Chapter Eleven
It was confirmed. Asher was headed back to the city. Back to the job and life he had there. As it should be.
The only missing piece was when. When exactly would Kelley have to tell her cowboy goodbye for good? That was as it should be as well. After all, Kelley had known there would be an end from the beginning.
Honestly, the more time Kelley spent with Asher, the more she was starting to dread that last goodbye. And that was not quite as it should be. Still, that was her worry for later.
Right now, it was about Pride and helping the horse finally settle.
Up ahead, a familiar older cowboy waited at the last pasture fence. A horse with a coat the color of the fallen leaves in autumn and a white star between its ears stopped grazing and lifted its head to peer over the fence at them.
“That stunning boy is Maple Moonlight,” Asher explained. “He’s calm, mild-mannered and patient.”
“That’s good. That’s what Pride needs,” Kelley said, as if the colt was suddenly hers to look after. Her worry dimmed slightly from her words. She scanned the pasture. “What about the others? You mentioned there were three.”
“That would be Wintermint and River Run Rebel,” Asher said. “Both thoroughbreds were retired early last year. According to Joe, Walter and he decided the pair had lost their desire for winning.”
Kelley eyed Asher. “You don’t agree.”
“Not particularly.” He lifted one shoulder and led Pride toward the pasture. “But then again, what do I know?”
Kelley frowned. Her cowboy knew more than he let on.
Of that she was certain. He claimed his brothers were better suited to care for the horses.
However, there was nothing she had seen that made her think Asher was not suited to be there, too, right alongside his talented brothers.
And he certainly had a way around horses and cowgirls.
Asher kept Kelley calm right along with Pride and that allowed Kelley to realize how much she missed being around horses.
Big E greeted them and swung open the pasture gate. “Figured you might be headed this way, if you sprung Pride from his stall.” Big E paused and tipped his head toward a trail outside the fence. “Frannie and Owen took Wintermint and River Run for an evening stroll to give Pride some space.”
“That makes Maple Moonlight your welcoming committee, Pride.” Asher reached up, rubbed Pride’s neck and removed the halter. “Ready to see an old friend from the stables?”
Pride shook his head, then trotted toward Maple. They met halfway. There was a nose-to-nose greeting. A shared breath moment. Then Maple returned to his grazing and Pride explored the pasture. Kelley glanced at Asher and Big E then asked, “Is that all?”
“That was exactly what we wanted.” Big E’s shoulders shook from his soft laugh. “No fuss. No drama. A quick hello and a get on with your business type of introduction.”
Why then was she still anxious for Pride? She didn’t want to just leave the colt or her cowboy. Kelley asked, “What now?”
“We wait and watch.” Asher climbed onto the wooden fence, propped himself on the top railing and then reached out to offer assistance to Kelley.
Kelley scrambled up beside Asher and notched her boot heels on the lower post to help balance herself.
“Pride is okay for now, but far from recovered.” Asher smiled at Kelley. “And you are not the only one worried about him.”
“Was it that obvious?” Kelley wrinkled her nose.
“It’s not a bad thing to care about everyone around you, including the animals,” Asher said, understanding in his gaze.
Who do you care about? She said, “My ex often told me I cared too much. That I needed a little more grit when dealing with the staff and such.” If she wanted to be successful.
“Grit has got its place to be sure. But kindness, well, everyone could use a little more of that in their day,” Big E mused and braced his arms on the fence post. His gaze was fixed on the pasture. “And I always tell my family don’t go changing to suit someone else if it doesn’t suit you first.”
“Big E, I could’ve used you before I got married,” Kelley said lightly. Then she and her ex-husband might have realized sooner that they were not suited for each other.
Asher shifted until his knee touched Kelley’s and he asked, “Do you know what suits you now?”
You. Or rather he could, if staying single wasn’t already perfectly suitable for her. Still, Kelley kept her knee against Asher’s as if the contact somehow anchored her even more, and said, “I’m figuring it out.”
“As it happens, we are currently figuring things out for our trio as well,” Big E said, smiling.
“Big E and I have come to the conclusion that the retirees in this pasture have more to offer than lounging about out here.” Asher chuckled and added, “It seems there is more to their story and racing is not the end of their story.”
“This sounds like a second act,” Kelley said.
