Chapter 5
Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
Gunner
The gray block road curved past the main house, splitting at the old oak to lead either left to the training paddocks or right toward the winter barn.
We’d laid it two years ago, replacing the dirt track that had served us for years.
Now our pride and joy - the new indoor training arena - stood where an old machinery shed had been.
Clutching my Stanley mug of coffee, pride swelled at my chest as the sound of horses whinnying blew in on the breeze along with the smell of hay and manure.
White fences lined the lush green paddocks where horses grazed and in the distance a day of work was beginning.
A couple of the younger ranch hands were brushing the horses, Ariel in her usual spot, leaning into the curry comb like she couldn’t get enough of it.
She always knew how to sweet-talk the new hires into spoiling her.
Others were washing down the stalls, a couple watching the farrier shoe a horse, and I could bet that Charlie, my head stable hand was in the office brewing coffee.
I could rely on her for that at least. She’d been off her game a little lately, forgetting to put meetings in the diary, missing issues with horses that I’d expect her to see and then trying to bluff her way out of it.
I was beginning to wonder if I’d been too hasty in promoting her when we expanded.
A couple of years back, we extended my horse training and breeding program, investing a whole load of money in it.
Money that we’d got back after it had been stolen from us by our dad.
I’d expected Nash, as unofficial head of the family, to want to spread it across the whole ranch.
He was convinced, though, that horses were the best way for us to move forward and be successful, seeing as the best-bred horses went for millions of dollars.
It was my dream, always had been, so I jumped at the chance.
Now we had the best facilities in the whole of the state and while it was hard, every day was a joy to come to work.
“Hey, Gun.”
I stopped walking and turned to see Nash jogging toward me. “Hey, did I forget something?” I felt my back pocket for my phone and could feel my keys in the front one.
“No, it’s about what we talked about yesterday. The houses for you and Wild.”
“Okay,” I said, frowning. “You desperate to get rid of us?”
Nash laughed. “Fuck no. I mentioned it to Wild and he liked the idea and I’m going into town so thought I’d call at the town council and see whether any permissions are needed even though it’s on our land. I wondered if you wanted to come with.”
“Sure. What time are you thinking of going?” I looked down the road toward the stables, mentally working out my schedule for the day.
“Three suit you?”
“I can make that work.” Nash scratched his stubble. “Have you been out to the far south edge of the land recently?”
“Not for a couple of weeks, when I helped bring the calves in for branding. Why?”
“I went out there yesterday and there’s some stakes in the ground, around twenty feet from our boundary.”
I frowned. “You think maybe it’s the county doing some sort of assessment?”
Nash shrugged. “No idea, but I’m going to ask when we go and visit the council.
” He started to walk away but then turned back on his heel.
“Oh, I’ve had another idea, too. Thought we could talk about it in more detail later, but what do you think about turning the old hay barn into a wedding venue? ”
I looked across the paddock to the old barn that was nestled behind a cluster of trees.
It was close to the house and had run into some disrepair since we built a new one about six years ago.
“What’s given you that idea? Not that I’m saying it’s not a good one, because I’ve been thinking for a while that we should do something with it. ”
“When Lily and I went to Sweet Maple Falls last week for dinner, we bumped into Rose Anderson.”
“Our vet?”
“Yeah. She was having dinner with a friend, a wedding planner, and she was just saying there are a lack of venues around here. On the way home Lily said it was a shame the barn wasn’t in better condition as it would be a good revenue earner.”
Nodding, I looked back over to the barn. “I agree, but it’s in pretty shit condition.”
“I know, but we have enough money to spend on making it a top class venue.”
“And so, what are you thinking? Asking about permissions when we go into town?”
He shrugged. “May as well. What do you think?”
“I agree. Let’s go for it. Spoken to Wilder about it?’
“Mentioned it when I asked about the house, and he said he needed a shit so just do what I thought best.”
We both burst out laughing. That was typical of our youngest brother. Who knew that he could be such a whizz at accounting and wrangling cows!
“Right, I’m going to get to work.” I gave my brother a nudge. “I’ll see you back at home at three.”
He saluted me and then turned back to the house and as I watched him go, I saw Bertie running around with her puppy Dorcas Gailen while Lily looked on with Billy on her hip, and my heart swelled.
My brother deserved the good after the years of manipulation from our dad.
He’d been the one who’d made Lily leave town and Nash for ten fucking years.
