Chapter 17
Molly was sitting on the floor in the pantry, keeping Shadow company.
Bart and Bear had stayed an extra day, so they’d had three nights together.
The Fourth of July fireworks were about to get started and they’d hit the trail early that morning.
The farewell had occurred at the cabin as Molly didn’t want to leave the pups alone.
Sitting alone with Shadow, she said, “Hey, girl, the pups are getting pretty active.” Three days old, the pups were growing and getting stronger, more independent.
The personalities were starting to emerge.
The alpha had identified herself and earned the right to be Shadow’s namesake.
Molly was in the process of attaching names to the rest.
Molly’s focus was Shadow and the litter, but her mind was on Bart.
They’d had a wonderful three days. She could feel them getting closer.
She liked having him in the cabin, and in her bed.
She liked sharing the kitchen with him where they worked great together.
She loved the time they sat quietly at the kitchen table, each doing their work, not talking, but being comfortable together. It felt right having him in her home.
The sex continued to be amazing. She’d never had a more attentive lover.
His eyes were fixed on her at all times.
She loved the way he touched her. They were always on the same page.
There’d been no competition or need for one to have more control.
They’d been a team, a fantastic team with sensational results.
Sex was important to her. She couldn’t imagine a relationship with a man without great sex.
But the relationship wasn’t just about sex.
It was about how he made her feel when they were together.
She’d been with a lot of strong, independent cowboys.
With some, there’d been elements of control or possessiveness.
They wanted her, but they wanted her to be like they wanted her to be.
Not like she was. Bart honored her as a person.
She wanted a man who was strong and independent.
But he needed to let her be strong and independent, too.
And she felt that with Bart. He wanted her to be who she was. She felt honored and respected.
When this visit started, the issue had been the secrets.
She’d raised her concerns first thing, and he’d responded.
Told her about his secret business and invited her to his cabin.
Instantly, her concerns melted away. He was listening to her.
Respecting her. He was quiet and naturally introverted.
Along with that was a need for privacy. But when he’d seen that was important to her, he’d shared.
The fact that he’d shared was more important than what he shared. He wasn’t treating them as a fling.
The next visit would be interesting. His family was coming.
They’d reserved three cabins and an RV site.
Bart would stay with her. Kitty would be riding at the rodeo.
But Molly would have responsibilities too.
She’d ride with former queens in the parade, and she’d have the choice of whether to join the Queen’s Ride that opened the rodeo.
She’d enjoyed doing that in the past, but might have too much going on this year.
She’d be meeting Bart’s parents and his siblings.
Would they all be coming? Bart didn’t talk about Brett much, only when she asked.
He’d told her Cheyenne was busy raising kids.
Molly assumed she’d grown up cowgirl too.
How could she not in that family? She knew quite a bit about his mother now.
The only thing he’d said about his father was that he was third generation on the family ranch and that he would never be retiring.
That suggested he was a workaholic. He married the cowgirl from the ranch next door.
And the ranches were in a complicated merger paying off siblings.
Well, there’d be four kids inheriting the merged ranch, but Bart had made clear that Kitty could have his share.
That was interesting. A selfless act that suggested loyalty to the family heritage over his own needs.
The Stampede Relay Races at the fairgrounds were a fun part of Stampede week.
The fairgrounds had a quarter-mile oval track, bleacher seating, and lots of parking.
The event featured relay races by category.
Molly had first competed in the fourteen and under relay when she was thirteen with a four girl team consisting of Molly, Betsy, Misty, and Sarah, another childhood riding friend.
They hadn’t won, but it had been the most fun Molly had had to that point in her life; racing on a team with thousands of cheering spectators.
Later, Molly had competed annually with barrel racing friends.
Molly wondered if the McKinnons were bringing horses. She could envision a pretty strong relay team with Molly, Kitty, Cassie, and Cheyenne. Molly would have to borrow a horse, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Silas and Mack always had horses. She made a note to raise the idea with Kitty.
The biggest concern on her mind with Bart was how long he envisioned living off the grid.
That was okay for the short term. And she understood it.
