3. Ramona #3
I pick it up and brush the dust off with my thumb. The engraving is worn down now, but I know what it says without looking.
“Damn.” Julius’s voice is quiet behind me. “Haven’t seen that in a long time.”
“Forgot it was even in here.” I turn it over in my hands. “You handed me this the first time I came to watch you ride. I held it every time after that.”
“I remember.” He leans against the doorframe.
“I was so scared back then.” I look up at him. “After that fall, every single time. Felt like I was gonna puke.”
“I knew you worried.” He frowns a little. “I didn’t know it was that bad.”
“You had enough going on.” I set the buckle down carefully. “Didn’t want to add to it.”
He’s quiet for a second. Then he reaches past me and picks up the buckle, running his thumb over the same worn spot.
“You keep this.” He says it quietly. “So I have to come back and get it.”
“That’s what you said when you were seventeen.” I touch his wrist. “And you always did.”
“Always will.” He closes my fingers around it.
“You’d have to ride first.” I keep my hand on his wrist. “You haven’t been on one in years.”
“I know.” He lets go of my hand.
I put the buckle back in the trunk, and he pulls me against his chest.
***
Julius spreads the plans across a workbench in the new barn, moving a box of screws so I can see the whole page. There are training pens, a covered arena, a schedule of events at the arena in town. He leans over my shoulder to point, his chest brushing my back.
“How long have you been working on this?” I look up at him instead of turning another page.
“A few months.” He straightens, running his hand over the back of his neck. “I wanted to make sure we could do it properly before I showed you.”
“You could have shown me while you were figuring it out.” I leave my palm on the plans. “I would’ve liked that.”
His hand drops to his side. For a moment, he looks toward the open doors, then pulls a stool over beside mine.
“I should have.” He sits with his knee against my leg. “I kept thinking I’d tell you when I had more to show.”
I smooth a curled corner of the paper while he waits. There are changes in his handwriting all over it, places he has crossed out and drawn again.
“Next time, show me the messy version.” I tap one of his notes. “I can read your handwriting. Mostly.”
“You really want this.” I take his hand off the page and hold it.
“I do.” He looks around the barn, smiling. “There’s a lot I wish somebody had taught me before I had to learn it by falling off.”
“Your father taught you plenty.” I squeeze his hand.
“He taught me to get back on.” He turns my hand over in his. “He never once asked whether I wanted to.”
“You still would’ve tried it your own way.” I keep hold of him.
“Probably, but they could’ve said they warned me.” He nudges my knee. “One more thing. The new trainer’s staying in the east wing until her house is finished.”
“In our house.” I let go of his hand.
“It’s a big house, Ramona. You’ll forget she’s there.” He gets up when tires crunch outside.
A black SUV turns in at the entrance. Julius reaches for his jacket.
“That’ll be Dakota. She grew up working cattle outside Fort Worth, and she’s been running their training the last two years.
Youngest they’ve ever put in charge.” Julius watches the SUV pull up, then reaches for my hand.
“She had her pick of places to go. I’m glad she chose ours. Come meet her with me.”
I leave the plans on the bench and walk outside with him. The woman getting out of the SUV pauses with one hand on the door before putting her weight on both feet.
Her blonde hair is pulled into a neat ponytail. She’s younger than I expected, twenty-five at the most. There’s dried mud on her boots, and she brushes a bit of lint from the stitched logo on her jacket as she approaches.
“Dakota Sterling?” Julius offers his hand when she reaches us.
“It’s good to finally meet you.” She shakes it, looking directly at him. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing the place.”
“This is my wife, Ramona.” He rests his other hand against my back as Dakota turns toward me.
“Mrs. Wyatt.” She offers her hand with a smile. “Julius tells me you know every animal here.”
“You can call me Ramona.” I return her handshake. “Usually, he tells people I’m the reason they can’t get rid of any.”
“I’ll remember who to ask before I move anybody.” She releases my hand, then glances through the open office door behind us.
The old photograph of Julius riding hangs beside the window. Dakota takes a step to see past his shoulder, and he turns to follow her gaze.
“I remember that ride.” She looks back at him, her smile widening. “You were better than they gave you credit for. I was at Nationals that year.”
“You saw me come off, then.” Julius laughs, drawing his hand away from my back as he faces her.
“I saw what you did before that.” She holds his gaze. “You nearly had it.”
He pulls at his jacket cuff, grinning down at the ground before looking up again. I press my thumb against the seam of my jeans. I like her already. That’s going to make this harder.
“This program might be more fun than I thought.” Dakota keeps her eyes on my husband.