Chapter 23
SANTIAGO
Notes of ammonia layered with sweet fermentation and dust are pungent as hell, but they remind me that I’m home—doing what I love. Most people might look at my job and prefer their nine-to-five.
That’s just fine.
I’ll take shoveling horse shit, waking up every morning before the sun rises, and riding for days at a time on a cattle drive over sitting behind a desk any day of the week. Rain or shine.
The last few days have been eventful to say the least. We finally got rid of the predators at the high school, we found out what made Blake come home, Walker arrested Blake again, Walker finally kissed Blake…
Oh. And there was another dead body.
I’m not about to get in the middle of Blake and Walker to play referee. They’re going to have to figure things out themselves.
I’m halfway through brushing Ace’s coat when the most perfect ray of sunshine strolls into my barn with her furry best friend at her side. Her curves are swathed in black pants that are tight as hell, laced-up brown boots, an oversized cream sweater, and a puffy parka.
“Need a hand?”
Stepping around Ace, I slide my thumbs into my belt and greet her. “Well, this is a surprise. What’re you doing here?”
She shrugs with a smile. “Just wanted to see my—”
“Boyfriend,” I finish for her.
Blake tilts her head to the side. “Is that what you are?”
Snagging her around the waist, I pull her to me and dip my head. My mouth hovers above hers. “You bet your ass it is.”
Closing the distance, I drown myself in the feeling of her lips on mine. Her hands fly into my hair, knocking my hat off my head, and I don’t mind it one bit. The amber and vanilla scent on her skin is another reminder of what I love.
Blake slows the kiss, bringing it to an end. The bright smile she flashes up at me is one that I’d do anything to see every day for the rest of my life.
“Well, if you’re going to be here, then…” I nod my head toward the horse stalls.
She nods her head, understanding my implication. “Put me to work. I am yours to command.”
I shoot her a suggestive look. “Are you?”
Blake takes a step back and shoves her shoulder. “You know what I mean.”
I stumble a step back, letting her think she actually pushed me. “I could use some help feeding the horses and cleaning the stalls.”
“I want to see Shadow anyway.” Blake walks right past me, heading toward the horse that has become her friend.
I follow behind her. “Thanks. I’m down a man today.”
“Oh? Is everyone okay?” Blake doesn’t stop until she’s feeding Shadow a sugar cube.
“Manny left,” I explain.
Blake pauses, her hand halfway to her pocket, probably to fish out another sugar cube. “Did you…”
“Did I what? Kill him?
Blake whirls on me and quirks a brow, her question clear.
“No,” I scoff. “After our little talk, it was his choice to leave entirely.”
“We’ll pretend I believe you,” she replies, half in teasing and half in candidness. “Let’s get to work, vaquero.”
I show her how to brush Shadow’s coat, comb her mane and tail, and check for ticks and scratches. She doesn’t waste any time diving in and getting the work done.
Around midday, I have to drag her away for lunch. I made us simple deli sandwiches and a bowl of dog food for Bear. We enjoy them together under heat lamps on my porch. I may not have the cooking skills of a five-star chef like Walker, but I know the basics.
We are close to finishing when one of the younger wranglers, Todd, comes running up the steps to us.
In spite of the cold, sweat drips down the side of his face. “Boss!”
Todd's frantic energy has me jumping to my feet. “What’s going on?”
“Shadow got out, and she’s going crazy.” He informs me, out of breath.
In lieu of a verbal reply, I take off jogging toward the barn. Footsteps follow behind.
Blake catches up to me quickly. “I’ll help.”
Rejecting her offer, I reply, “Nope. Too dangerous. Go back inside the house.”
Blake doesn't argue with her words. Instead, she displays her defiance by continuing to tag along.
On the backside of the barn, Shadow bucks wildly. Four of the workers, including Javier, attempt to grab hold of Shadow's reins. Skidding to a stop, I glance around to assess the situation.
Javier directs some of the more inexperienced wranglers. “Get your asses away from her hind legs. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Get back,” I shout at everyone. The last thing we want is for Shadow to traumatize herself or us. The men do as I say, backing away slowly, giving Shadow her space.
A figure darts past me, and my stomach knots into a hardball. “Blake!”
Javier reaches out to grab hold of Blake. He's able to grab the hood of her coat, and without missing a beat, she slides out of it, leaving Javier standing there with her jacket in his hands.
Bear tracks behind Blake, staying back a few feet.
Blake slows her steps as she gets closer to Shadow, and my heart lodges in my throat. She holds her hands up in a calming gesture and speaks to Shadow in a voice so low that none of us can hear.
I want to rush forward and drag her away, but sudden movements like that could spook Shadow and injure Blake in the process. So now my only option is to watch the woman I care about most stare danger in the face and pray that she walks away unscathed.
Blake stands in Shadow’s line of sight, still speaking in hushed tones.
Shadow stops her pitching, swinging her head toward Blake.
My focus is locked on the distance between them as Blake takes her time closing the gap.
Shadow remains calm, but that can change at any moment.
A whinny vibrates from Shadow's mouth, causing Blake to freeze.
I don't know how she learned the different sounds and what they mean. But Lord knows I'm happy she did.
Continuing her shuffle forward, Blake’s hand lands on Shadow's muzzle. She smooths her touch up and down the bridge of Shadow’s nose.
The wranglers all stare with flat jaws and wide eyes as if the scene before them is some kind of miracle.
They're not wrong.
Shadow lets out a snicker, and my heart finally settles in my chest, relaxing my shoulders. Blake still doesn't attempt to grab the reins, instead remaining by Shadow's head and soothing her with soft words.
