I shook my head.
He shrugged. “I love kids, so I don’t mind. I think of it as giving them the confidence to keep with it, not let the snobby people in the horse community get to them.”
I let out a small chuckle. “There’s plenty of those to go around. Gotta toughen those kids up.”
He nodded once before Travis whistled to get everyone’s attention. We ambled over to him, joining the others and forming a circle. Lettie stood on the opposite side from me. I shot her a wink and her cheeks flushed before she looked away.
“I know we don’t usually leave halters on them, but since they’re going out in the pasture, I want to make it easier on us to catch them.
” Reed shot a look at Brandy, which she promptly ignored, her chin held high.
“We’re going to use some of the cattle fences to corral them toward the gate, but if any spook, you drop the gate.
Don’t need anyone getting hurt. Got it?” We all nodded in agreement.
“We’ve done this over a hundred times at this point.
You think something’s going south, you tell someone.
You all know the drill. Let’s get ‘em out and get ‘em fed.”
Callan, Lennon, Reed, Travis, and Brandy each grabbed a fence panel, bringing them over to the trailer forming a sort of path in the direction of the pasture gate.
Charlotte opened the gate to the pasture, standing post there to close it once they were all in.
I followed Lettie to the back of the trailer, where she jumped up on the wheel well to usher them all out once I had the door open.
She nodded to me, indicating she was ready, and I unlatched the door, swinging it wide.
Lettie clicked her tongue, swinging her arm through the slat in the trailer to get them moving.
All at once, they began shuffling, the trailer swaying with their weight.
One by one, they stepped out, trotting in the direction of the pasture.
It seemed to be going smoothly until a little sorrel got turned around, his movements jerky as he pushed past the others in the opposite direction.
I swung my arm before he could get back in the trailer, which caused him to spin, his back end slamming into the fence panel Brandy was holding up.
The force of it caused her to stumble back but she stayed upright, bracing herself on the panel.
Once all six of the horses were in the pasture, Charlotte swung the gate shut, latching it. Seeing that all the horses were corralled, Brandy dropped the panel, bending over with her hand gripping her opposite wrist.
Reed heard the panel fall and dropped his when he saw Brandy bent over, rushing over to her. “What happened?” he demanded.
Brandy’s eyes were on her hand as she pressed her lips together, a look of pain on her face.
“That horse’s ass crushed her hand,” Lettie answered for her as she jogged over.
“Is it broken?” Lennon asked after Callan grabbed his fence panel from him, bringing them over to the stack along the barn wall.
Reed reached for Brandy’s forearm, pulling it up to look at her hand. From where I stood, I could see her finger bent at an odd angle, the skin already turning a slight shade of purple.
Reed cursed as Brandy pulled her arm out of his grip. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t look fucking fine, Brandy. Get in the truck,” Reed demanded.
“I’m not getting in your damn truck,” she spit at him.
“I can take her,” Callan offered as he made his way over to us.
Reed shot daggers at Brandy, but she jumped at Callan’s offer. “Thank you, Cal.”
He nodded, setting his hand on the small of Brandy’s back to lead her in the direction of his truck. Reed practically had fire in his eyes as he watched Callan and Brandy walk away, his gaze trained on where Callan’s hand was touching her.
Travis patted Reed on the shoulder as he walked past. “Stuff like that happens, son. Come on, let’s eat. She’ll be back in a couple of hours. Probably only needs a splint.”
Reed didn’t follow his dad as he stood there watching Callan help her into the truck.
“She knows the risks, Reed. Stop being such a hard ass,” Lettie said to him as she walked to the porch, climbing the steps.
He didn’t move until Callan drove past us, then proceeded to stomp off in the direction of the house, his movements stiff. I didn’t know what the problem between Reed and Brandy was other than Reed thought she was a bad influence, but it was starting to seem like there was something more to it .
Choosing to move past that, I joined the rest of the Bronsons on the porch, pulling out the chair beside Lettie at the table.
