Chapter 31 #2
She narrowed her eyes, hearing the invitation in my words. She dragged the stick from park to drive, flashing me a curious smile. “Alright then. I’ll pick some up.”
“Cool.” I rapped the top of the vehicle, backing away. “Y’all have fun.”
“I love you, Dad.” My entire world sought my gaze, his green eyes swirling with hope and fear and courage beyond his years.
I’d lay my life down right now, no questions asked, for that boy.
He’d been my gravity—anchoring me to this world during the longest years of my life.
When the pain was so bad I had no right-side up.
If it hadn’t been for my son, curled up in his toddler bed needing me to be dad, I would’ve just let my future go.
Would’ve given myself over to the bottle and never looked back.
Shit—this would be harder for me than him, wouldn’t it?
Emotion welled up in my eyes and I wished I hadn’t left my hat in the truck bed so I could adjust it lower on my forehead. “Love you too, Buddy. See you later.”
Then they drove off.
And for the first time all summer, I was truly alone.
I stood by the circle pin, where Harlan, Tag, Cade, and I observed the new horse—a painted mare who got dropped off this morning by a local farmer.
Apparently, the farmer had bought her at an auction with little knowledge of her history and he’d missed classic signs of abuse that Tag could spot from a mile away.
He hoped Tag could work some kind of miracle on her, and knowing Tag, he definitely could.
Cade, standing on the fence beside me, jumped down and tore off toward the barn. An immediate, easy smile lifted my cheeks when I saw Hollie and the girls making their rounds. Daily, they came down to see what us cowboys were up to, and now I craved the hottest hours of the afternoon.
Yesterday, Cade had spent the entire day in San Antonio with them.
When I asked how it went, he told me it was the best day of his life.
After they got back, we unloaded the Costco haul, then Hollie and I had a cup of hazelnut coffee on the front porch of my cabin.
It was short, only fifteen minutes or so, and we mostly discussed how Cade did, but I enjoyed every second of it.
We could’ve sat there and said nothing and I would’ve enjoyed it.
Just being in proximity to her buoyed my spirits somehow.
She lifted her hand and waved at me, a slow smile curling her full lips.
She had cut off shorts, a beige t-shirt, and sandals.
Her hair was down, no clip, allowing her wild curls to dance in the scorching breeze.
Garrett running around on Hollie was absolutely unfathomable to me.
She was the total package: breathtakingly beautiful, funny, selfless, easy to talk to, and an incredible mom.
My hands clenched the top rung of the fence as I briefly imagined Hollie crying or feeling afraid of him.
She told me he was a cheater, but there was more to the story.
I could sense it when I looked in her eyes.
Her nervous ticks raised red flags left and right, and I just knew that bastard did a number on her.
I wished I had a full picture of their history because my brain constantly entertained ideas that made me ill with rage.
I pushed off the fence. “Hey.”
Hollie smiled, lifting the plate she had in her hands. “Want a cookie?”
My brows shot upward in surprise. “No way.”
“They’re nothing fancy. Just chocolate chip.”
“Obviously, yes, I want one.”
Her lips twisted as she fought back a big smile and pulled the plastic wrap off the plate.
I groaned before I even tasted one; the sight alone made me weak.
The only time I got homemade baked goods was when I saw my mom in Oklahoma because Bea didn’t make many sweets.
Every single thing Hollie brought out of that kitchen was a delicacy.
“Hollie,” I spoke with my mouth full and shook the remains of my cookie, “this made my day.”
“I didn’t know you were so passionate about cookies. I would’ve made them before.”
“I just like eating.”
She giggled. “I do too.” She looked into the ring. “What’s going on today?”
I gave her a brief history of the farmer buying her, then said, “She’s got halter scars.”
“What’s that?”
I pointed. “You see around her face? That her fur is kind of discolored?”
Hollie frowned. “Oh yeah. There are lines.”
“Yep. That’s because the owner kept her tied up and never let her run free. The halter she constantly wore was so tight it gave her scars.”
Hollie tsked. “Oh my goodness. I feel sick thinking about that.”
“Yep. She, understandably, isn’t real comfortable with humans, so Tag keeps offering to connect with her.”
“Offering? How does he do that?”
“He’s doing it now.” Tag, standing in the center of the ring, tossed the rope behind her hindquarters, which made her lurch into a run.
For a few long moments, all she did was run circles around the ring.
Tag waited patiently for her to stop, turning his shoulders away from her now and then.
“When you want to connect with a horse, you give them a little bit of pressure by facing them then release the pressure by turning away. Once she stops running, Tag’s gonna face her again and hold out his hand. Watch what she does.”
A few moments later, the mare pulled to a stop, breathing heavy.
Tag turned his shoulders to her—the pressure.
And lifted a limp hand—the offer. The mare turned away from him, accidentally knocking her head into the fence—a rejection of Tag’s offer and a clear sign that the idea of approaching him stressed her out.
Hollie frowned. “Why did she do that?”
“Well, that’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
“She doesn’t seem afraid.”
I tipped my head side to side. “Not at first glance. Her fear isn’t manifesting as flight or fight, but I think she’s emotionally shut down.”
Hollie hummed in thought. “What’s her name?”
“Her owner named her Blush.”
“Blush. I like it.”
We watched a while longer, until Tag decided to call it quits and give Blush a break. Our debrief didn’t uncover more than it had the day before. Gaining a horse’s trust took time. Tag rarely rushed.
He said to Hollie, “Y’all wanna come to the rodeo tomorrow? I’m takin’ the short go horses to a quick qualifier and it’s only about forty-five minutes away. Since we’re right around the corner from the Fourth of July, there’ll probably be fireworks afterward. Thought the girls might like that.”
“Oh, that sounds so fun.” Hollie beamed at him, but her gaze slid to me. “Is everyone going?”
I tried to ignore the way the muscles in my torso tightened. Did she ask because she wanted me to be there?
“Well, Bea mentioned wantin’ to go since she’s been feelin’ a little better this week. And she keeps sayin’ she needs a rodeo pretzel.” A soft smile played at Tag’s mouth when he talked about her, probably because he was obsessed but also Bea saying she wanted to eat was a reason to smile.
Hollie said, “Thanks for the invite. We’d love to come.”
“Great.” Tag screwed the cap off his water bottle. “Maybe we should all go and make it a night. It’s been nothin’ but stress recently. Might be fun to bust everyone off the ranch for a while.”
Her eyes slid to me again. “I love that idea.”
My brain conjured up ideas faster than I could blink. Sitting with Hollie in the stands. Buying her some funnel cake. Watching fireworks. Dancing with her again.
“Alright then.” Tag said, “I have to leave here around nine in the mornin’ but if you guys came at five-ish, you wouldn’t miss the important stuff.”