Chapter Nine
Aidan stood staring at the ranch’s newest resident, slightly in awe.
It was perhaps a foolish endeavor, bringing such a creature this far west. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it, not while watching that show of spirit.
He leaned his forearms on the top rail of the split timber fence around the small corral.
The chestnut stallion within shook his head, leaping lightly into the air and pawing at the ground. His mane flew about him like wildfire, his big eyes wide, his nostrils flaring.
Aidan whistled, low and long, and the stallion paused and turned to look at him, ears strained forward. Aidan smiled. The horse was beautifully put together, with a proudly arched neck and a high-set tail.
“Hey,” Aidan called softly. The stallion, intrigued, came closer, snuffling Aidan curiously.
Aidan closed his eyes as the horse blew hot breath into his face, wrinkling his nose slightly.
“Thanks,” he said dryly. He reached up and scratched at the top of the stallion’s neck, and the horse stretched into it.
“Now that’s a horse,” Antony breathed appreciatively. He came to stand beside Aidan, hands on his hips. He wore woolly chaps and had a lariat looped through his hand. “He’s a handsome animal.” The horse in question turned and sniffed curiously in the direction of the new arrival.
Aidan nodded. “He made a bit of a commotion at the train station when he was unloaded. Folks are already curious.”
Antony pushed his hat back on his head, propping a foot up on the lowest rail of the fence. “I can see why. We don’t have much quality horseflesh out here. Cavalry will be clamoring for Morgans if nothing else.”
Aidan knew this was true; the Morgan was a favorite of the cavalry, prized for intelligence and hardiness. This one wasn’t any ordinary riding horse, though. He had a high-stepping trot that stopped people in their tracks, and Aidan meant to put it to use breeding riding and driving stock.
Antony cleared his throat. “Well, you’ve got a new stallion; can’t help but notice that there’s no barn to put ‘em in yet.”
Wincing to himself, Aidan brushed off Antony’s concerns. “Mack’s on the other side of the ranch,” he said, referring to the resident stallion used to breed cow ponies for the surrounding ranches and mines. “I don’t think they’ll start trouble.”
The wind shifted, breezing from the east. Right on cue, a neigh went up across the ranch, high and carrying. Instantly, the new stallion’s head flew up, his eyes wide and ears searching. He answered the challenge, leaning forward.
Antony didn’t say anything, just gave Aidan a knowing look.
“It’ll be fine,” Aidan insisted, without much conviction.
Antony reached up and scratched his stubbly jaw. “It’s the darndest thing,” he said, nodding out toward where the new brick stallion barn was meant to go. “The builders came and staked out the footprint of the building, but they haven’t been back yet.”
Aidan’s face grew hot, and he ducked his head. “I’m sure they’re just busy—you know how the town’s growing. Did you hear about the opera house?” he said, attempting to change the subject.
“I heard,” Antony said. “Well. I suppose I’d best get on with it. Jed over at the post office wants two more horses, and I told him he could take delivery on them today.” He paused, looking at the space where the barn wasn’t. Aidan held his breath, expecting further argument on the point.
Antony ambled away toward the stable. The moment he was out of earshot, Aidan let out a breath in a whoosh. He plain didn’t have the money to pay the builders. He’d put in the order for the Morgan stud and wired the breeder.
What was left, earmarked for the improvements, had gone to paying Brendan’s debts. Brendan had always been the closer of the two of them, and it had never once occurred to Aidan that his brother would keep a secret from him of that size.
Brendan had been in debt, deeply so. He’d run up tabs all over town, and the townsfolk were getting fed up with it. There was scarcely a store or saloon where he hadn’t owed a dime here, a dollar there. It added up.
That wasn’t even the worst of it. He’d been desperate enough to take a loan, which was a generous word for what it had been.
Virginia City was producing silver as if someone had turned on a faucet, and crime followed money.
One outfit in particular had worked out that men were easier to bleed than cattle.
Aidan frowned, remembering the way Kevin Black had intruded on his wedding, all in black and with an expression to suit it.
Brendan had borrowed the money from him, and now Black expected Aidan to pay his debts.
He’d been unsatisfied with the cash that he’d been given so far and was demanding interest.
Aidan turned his head and spat. The whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth, and not only on account of the money. He didn’t dare to go to the law because there wasn’t anything particularly illegal about it. Nothing had really happened thus far.
The Morgan, having grown bored when he realized his rival was contained on the other side of the ranch, had gone back to browsing around for grass. Aidan watched him, considering how much was riding on him.
There’s a clever turn of phrase, he thought wryly.
“You need a name, fella,” he said softly to the horse.
He flicked his ears in the direction of Aidan, but otherwise didn’t leave his grazing.
“Flame?” Aidan asked.
No response.
“Mm,” Aidan grunted. “Guess we’ll get that sorted later.”
He turned away from the pen and looked up at the house. He hemmed and hawed, dawdling knowingly before he went up to fetch his luncheon. Alexandra would hand it over without so much as looking at him, her lips pinched, still in a snit from the other day.
He’d been under the impression that she would be easy to deal with, an almost-spinster who was more comfortable with books than physical work.
She’d handily proven just how foolish a notion that was, however, with how ready she was with a snappy retort.
He wouldn’t ever admit it out loud, but the way that she’d stood up to him had impressed him more than any cookies ever would have.
“Maybe I’m being unfair to her,” he said to the horse. There was a distinct possibility this was true—after all, it wasn’t her fault that Black had shown up at the church for their wedding, souring the whole day for Aidan. Of course, it wasn’t his fault, either.
It couldn’t have helped, having that scarecrow of a man glowering at them from the back of the church. “I suppose that sort of put me off her,” he admitted.
The horse didn’t look up from his grazing, but snorted and swished his tail, which Aidan assumed was horse-speak for an agreement.
He couldn’t absolve Alexandra entirely; the house was still a scene of chaos regularly, the outdoor chores were piling up, and the children… well, the less said on that score, the better.
Aidan shook his head and started back toward the house. He could hear the children carrying on before he was halfway there.