Chapter 5 #2
My mouth fell open. What could I do or say? When my youngest sister looked up to me, I couldn’t show fear now. Not that I was afraid of the horse, but more afraid to give up the control that I’d carefully constructed in my life since the day I became the head of my family.
Getting on horseback and riding like crazy around barrels meant letting go and trusting the animal beneath me not to let me down, and after being out of practice? No way.
But Knox was already leading Juniper over. Her ears flicked forward, eyes round and wild, energy humming through her like she knew exactly what was coming and welcomed it. I hesitated only a second longer before saying a prayer and climbing through the fence rails.
“Hey girl.” My hand slid along Juniper’s neck, grounding myself in the familiar feel of warm hide and steady breath.
Knox, bent over, laced his fingers together to give me a leg up. I stepped in and mounted her; it all came back like muscle memory. My body settled into the saddle with ease.
He handed me the reins. “Go get it, cowgirl.”
“Humph.” I steered her over to start. The first run was slow and rough, a simple jog around the barrels. Juniper grunted like she was doing me a favor, while champing at the bit to go faster.
On the second run, I over-corrected the first turn and held the horse back on the second, my frustration rising with every misstep. Juniper snorted and pawed the ground at the starting line, as if telling me she was ready to break out and show what she could do.
I bent over and petted her mane. “Fine, girl. Let’s go.”
I inhaled deeply and, with a “Yah” and a kick of my heels into her ribs, something clicked.
She took off, and the world narrowed to the cloverleaf pattern of one right-hand turn and two left-hand turns.
The rhythm of hooves against packed dirt, and the lean of my body in tune with Juniper through each turn.
The crowd noise faded into the background, replaced by the rush of wind and the steady beat of my pulse.
When we crossed the line, I was breathless. And smiling. The ride hit deep and spread outward before I could stop it.
God, I hadn’t realized just how much I missed this until now.
The crowd chanted, “Daisy. Daisy.”
Juniper slowed beneath me, and I murmured praise as we came to a stop. When I swung my leg over her head to dismount and slide out of the saddle, Knox was there.
His hands came to my waist, steadying me as my boots hit the ground. His grip tightened under the fabric of my flannel shirt, which I’d worn loose over a tank top. He didn’t let go immediately, his thumbs brushing lightly at my sides as his eyes bore into mine.
“Nice ride, sweetheart,” he praised, voice dipping low like it belonged only in the space between us. “You look good in a saddle.”
Heat rushed to my face before I could stop it. I stepped sideways quickly, breaking contact, turning into Juniper with a hug so I had something to focus on besides the way my heart hammered in my chest.
“Easy, girl. You did well.” I massaged my hand along her neck.
Behind me, I could feel Knox’s heat linger like he was in no rush at all.
“Anytime you want a ride on her, I’ll fix you up. You could practice here a few times a week before winter, more in the spring, hit the amateur circuit with me next summer,” he suggested.
I ached for the idea. But my sisters clapped and whistled for me, reminding me I had serious work to do and people who counted on me. I couldn’t just run away to the rodeo on a whim.
“Dinner is ready. Let’s eat,” Eldon shouted, his voice carrying easily over the crowd, and breaking up Knox’s attention. Everyone moved toward the long tables set up at the side of the barn I hadn’t noticed before.
In the air hung the delicious smell of rich, smoky barbecue from a roasted pig on a huge spit.
A massive cauldron of beans simmered nearby, steam curling up.
They had loaded the tables with everything else, serving family style, from fresh bread and churned butter to pasta salads, jello molds, and pies of every kind imaginable.
Seemed everyone brought something to share.
How Ivy pulled this event together and kept it from me—and any town gossip about it—was a miracle.
I filled a plate more out of habit than hunger, my senses still a little overwhelmed by the ride and the surprise. People stopped me and wished me well for my birthday until I finally found an open seat.
Knox dropped beside me, Colt on his other side, Ivy settling in close enough to bump my shoulder with hers.
“Not bad for a surprise,” she said.
I huffed a quiet laugh. “You went all out.”
“You deserve it.”
I almost winced at her words, but for once, I didn’t argue.
They all made idle chatter until Knox brought up the apple harvest.
“What are you planning to do with the apples now?” He asked.
“We sell them to anyone we can. We have that old roadside stand out in the shed; we can fix it up and put it out by the road. Sage is going to work up several batches of dumplings to sell at the Copper Cup. The grocery store in Forest Grove will take some bushels…” I started naming the usual ways we have always sold the apples.
Knox cleared his throat. “Listen, my father supervises a grocery store chain that reaches from Billings over into the Dakotas and down into Wyoming. I told him about your orchard. He put me in touch with the produce manager. Turns out they have a “buy local” initiative that is very favorable for the local farms, and helps the stores get produce from local sources when they can. He’d like to talk with you about buying all the apples you can give him, if you want. ”
My fork froze midway to my mouth.
Ivy gasped. “That was always one of Dad’s dreams, to grow a harvest big enough to see our apples in stores. Oh, Daisy, wouldn’t that be amazing?”
I nodded, with a twitch of my lips. “That’s very kind, but wholesale pricing can be less lucrative than if we sell to the consumer direct.”
“But more work on our end to sell everything,” Ivy added.
The entire afternoon had overwhelmed me, and now this? Knox was offering us an opportunity to fulfill Dad’s dream? And I’d give anything to see that happen. But at what cost? We could use every penny to get caught up.
They all talked around me, while my mind swirled.
The past few years had been tough for the Wyldes, but we stuck it out.
The crop had come in better than I’d dared hope, and the numbers I’d checked last night had genuinely made me exhale, finally relaxing my shoulders down to almost a natural level.
After all the apples sold, we’d be ahead, for once.
And here Knox was, laying an opportunity at my feet, which would certainly make my life easier to sell off the apples in one batch.
If only I didn’t have to split the profits with a grocery store chain.
It became a lot to process. After dinner, and a chorus of Happy Birthday sung to me, everyone started leaving.
I snuck away to the stable to check on a few horses whose hooves I was treating.
I found the peppermint I’d kept hidden in the tack room and treated them each to one, along with praise and pets.
Being among horses had always been my personal form of therapy.
It wasn’t until I got to the end of the row that I noticed Knox leaning there against the doorway, thumbs in his belt loops, cowboy hat on, chaps off… taking my breath away, and he probably knew it judging by the sly curve of his lips.
“Happy birthday, by the way. Was it one?” He pushed off and stepped closer to me as I petted Pearl, a gorgeous and gentle palomino that Willow often enjoyed riding.
“Yes. Although I’m not a fan of surprises.”
“I could tell by your face when you first arrived. I tried to warn Ivy when she came up with this plan, but you know how she is.”
“Yep, I do,” I chuckled. Pearl turned her head to the hay, leaving room for Knox to sidle up to me.
So tall he was, my head dropped back to peer up at him, admiring the way his beard and mustache filled out his jaw just right.
“Thanks for reaching out to your dad. I’ll follow up to see what they offer. Maybe it’ll be something. Maybe not.”