Turning his head to look at Sam again, Aaron squinted at her. “I am in jail. I haven’t seen the light of day in weeks, I get pushed back and forth, here and there, I get fed meals that suck, and all I’ve got is a few magazines to keep me company. And Reese thinks this is different just because there aren’t actual bars on the windows?”
He sighed. “Maybe I should just pretend to be on the good guys’ side like Garret so I can get a free ride out of here like he did.” The bitterness had returned. “I don’t even know where he is, ya know? But I guess I’m the fool for having followed him for so long. I shoulda known he’d stab me in the back just like everybody else.”
He shifted his eyes back to the ceiling. Maybe this really was it. This was as good as it would get. His fate. Maybe he should just accept it.
Travis smiled and coaxed Casper forward again to keep riding. “That sounds good to me,” he agreed. Moving up into a trot, he shifted over closer to Ashlee so his knee bumped hers, and he gave her a silly grin. He hadn’t had a whole lot of experience with horses, other than what his dad taught him, but he did enjoy it, and this was fun.
He rode with Ashlee for a while, keeping clear of Dylan as he worked with Seven, until he knew he should get back in the barn to help with some more work. After dismounting and taking the horses inside to take the saddles off, Travis came over to Ashlee and patted Moonbeam’s neck. “Thanks for riding...that was a lot of fun.” His fingers found a little tangle in the mare’s mane, and he gently worked it out. “I was thinking maybe...” He gave her a sidelong glance, unsure what her response might be. “Maybe sometime you and I could... I dunno... go to lunch or something... just the two of us?”
He sighed. “Maybe I should just pretend to be on the good guys’ side like Garret so I can get a free ride out of here like he did.” The bitterness had returned. “I don’t even know where he is, ya know? But I guess I’m the fool for having followed him for so long. I shoulda known he’d stab me in the back just like everybody else.”
He shifted his eyes back to the ceiling. Maybe this really was it. This was as good as it would get. His fate. Maybe he should just accept it.
Travis smiled and coaxed Casper forward again to keep riding. “That sounds good to me,” he agreed. Moving up into a trot, he shifted over closer to Ashlee so his knee bumped hers, and he gave her a silly grin. He hadn’t had a whole lot of experience with horses, other than what his dad taught him, but he did enjoy it, and this was fun.
He rode with Ashlee for a while, keeping clear of Dylan as he worked with Seven, until he knew he should get back in the barn to help with some more work. After dismounting and taking the horses inside to take the saddles off, Travis came over to Ashlee and patted Moonbeam’s neck. “Thanks for riding...that was a lot of fun.” His fingers found a little tangle in the mare’s mane, and he gently worked it out. “I was thinking maybe...” He gave her a sidelong glance, unsure what her response might be. “Maybe sometime you and I could... I dunno... go to lunch or something... just the two of us?”
Out in the riding ring, Dylan continued to work, taking Seven through a series of maneuvers to test out the horse’s training and behavior. He concluded that the gelding did have good training in his past, but had obviously been neglected as far as that went, and allowed to get away with far too much misbehaving. He did seem to be very smart though, and Dylan was surprised at how quickly he started responding to his rider’s commands after realizing he couldn’t get away with bucking or rearing anymore.
Back of the barn, Mick was fixing part of the pasture fence, when someone’s shadow caught his attention. Glancing up, he saw Eric, and nodded. “Hey. Give me a hand here, would ya?”
“Sure.” Eric quickened his pace and came to hold some of the wire Mick was working with. “I, um...just witnessed something pretty amazing,” he mentioned.
“Oh? What’s that?” “Saw your son smile.”
Mick stopped his work and looked at his brother-in-law skeptically. “He always smiles. What’s so amazing about that?”
“No, not BJ.” Erick rolled his eyes. “I meant Dylan.”
Mick blinked. “Are you serious? I haven’t seen him crack a smile in...ages.”
“Yeah, well, he actually looked like he was enjoying himself. Riding one of those horses he brought back from the last auction.”
Mick could hardly believe it. Dylan? Actually enjoying himself? Mick couldn’t remember seeing Dylan smile since he’d been just a little tyke, before Mick had left his family, let alone seeing Dylan enjoy anything.
Eric grinned at Mick’s silence. “Just thought you might wanna know.”
Seven was wet all over with sweat and breathing heavily, but no longer chomped the bit or fought Dylan’s directions. Walking slowly around the arena with head hanging lower than earlier, he turned, stopped, backed up and ran through his gaits without much more than a toss of his head. Patting his neck, Dylan knew it was time to give him a rest. He’d worked him hard, and his reward would be getting cleaned up and put into his own stall with some grain.
Riding up to the gate, Dylan was a little surprised to see Mick standing there. How long had he been watching? He pulled Seven to a halt and just looked down at his dad. “Need me?”
“Naw. Just watching.” Mick quirked an eyebrow. “You got one sweaty horse there.”
“Yeah. ‘Bout as sweaty as I am. Finally got his head on straight though.” He looked down at Seven and sighed. “I might have trouble letting this one go. He’s prolly one of the smartest horses I’ve gotten so far.”
Mick shrugged and reached over the fence to scratch Seven’s cheek. “Why do you have to let him go?”