He was dealing with PTSD. He loved being in the wild and living independently.
It worked with his writing career. But the part that didn’t work was having a partner.
She’d be able to put up with two days a month for a while.
But if it was really going to be a longer term relationship, that was not going to work.
For now, she wasn’t inclined to push it. But it was heavy on her mind if they were headed for a longer relationship.
Managing the pups in July was a chore.
In the morning, Betsy was available to watch them at the store.
They were a curiosity for customers, and it was easy for Betsy to keep tabs on them.
Late morning, Molly took them to her office in a basket with Shadow always in step.
That would work until the pups could escape the basket, and that time was fast approaching.
In the afternoons, Christie, a high school girl working in the stables watched them while Molly was riding. In an unused stall, Molly built a short wood wall the pups couldn’t get over yet. Christy’s job was cleaning the stables, so she could periodically check on them.
The second week in July, Molly left the pups in their stall to check in with Silas for the day. She found Silas at the corral, his foot on the lower railing.
“Hey, Molly.”
“Hi Silas.” She paused, mesmerized. “And where did you get her?”
“New exercise horse. Just came in last night.”
Molly and Silas were staring at a beautiful chestnut quarter horse. Maybe two years old, she was the brightest color red Molly had ever seen in a chestnut. Beautifully muscled, proud, head high. And drop dead gorgeous.
“Silas, I think I’m falling in love.”
Silas chuckled. “She’s a stunner. Rarely see that much red in a chestnut.”
Molly couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful mare trotting around the arena.
“What’s her name?”
“Ginger.”
“Perfect. How long do you have her?”
“One month. The owner wants her exercised daily. You want her today?”
“Are you kidding? Honestly, Silas, I’ve never seen a more beautiful horse since Jo. I can’t imagine what she’s worth. Do you know the owner’s plans?”
“Don’t know anything. Just know we’ve got her for a month. Charlie brought her in last night. He’s managing her for the owner. The instructions are for a basic exercise routine, similar to Dusty.”
“Doesn’t that give you five exercise horses for only four riders?”
“Just hired Becky, a college girl, for the summer to help Willie and Buck with the excursion business. She can ride, and I’m going to put her in the rotation for July.”
Willie walked up and joined the group admiring the new exercise horse.
“Have you seen Becky ride?”
Willie chuckled. “Reminds me of a twenty year old Molly Mack.”
Molly took that as a compliment for both her and Becky. “So you’ve got five exercise horses and five riders.”
“For now. We only have Ginger for the month. Becky will help Willie and Buck get horses and mules ready for back country trips, and I’m going to have her manage the trail ride business. She’ll be busy, but I think it’ll work out. Shall I put you on the books for Ginger today?”
“Yes, please.”
Molly couldn’t take her eyes off the stunning chestnut mare.
It might have been the first day in a month where something occupied her mind more than Bart or the pups. Molly couldn’t stop thinking about Ginger. Her heart had skipped a beat when she’d first seen her. And she’d be riding her that afternoon.
Silas said Charlie had brought her in last night. Charlie was an agent who did business with Mack at the livestock auction. Charlie bought, sold, and managed livestock for professional owners. She toggled through the contacts in her phone until she found his name and pressed call.
“Charlie Frank.”
“Hey, Charlie, Molly McGuire.”
“Molly Omak. To what do I owe this honor?”
“Cut the crap, Charlie.”
Molly heard Charlie chuckling. They were casual friends through horse circles.
“What do you know about the chestnut mare you left at the stables last night?”
“Not much, really. I got a call from an agent in Oregon asking me if he knew a good place in Washington to exercise her for a month. I told her about Silas and Summer’s End, and he said he was sending me a horse that needed boarding and exercise for a month.
The agent didn’t blink at the rate. I take it money is no problem. ”
“Do you know the owner’s intentions?”
“Not a clue. I could find out. You interested?”
“Maybe. She’s a beauty.”
“My condolences on Jo’s passing.”
“Thanks, Charlie. I’ll know more after I exercise her this afternoon. I was just impressed watching her in the corral.”