“Everyone deserves one.” Big E grinned. “Not that there is anything wrong with pasture patrol. But if you’ve got more to give, you should get the chance to do it.”
Kelley agreed. Although, to be clear, she was not confusing a second act for a second chance at love. After all, Kelley already gave up her heart once and it was returned broken. Now it was packed away, too fragile and worn for handling.
“Looks like the rest of the pasture patrol is returning.” Asher hopped gracefully off the fence.
Kelley glanced over her shoulder, waved to her sister, then shifted to jump down.
Only her cowboy got to her first. He gripped her waist. Her hands barely settled on his shoulders, and he swung her gently off the fence.
Her boots landed softly in the grass. Her breath swooshed out. Talk about careful handling.
Fortunately, she caught her heart before she went a step too far.
She retreated to catch her sister and meet Wintermint and River Run Rebel.
It didn’t take long before she learned Wintermint had the stamina for an endurance trail rider, Maple the temperament for pleasure trails, while River Run’s next gig was still being sorted.
Introductions were made between Pride and the thoroughbred duo over the fence.
Once again, there was little fuss between the horses.
Owen and Frannie headed back for their evening chores at the stables. Big E joined the pair after announcing that he could not be late for his evening check-in with his great-grandkids.
Once again, Kelley was seated on the fence with her cowboy right beside her. Asher hadn’t seemed in any rush to leave. That suited Kelley as she was in no particular hurry to call an end to their time together. The sun was only now setting, and night was still a while away.
Kelley said, “Sounds like you’ve got the pasture patrol’s second act pretty well figured out.”
“Apparently, Walter was working with them when he wasn’t focused solely on Pride,” Asher admitted.
“So, you’re going to pick up where your father left off,” she said.
“I didn’t say that,” he hedged.
“But you aren’t denying it,” she pressed.
“I’m considering it,” he said. “It means extending my time here. If I start, I want to see it through.”
“Is that a bad thing? Sticking around longer.” Because it sounded like a very good thing to her.
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “I’ve got the vacation time.”
“But…” she said and shifted toward him. This time it was her knee that connected with his.
“But if I stick around longer, I’ll want to see you more.” He scooted closer and motioned between them. “Like this.”
“And that’s bad?” Only it felt right to have him so close and all to herself. Except that was her hopeless romantic putting foolish thoughts into her head.
Asher nodded slowly and less than convincingly as if trying to convince himself. “I’m not the best long-term choice for anything romantic. I want to be clear.”
Now it was time for Kelley to be clear for her hopeless inner romantic and her cowboy. She did not want there to be any misunderstanding. “Asher Blackwell, what if I told you that you are not my second act?”
He tapped his cowboy hat higher on his forehead, revealing his sharp blue eyes, and blinked at her.
Clear enough for you, cowboy? Because she had just put her inner romantic on notice, too. Kelley continued with more of her clarity bombs. “You have nothing to worry about. You see, it’s very simple. I won’t be choosing you because you can’t choose me.”
“Fair enough,” he said and scratched his cheek. “What is your second act, then, if I may ask?”
“I’m sort of a work in progress, like River Run,” she said decidedly. “But it’s not a rebound relationship or any relationship for that matter.”
“Understood,” he said softly.
Yet, he kept his gaze fixed on her as if he searched for her secrets. Or maybe she was looking for his. Or something to make her change her mind or his. Their knees still touched. It was too much and not enough contact. She wanted to lean in, and she also wanted to hightail it right out of there.
Kelley curled her fingers around the fence post rather than reach for her cowboy. But if he reached for her…all bets were off. She tightened her hold. Splinters were far better than a bruised heart. And her cowboy could hurt her heart badly if she let him.
She sighed and tried to sound casual when she said, “I wonder if Big E made it on time for his family conference call.”
Asher held her gaze for a beat, then gave the tiniest nod as if he approved the conversation detour. He shifted and straightened away from Kelley. There was a hint of laughter in his words. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to an evening call with quite as much enthusiasm as Big E.”
“Well, clearly, you’ve not participated in one of Big E’s video chats with his great-grandkids.” Kelley chuckled. “I was only on one for a minute or so the other night, but it was entertaining and mostly full of giggles.”
“Not a bad way to end an evening.” Asher braced his arms on his knees.
Neither was sitting on a fence at a pasture with a cowboy. Kelley asked, “How do you spend your evenings?”