“Don’t people usually have the table on the back porch?” Lennon asked as he reached for Charlotte’s homemade potato salad.
“Lennon Bronson, is there a problem with the way I have things set up?”
His cheeks flushed. “No, Ma.”
“Your mother wanted to see the sun set on the horizon when we ate out here. This is the best spot,” Travis explained, grabbing the tongs off the plate full of ribs.
“Ain’t no one around, anyway. You could put the table in the middle of the driveway, if you really wanted to,” I pointed out.
Travis shot me a look that said don’t give her any ideas .
I stifled a chuckle as Charlotte spoke up. “A little outdoor setup in the yard would be nice.”
Charlotte’s pretty soft-spoken but when she’s passionate about something, she came at it full force.
She had Travis basically eating out of the palm of her hand.
The man loved her harder than I ever thought possible.
Their dynamic worked for them. Hell, it had kept them happy ever since they got married straight out of high school.
“So, Lennon, how’s the feed store?” I asked before taking a bite of the tender meat. Reed sat across from me, silently pushing his potato salad around on his plate .
“I lost an employee yesterday, so I listed an opening today. Hoping someone fills the spot soon. Winter will be here before we know it.”
“I could help out if you need it,” Lettie offered.
He waved her off. “Working with siblings is the worst idea.”
I laughed as Lettie said, “We’ve all worked on this ranch our whole lives.”
“That’s different. Dad was here to delegate. You wouldn’t like me as your boss.”
She rolled her eyes, taking a bite of potato salad.
“Plus, you’ve got that barn to finish, in case you’ve forgotten,” Travis piped in.
If Brandy’s finger was broken, which I was almost positive it was with the way it looked before she left, it’d just be Lettie and me working on the beat down structure. I had a feeling Lettie would be more than willing to work with me this time around though.
“And...” Charlotte nudged Travis with her elbow.
Lettie looked between the two of them. “What?”
Travis took a bite of food, taking his sweet time before responding. “We thought you might like to learn a bit more about managing the rescue.”
Lettie’s fork dropped to her plate and my eyes shot to her, her mouth popping open, then closed, as she struggled to form words.
“I-I’d love that,” she managed to get out.
Charlotte gave her a sweet smile. “Your father told me how you felt like you had no purpose. You’ve made a huge impact on this ranch, Lettie. If you’re planning to stay in Bell Buckle, you’re more than welcome to keep living in your old room until you figure something else out.”
I smiled as Lettie nodded vigorously at her mom. What better purpose than the rescue?
“But what about our conversation before the trip, Dad?” she asked.
“I underestimated you, Lettie, and I apologize for that. You clearly handled the trip well and proved to me you could hold your own under the stress rescue can bring. With you being gone so long, I guess I forgot how capable my little girl is.”
“I guess I should apologize for that extra horse, then,” Lettie said to her father. Lennon had a big smile on his face while Reed rolled his eyes.
He waved his hand through the air. “Why do you think I sent Bailey with some extra money? I had a feeling you’d do that.
Your mother raised you, remember? I know the effect she’s had on you when it comes to rescue.
But Lettie, try to keep that under control, alright?
There’s only so much space and money in our budget for all these horses. ”
She bobbed her head back and forth like she was contemplating it. “I can try.”
“That’s all I ask,” he said.
Charlotte shot Lettie a wink before digging back into her plate of food.
An orange glow was casted over the table as the sun set in the west, light chatter filling the air as we enjoyed a family meal. Though Beck, Callan and Brandy weren’t sitting here with us, it felt like we were all back together again, like the good old days.
I didn’t miss the fact that Lettie was confirming her place in Bell Buckle.
Deep down, I didn’t think she’d leave again, especially after our trip to Montana, but it was still in the back of my head.
If she had a reason to stay, something other than me, I could expect her to be around for a long time.
God knows I wasn’t good enough to keep her around before.