West of Forever (Heartstone Ranch #1)(56)

I sigh heavily. “Fine. I’ll go.”

“Send me a text and let me know if it needs to be fixed or if the Stones have finally stopped fucking this family.”

Well, one Stone is definitely not done fucking someone in this family.

Absolutely not saying that.

“Sure thing.”

The new horse I’m working with has been doing great. I’m going to see whether I can ride her out there.

I bring her into the tack area, get her saddle adjusted, and pet her nose. “All right, girl, let’s give this a go. We’re just going for a short ride.”

I’ve always believed that horses sense energy. They are very attuned to their riders, so confidence is what I’m giving off. She and I are going to do just great.

Our ranch not only breeds horses, but we also train them. One of my specialties is working with horses who have been injured or didn’t work out on the original farms they went to. That’s what Dolores is. She went to a farm in Idaho that hoped to turn her into a show horse, only she never quite had what they wanted. Her gait is a little off when she trots, and the owners just felt she wasn’t worth the trouble.

I disagree.

Even though she’s severely neglected, I think she’s very worth the effort, and the owners were all too happy to have her off their property. I work with any horse that’s been moved to our farm, and if they’re suitable, I give them to a local camp that relies solely on donations and charity to help children with a variety of homelife issues or disabilities.

I think Dolores might be a great horse for them. She’s very sweet—she just needs a little love and attention to get through her anxiety.

She starts to shuffle when I put my hand on the horn, ready to pull up into the saddle, but I sally forth. If I give in to her, she’ll never let me mount.

Once seated, I give Dolores a second to acclimate, and then I pat her neck. “That’s it. Are you ready for a little ride?” I ask, knowing I won’t get an answer.

However, she hasn’t tried to rear or buck me off, so I’m going to take that as a yes.

I tap her flanks and guide her out of the barn.

Dolores walks slowly, spooking at something on the ground, but she recovers quickly.

We make it to the back fence area without any major issues, and I ride along the property line, looking for any signs of tampering.

When I get a little closer, I don’t see a break in the fence, but I do see a horse grazing along the edge and a little girl sitting there.

Sadie pops up when she hears me approach. “Hi, Lark.”

“Hey. Are you out here with the chickens again?” I ask as I near her.

“No, I just…brought…my aunt’s horse to graze.”

I look over at the beautiful white horse that has a lead attached. “Wow, that horse is stunning,” I tell her.

Sadie nods. “He is. My…aunt loves him a lot. Is this your horse?”

Dolores sidesteps, and I rub her neck, hoping to soothe her a little. “She’s a new mare I’m working with, but I’m hoping I can give her to a new farm that works with kids.”

“Like a camp?”

I nod. “I retrain horses for Guiding Hope.”

Her eyes brighten. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“I wanted to go to another horse camp this summer, but…you know, my dad sucks.”

I snort a laugh. “I don’t think that’s true, but I get the feeling. One year my parents tried to send me to a choir camp, and it was awful.”

“Yes! He’s sending me to a swimming camp. I don’t want to go. At all.”

“Well, maybe when you get back, you can do something fun?” I try to find the silver lining. Lord knows I hate when people do it to me, but Sadie is twelve, so…there’s hope she won’t.

She shrugs. “Maybe. Can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure,” I say, not really thinking it through.

Am I supposed to keep secrets for a kid?

I’m not her aunt or family member. I’m also banging her dad, so I’m not sure what exactly that means for this moment.

However, her very amazingly cool aunt is my best friend. So I could be like a proxy friend of some sort.

“Cloud isn’t my aunt’s horse. He’s mine.”

I’m not sure why that’s a secret, but it seems like an easy one to keep. “Oh. Okay.”

“He’s really sweet.”

“He seems like he is.”

And he does. He’s not bothered by anything around him, just happy to be grazing around the field, dragging his lead.

“I wish someone would be able to work with him. Aunt Roni is really busy, so she can’t. Aunt Fallon has Knox and hasn’t been riding much because she’s got work to do. Dad is…well, a butthole. No one has time, and I can’t do it without an adult because they all think I’m a baby.”

I purse my lips. “I see. Well, if you ever want help, I’d be happy to work with Cloud and you, if it’s okay with your dad.”

“Really? Of course he’d be okay with it! You’re a horse trainer, and no one else has the time.”

Sadie’s entire demeanor brightens, and I feel it in my heart. I love that something so simple—and something I love to do—has made her this happy. I imagine it’s hard for her. Losing her mom and then Mary Lou also being gone. She’s on the ranch, all day, with the horses that she can’t work with—rightfully so—but is desperate to do so.