Javier sneaks forward and snatches the reins himself.
Besides Levi, me, or Walker, Javier is the only person I'd trust in this situation to make sure Blake is okay. Blake presses her forehead to Shadow’s, and Shadow dips her head, allowing the touch.
Blake says one more thing to Shadow, then Javier leads her away.
Blake remains in her spot and lets out a deep breath. The remaining ranch hands still stare at Blake, all of them frozen in place.
I can't blame them for being dumbstruck, and if I didn't need them to work at Falling Sky, I'd fire them all for the way they're looking at her.
At least they're not dumb enough to speak to her the way Manny did.
Javier gets Shadow put away, then returns outside and barks orders.
“Get your asses back to work! Todd, grab a horse and join Samuel in the west pasture. He’s checking on the herd there.
Jack, double-check the hatches on the horse stalls.
I want to know how Shadow got out. Brandon, get the plow out and find a path that needs clearing.
Aaron, I need you to break the ice on the water troughs. ”
Everyone scatters to do as Javier demanded, and Javier tosses me Blake’s jacket.
Striding for Blake, I reach her just a few steps, slide her arms into the sleeves of her coat, and wrap her in my arms. “You should add horse whisperer to your resume.”
Blake let out a shaky exhale. “Shadow just likes me because I give her sugar cubes.”
Bear trots over to us and sits, tucking his hind legs underneath him and giving us his back like he’s standing guard.
Good boy.
Holding her a little tighter, I buried my face on the top of her head, inhaling her scent. “I didn't see a single sugar cube in sight this time.”
When I feel Blake's body release all its tension, she leans back but keeps her arms around my waist. “Back to work?”
My brows raised. “I think you've more than earned yourself a break for the rest of the day.”
“I'd rather keep busy,” she insists.
Searching her face, I look for a hint of uncertainty.
I understand her need for a distraction. She may have handled that like a pro, but that doesn't mean that her body didn't flood with adrenaline.
“Whatever you want.”
Entwining my fingers with hers, I lead us back into the barn. She heads straight for an empty stall and begins to clean it out.
Unwilling to leave her alone, I snatch a stall fork and join her. We work together in silence, moving from stall to stall. We don't need to communicate. She anticipates my moves just as I do hers, enabling us to work seamlessly.
We’re on the last stall when Blake disrupts the quiet. “Did you always want to own Falling Sky?”
Without pausing the work, I respond. “Since I was a boy.”
“Really?” Blake questions from the other side of the stall where she continues to separate the straw from waste.
“Yep. My parents adopted me when I was a baby. Ranch life is all I’ve ever known,” I admit. “After my mother died, I had to step up. My father needed the help. Then he had multiple hip replacements and couldn’t work anymore.”
Blake pauses and faces me. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
I don't want to see the pity in her eyes, so I keep my head down and continue to muck. “It’s okay. Death is a part of life. It happens.”
“How…” she hesitates, then shakes her head and returns to our chore. “Never mind. That’s none of my business. I’m being nosy.”
I'm a fucking idiot.
If anyone understands, it would be her. Landon was a piece of shit, but losing a parent is never easy.
Turning in her direction, I rest my forearm on top of the staff work. “It was an armed robbery. She pulled over on the highway to help someone who was stranded. Turns out it was a ruse. My mother was a fighter. She pulled her shotgun, and they all pulled their own guns as well.”
Blake mimics my stance, her face filled with shock. “That’s awful.”
Shrugging off her sympathy, I pick up the stall fork and muck again. “They got what was coming to them. God made sure justice was served.”
I can feel her eyes analyzing me. Part of me wonders if she's abhorred by my insinuation, but I'm not ashamed of it. I've never been one to avoid doing what needs to be done.
She's silent a moment longer then finally says, “Good.”
We finish mucking, then wheel the waste out to the designated dry stack outside the barn. Bear waits for us at the barn doors, declining the opportunity to wade in the snow.
Heading back inside, I find a small pile of mud on the floor next to one of the water troughs. Done with the somber tone of the last hour, I reach into the mud and swipe a finger across Blake’s nose.
Blake jumps back with a Yelp. “Did you just…” she touches her nose then examines her finger. “You’re going to pay for that!”
“I’d like to see you try.” I taunt her.
Blake searches the ground, finding her own spot of mud. She dips her hand in, and I do the same in my pile, then we go at each other. My arms are longer than hers, so I am able to get more mud on her than she can on me.
She brushes mud through the strands of my hair, while I lift her sweater and smear a blob across her stomach. Blake screeches from the cold, then gets me back by ripping open the buttons on my shirt and slathering my chest in mud with both of her hands.
Five minutes later, we're both mottled with patches of mud on our clothes, skin, and hair. We pant in unison—our smiles are mirrors of each other’s.
The stress and burdens weighing her down are temporarily lifted.
Mission accomplished.
Talking a lock of dirt caked hair behind her ear, I smirk at her dirty clothes and skin. “I made a mess of you, mi Cielo.”
Blake inches closer, placing her hands on my pecs and rising onto her toes. “What’re you going to do about it, cowboy?” Her question is low and full of temptation.
Sweeping her into my arms, Blake lets out a startled shout followed by uninhibited laughter. With long, determined strides, I head for the house. “I’ll show you what I’m going to do.”
She giggles again then swipes my hat from my head, placing it on her own. “Save a horse,” she says with a wink.
“Ride a cowboy,” I finish for her as something inside me loosens.
I could get used to this.