“Helping? With this?” Aaron gestured around the small room. “How, pray tell, is keeping me locked up supposed to help me? You really want to help, let me go back where I belong. That...would be helping.”
He turned his head to look at the ceiling. It was hard to deny that this bed felt ten times better than the cot downstairs. And even if Sam had to be right there, it was far less aggravating when he wasn’t in handcuffs. Those things made it difficult for him to stay angry.
“All I am is a piece of real estate for Reese to show off as a trophy. He caught another Agency operative so it’ll look good in the books. Tell me something...if you were in my place, would you really feel differently?”
Dylan kept his seat as Seven tried some mild bucking, spinning him in a few more circles until he’d stopped. The gelding snorted and pawed at the ground, frustrated that he hadn’t outsmarted this new rider on his back. Ashlee’s voice made Dylan look up, and he nodded. He was going to just leave it at that, without comment, but after thinking a moment, he changed his mind. “Yeah...I didn’t think this guy would be such a brute. He’s got training in him somewhere, I know it... I just gotta find it.”
Travis cocked his head. Was Dylan that good of a horseman? “You bought him without knowing how he’d ride?”
Seven reared up again, and Dylan remained calm once more until he’d landed, then punished him by spinning him in a circle again. He glanced over at Travis. “It’s what I do. I buy horses at auctions, keep them a while, six weeks tops, improve their training, then turn around and sell them for a profit.”
Travis’ eyebrows rose. He wouldn’t have guessed someone who seemed so withdrawn would have the gumption to do something like that. “Wow, that’s...cool. What got you started doing that?”
He turned his head to look at the ceiling. It was hard to deny that this bed felt ten times better than the cot downstairs. And even if Sam had to be right there, it was far less aggravating when he wasn’t in handcuffs. Those things made it difficult for him to stay angry.
“All I am is a piece of real estate for Reese to show off as a trophy. He caught another Agency operative so it’ll look good in the books. Tell me something...if you were in my place, would you really feel differently?”
Dylan kept his seat as Seven tried some mild bucking, spinning him in a few more circles until he’d stopped. The gelding snorted and pawed at the ground, frustrated that he hadn’t outsmarted this new rider on his back. Ashlee’s voice made Dylan look up, and he nodded. He was going to just leave it at that, without comment, but after thinking a moment, he changed his mind. “Yeah...I didn’t think this guy would be such a brute. He’s got training in him somewhere, I know it... I just gotta find it.”
Travis cocked his head. Was Dylan that good of a horseman? “You bought him without knowing how he’d ride?”
Seven reared up again, and Dylan remained calm once more until he’d landed, then punished him by spinning him in a circle again. He glanced over at Travis. “It’s what I do. I buy horses at auctions, keep them a while, six weeks tops, improve their training, then turn around and sell them for a profit.”
Travis’ eyebrows rose. He wouldn’t have guessed someone who seemed so withdrawn would have the gumption to do something like that. “Wow, that’s...cool. What got you started doing that?”
Dylan had never really thought of it as “cool” before, and how he’d gotten started? He eyed Travis, then glanced at Ashlee. She didn’t know about this part. Did he want her to? Then again, he didn’t really need to go into details about how he’d needed money to repay the ranch for what he’d stolen. “Just needed some extra cash and it seemed the quickest way to do it.” He almost turned Seven to leave and keep working, but Sparky’s words of encouragement echoed in his mind. His eyes found Ashlee again, then snapped back to Travis. “It’s pretty addictive, actually. Taking something no one else wants, then turning it around and making something desirable out of it. And it guarantees I get to be in the saddle every day. Can’t beat that.”
Travis chuckled. “I think I may need to stick to leisurely riding.”
One of Dylan’s eyebrows arched. “What’s the fun in that?” Spinning Seven around, he dared to sink his heels into the gelding’s sides, making an internal wager that would either land him on the ground, or able to prove there was something inside this horse worth working for. Thankfully, his instincts won out, as instead of fighting, Seven broke into a run from a standstill. After letting the horse run halfway down the fence, Dylan leaned back, sinking deep in the saddle. Without hardly any pressure on the bit, Seven stopped short, sliding to a halt in a cloud of dust. Again with little rein, Dylan spun him around and sprinted back the way they’d come, this time though, he veered off into the middle of the riding ring to weave through several barrels, then back to where they’d started out, again sliding to a controlled stop.
Seven snorted and bobbed his head, chomping on his bit before giving a little buck, which Dylan chided him for. It was going to take some refining and some long hours in the saddle to calm the horse’s attitude, but he’d found what he’d been looking for. The diamond under the dirty and rough exterior that everyone else at the auction had seen. This horse was very keen, with a very good background that had somehow been lost. A little out of breath, Dylan patted his neck. This...this was what he loved. Glancing over to Ashlee and Travis again, his lips slowly curled into a smile as his eyes twinkled. “That’s my kind of leisure.” Clicking his tongue and urging Seven forward again, the gelding obeyed, still prancing as he had more pent up energy yet to be used.
Travis’ eyebrows were still raised as he looked down at Casper, who hadn’t moved a muscle since they’d stopped, then over at Ashlee, to whom he gave a silly grin. “I guess maybe if I wanna keep up around here, I may need to spend a little more time in the saddle, huh?” His grin widened. “But if that means more riding with you...I think I can handle that.”
Travis chuckled. “I think I may need to stick to leisurely riding.”
One of Dylan’s eyebrows arched. “What’s the fun in that?” Spinning Seven around, he dared to sink his heels into the gelding’s sides, making an internal wager that would either land him on the ground, or able to prove there was something inside this horse worth working for. Thankfully, his instincts won out, as instead of fighting, Seven broke into a run from a standstill. After letting the horse run halfway down the fence, Dylan leaned back, sinking deep in the saddle. Without hardly any pressure on the bit, Seven stopped short, sliding to a halt in a cloud of dust. Again with little rein, Dylan spun him around and sprinted back the way they’d come, this time though, he veered off into the middle of the riding ring to weave through several barrels, then back to where they’d started out, again sliding to a controlled stop.
Seven snorted and bobbed his head, chomping on his bit before giving a little buck, which Dylan chided him for. It was going to take some refining and some long hours in the saddle to calm the horse’s attitude, but he’d found what he’d been looking for. The diamond under the dirty and rough exterior that everyone else at the auction had seen. This horse was very keen, with a very good background that had somehow been lost. A little out of breath, Dylan patted his neck. This...this was what he loved. Glancing over to Ashlee and Travis again, his lips slowly curled into a smile as his eyes twinkled. “That’s my kind of leisure.” Clicking his tongue and urging Seven forward again, the gelding obeyed, still prancing as he had more pent up energy yet to be used.
Travis’ eyebrows were still raised as he looked down at Casper, who hadn’t moved a muscle since they’d stopped, then over at Ashlee, to whom he gave a silly grin. “I guess maybe if I wanna keep up around here, I may need to spend a little more time in the saddle, huh?” His grin widened. “But if that means more riding with you...I think I can handle that.”
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