All that shit was over now, and Lily had brought so much to all our lives.
Satisfied that all was good in life, I turned and went to start my day.
“Charlie, how’s things going with Momma’s Pride?” I asked, searching on my desk for a packet of gum I knew was there somewhere. When she didn’t answer I looked up.
She picked at her bottom lip and sighed. “Dick Hazel keeps calling in and trying to tell me what we should and shouldn’t be doing. He was trying to force me to put a saddle on him yesterday.”
The anger blew through me like a summer grassfire, heating my veins until it felt like they might set me alight. “Who the fuck does Hazel think he is? I know he’s the owner, but for fuck’s sake. Why didn’t you come and get me?”
“You were in Clementine, at the feed store.” Her tone was defensive and spiked concern in me. “I knew Nash was busy interviewing for the new cook.”
“What about Wilder? Did you try him?”
“I did, on the radio, but he was on the far west side of the property, and I couldn’t contact him.”
Her cheeks pinked and I shook my head. My damn brother. If I was guessing right I’d say he’d hooked up with her. If I thought that he’d ignored her radio call on purpose then I’d rip him a new one.
“How did you handle it, then?” I perched on the edge of my desk, watching as she twisted her fingers together. I wasn’t a hard boss, I was fair and listened to what my staff had to say, so why the hell did she look so nervous and why did I feel apprehensive. “What did you do, Charlie?”
“He wouldn’t stop, Gunner. He was insisting and yelling at me.”
Exhaling an infuriated breath, I dug my fingertips into the edge of the desk, gripping it like I might fall off if I didn’t. “Did you put a saddle on that horse, Charlie?”
“You have to understand, Gunner it—”
“Don’t even try to explain it away. You know how long I’ve been working with that horse.
How damaged he was and how slow I wanted to take it.
” I pushed off the desk and hung my hands from my hips.
“And you’ve put a saddle on his back when he wasn’t ready.
” Another fortifying breath didn’t calm my anger; this was too important for me to brush off as a silly mistake.
“You know better, Charlie. You’ve worked for me long enough to know that when I set out a rehabilitation plan for a horse, it’s with good reason.
I don’t just make them up as I go along. ”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but God, it was one time.” The stubborn jut of her chin told me I wasn’t getting through.
“Don’t give me attitude, Charlie. That’s not how we do things around here, you know that.”
“Well, if you’d been here then—”
“No.” I pointed a finger at her. “Don’t you dare do that. If you think you need me here every second of every day then we have a problem. Maybe that means you’re not ready to be my deputy.”
“I am, you know I am,” she protested. “I work hard, you know I do.”
“Everybody on this damn ranch works hard, that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to handle million dollar horses. Whereas you.” I widened my gaze, leaning the top half of my body closer to her. “You are supposed to be, but that’s not what I’m getting from this situation, Charlie.”
“I did equine management at college, Gunner. You didn’t.”
Now that made me pissed. I’d taught her everything she damn well knew, because the college had only given her the basics.
“Don’t even try with that,” I warned her.
“I’ve lived on this ranch all my life and worked with horses since I was seven years old, so don’t tell me that a piece of paper from the college makes you more qualified.
I respect the work you put in at college.
I respect the knowledge you bring to this place, Charlie, because I will always listen to your point of view.
I do not respect you going against everything we agreed on for that horse.
That plan, that schedule of rehabilitation wasn’t written off the top of my head.
It was written through years of experience, reading and researching and talking to other trainers.
Do you know how hard it is to get Jesse Connor to mentor you?
I do and I learned more from that man than twenty years at college will ever teach you. ”
She bowed her head and looked remorseful enough that I felt my blood pressure lower. “Just go and get Sinbad in the indoor school and check if he’s still limping after the heat treatment.”
“Fine.”
The door slamming made me groan. “Fuck.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I looked down at the floor, wondering for the hundredth time whether hardwood floors had been the best option.
They were scuffed to hell. I hated yelling at people, but this had been something I couldn’t let go.
Charlie knew how finely tuned our training and rehab programs were.
I could only hope it hadn’t affected Momma’s Pride’s progress.
Stewing over the last half hour and how we moved forward, I was startled by a knock on the office door.
“Christ, Charlie, I’m not that mad, just come in,” I yelled, walking back around my desk.
The door creaked open and just as I sat down she walked in, and my mouth dropped to the floor.
“Cassidy, what the hell are you doing here?”