Chapter Thirty-Two
My dad always kept our horses boarded with a local farrier.
If I remember right, there were quite a few horses of his own there too.
I wonder if he’d let me use one for a few days?
So we could get acquainted and be ready for Friday.
I don’t have anyone’s number in my phone, but I remember where he’s at.
“I’ll need a horse, and I think I know a guy. Mind taking a detour?” I tip my hat to the right as we roll up to a stop sign.
“You got it, blondie.” Chris winks and I give him directions for the rest of the way.
When we get there, the place looks exactly the same as I last saw it.
I can see the owner working a shoe on his anvil in the center of the large stable.
I hop out of the truck, gently, I’m not stupid, don’t want to ruin my ankle again just yet—and head over to see him.
“Hey, Lester!” I call as I approach him. He squints and shades his eyes with his hand. He’s a lot older than he was. Probably in his sixties now. “Remember me?” He drops his hand as I get closer and I see a smile form on his dirt covered face.
“Dixie? Girl, where the hell have you been all this time?” He drops his tools and greets me with a hug. I tell him a bit about what I’ve been up to, but Chris is right behind me and when Lester lets me go, I introduce the two men.
“Les, this is my boss, Chris.” They both stretch out their arms and give each other a firm handshake. “Do you have a horse I can borrow for the rodeo on Friday? We planned to head back to Montana, but I ran into Billie at the bank, and she convinced me to ride with her for the team roping event.”
Les scratches his chin. “I think I’ve got the perfect fit.
We can saddle her up and you can ride her as much as you want until Friday.
You girls are gonna piss some people off—but it’s gonna be a damn good show.
” Lester takes us into the stable where he shows me my new horse for the next couple days.
“Her name’s Penny. She knows what to do.
Just get her to trust you and she’ll out perform any other horse in the state. ”
I lift my hand to touch her nose; she breathes out hard and smells me.
Penny leans over and sniffs my shirt, my hair and my face.
I’m surprised when she brushes her cheek against mine and lets out a quiet whinny.
“Well, hello to you too, pretty Penny. With a name like that, I think I’ve just won my good luck. ”
We stay the rest of the afternoon, Chris watches outside of the corral where I practice with Penny.
He’s smirking and catcalling us both the entire time.
I don’t think my good luck started today, with my inheritance or this horse—it all started the day I got a phone call from Toby.
My life has done an entire one hundred and eighty degree turn in a month, and I’ll destroy anything that tries to steal my happiness from here on out.
I belong to that man, and I don’t even care if it took becoming a damsel in distress to do it.