Back of the barn, Mick was fixing part of the pasture fence, when someone’s shadow caught his attention. Glancing up, he saw Eric, and nodded. “Hey. Give me a hand here, would ya?”
“Sure.” Eric quickened his pace and came to hold some of the wire Mick was working with. “I, um...just witnessed something pretty amazing,” he mentioned.
“Oh? What’s that?” “Saw your son smile.”
Mick stopped his work and looked at his brother-in-law skeptically. “He always smiles. What’s so amazing about that?”
“No, not BJ.” Erick rolled his eyes. “I meant Dylan.”
Mick blinked. “Are you serious? I haven’t seen him crack a smile in...ages.”
“Yeah, well, he actually looked like he was enjoying himself. Riding one of those horses he brought back from the last auction.”
Mick could hardly believe it. Dylan? Actually enjoying himself? Mick couldn’t remember seeing Dylan smile since he’d been just a little tyke, before Mick had left his family, let alone seeing Dylan enjoy anything.
Eric grinned at Mick’s silence. “Just thought you might wanna know.”
Seven was wet all over with sweat and breathing heavily, but no longer chomped the bit or fought Dylan’s directions. Walking slowly around the arena with head hanging lower than earlier, he turned, stopped, backed up and ran through his gaits without much more than a toss of his head. Patting his neck, Dylan knew it was time to give him a rest. He’d worked him hard, and his reward would be getting cleaned up and put into his own stall with some grain.
Riding up to the gate, Dylan was a little surprised to see Mick standing there. How long had he been watching? He pulled Seven to a halt and just looked down at his dad. “Need me?”
“Naw. Just watching.” Mick quirked an eyebrow. “You got one sweaty horse there.”
“Yeah. ‘Bout as sweaty as I am. Finally got his head on straight though.” He looked down at Seven and sighed. “I might have trouble letting this one go. He’s prolly one of the smartest horses I’ve gotten so far.”
Mick shrugged and reached over the fence to scratch Seven’s cheek. “Why do you have to let him go?”
Dylan bit his lip. “I gotta make a profit. Besides, we can’t keep an extra mouth to feed around here just ‘cause he’s smart.”
“Well I wouldn’t do it just ‘cause he’s smart either. I’d do it ‘cause you like him.”
Dylan fiddled with his reins, unsure if he really understood or not. It was too much to hope for. “I’ve...I’ve got Sharpshooter to ride. He’s okay.”
“Yeah but...he’s not your own.” Mick waited until Dylan looked at him again. “Every horseman needs his own horse.”
Dylan tried not to get too excited. “Could I...you mean, it would be okay? I mean, if he turns out to be as good as I think... it would be alright to keep him?”
“Why sure. Just make sure you ride Sharpshooter every once in a while or he might get jealous.”
A new smile suddenly spread on Dylan’s face and he nodded. “I think I can handle that.”
Mick grinned. Eric had been right. What had changed? What had made Dylan this relaxed? Maybe he’d never know, and that was okay. “Alright. I gotta get back to my fence. See ya later.”
“Yeah...later.” Dylan watched his dad leave before finally dismounting and giving Seven an extra pat. Maybe, just maybe he’d found his very own horse to keep this time. And having his dad’s approval made it a lot easier, too. “Come on, knucklehead.” He opened the gate. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“So how do you feel about your progress?” Justin sat across from Ryan at a little table in the park where they’d met today. It was one of their more regular places, unless the weather was bad, since it was non- threatening and open. He’d heard from Eli and knew that Ryan had actually gone to the races the other night, and that, in his mind, at least, was a huge step.
“Your brother told me you’d been to the races. Do you think that’s a step in the right direction?”
“Well I wouldn’t do it just ‘cause he’s smart either. I’d do it ‘cause you like him.”
Dylan fiddled with his reins, unsure if he really understood or not. It was too much to hope for. “I’ve...I’ve got Sharpshooter to ride. He’s okay.”
“Yeah but...he’s not your own.” Mick waited until Dylan looked at him again. “Every horseman needs his own horse.”
Dylan tried not to get too excited. “Could I...you mean, it would be okay? I mean, if he turns out to be as good as I think... it would be alright to keep him?”
“Why sure. Just make sure you ride Sharpshooter every once in a while or he might get jealous.”
A new smile suddenly spread on Dylan’s face and he nodded. “I think I can handle that.”
Mick grinned. Eric had been right. What had changed? What had made Dylan this relaxed? Maybe he’d never know, and that was okay. “Alright. I gotta get back to my fence. See ya later.”
“Yeah...later.” Dylan watched his dad leave before finally dismounting and giving Seven an extra pat. Maybe, just maybe he’d found his very own horse to keep this time. And having his dad’s approval made it a lot easier, too. “Come on, knucklehead.” He opened the gate. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“So how do you feel about your progress?” Justin sat across from Ryan at a little table in the park where they’d met today. It was one of their more regular places, unless the weather was bad, since it was non- threatening and open. He’d heard from Eli and knew that Ryan had actually gone to the races the other night, and that, in his mind, at least, was a huge step.
“Your brother told me you’d been to the races. Do you think that’s a step in the right direction?”
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