“The four buddies are full-time employees with us and volunteer to do this. They’re young enough to remember how it was at their age and usually connect easily to their kid. They’ll teach them about the horses, how to make friends with them and how to groom and saddle them. They’ll help our full-time riding instructors, a US champion barrel racer and my sister, who is an expert rider herself. Like me, she’s been on a horse since she was four or five.”
He added, “Three of my hands have been trained as equine therapy certified.”
He hesitated as he saw the doubt in her face. “The kids learn horsemanship in the morning and in the afternoon spend time with their mustang. Chet, my foreman, and I supervise contact between the mustangs and our participants.
“There’s no touching for a week or so—it depends on the horse. Maybe longer. Maybe less. Depends on how it goes.”
He paused. “If all goes well, we start the next stage. When the horse starts coming over to her, she’ll give him a treat. Might be a carrot or an apple. She will be showing the mustang it has nothing to fear from humans, and a young person is less threatening than an older one. Then, typically, the horse begins to trust. One of our horse wranglers will teach the horse basic manners like how to walk on a lead, but our participant will continue to be its friend, the one that makes it easier for our wrangler. As the relationship strengthens, our student gains confidence as well as a new friend.”
He was tired and he knew he wasn’t at his best. He was being a little short, and she didn’t deserve that when she’d come a long distance to help her daughter.
Lauren MacInnes tipped her head. “And if it doesn’t go well?”
“We occasionally have a mustang that doesn’t respond but that’s unusual. If that occurs, then we’ll concentrate on building her, or his, riding skills with trusted horses.”
“What if she and her roommate don’t get along?”
“They’ll learn to. For the time she’s here, she’ll be part of a family,” he said. “They’ll eat together, learn together, exercise together, have small and large successes together. Usually, the initial shyness fades away.”
Just then a big black-and-white dog bounded out of nowhere to jump on him, making whining noises. Lauren was quick enough to take a photo.
“I’ve just been gone four days,” he told the dog, then turned to her. “Excuse his behavior. This is Leo.”
“Hello, Leo,” she said.
Leo offered his paw.
She looked at Reese.
“He wants you to shake it,” he said.
She did.
“Now you’ve been accepted. He looks after everyone who is here. There are three other dogs, including two cattle dogs, but Leo is king of the Roost.”
She raised an eyebrow at the description, and he liked the fact that she got his pitiful sense of humor. “Julie always wanted a dog,” Lauren said.
“You’re going to spoil him,” Reese warned her as she leaned down and ran her hands through his thick fur.
“He looks spoiled already.”
“He’s a ranch dog,” he disagreed. “Chases varmints.”
“What kind of varmints?”
“Snakes. Prairie dogs that dig holes that could injure both rider and horse, an occasional mountain lion or bear that comes down from the mountains.”
“Are you trying to scare me, Mr. Howard?”
“That would be rather useless, wouldn’t it?” he said. “I doubt a fighter pilot is afraid of a snake or even a bear.”
“You would be wrong,” she replied and changed the subject. “Can I take a photo of him with his paw up? I took several of the horses. It might be the winning ticket with my daughter.”
“Sure. Leo would be more than pleased. He loves attention.”
“In addition to chasing varmints?” she said.
“Yep,” he said. He liked that quirky sense of humor that poked out once in a while. It softened the barrier that was evident in the first moments of their meeting. But then he hadn’t been particularly welcoming.
“What’s the rule about parents?” she asked. “Can I stick around while Julie is here? If, that is, I can get her to come.”
“We ask that you don’t visit for the first week. Some kids want to leave on the first day but on the fourth you can’t pry them away. The idea is to immerse them in ranch activities. There will be some chores such as feeding the horses and grooming them. We like to make it as much of a typical day on any ranch as we can.
“After that first week, you’re welcome to visit on Sundays,” he added. “But let us know so it won’t interfere with a lesson.”
Lauren nodded. “I understand that. I’ve been with her every day since the accident. She’d always been adventuresome before that. Now she has nightmares and doesn’t want anyone to see she needs a cast or brace.”
He nodded. “We’ll brief the staff, particularly your daughter’s buddy, on everything you’ve told us. We’ve had lots of experience with trauma.”
There was something in his voice that told her he knew about trauma. “Tell me about the horses you brought in,” she said.
“They’re scared now,” he said. “They don’t know what is happening. Many of them have never had contact with people.”
“That’s sad,” she said. “From what I can see of them, they look...active,” Lauren said.
“Active is one word for it. Another is panicked. But with good food, a lot of patience and grooming they’ll look and act a lot better.”
“I wasn’t aware there were many wild mustangs in the country.”
“Not many people are. There’s still a lot of empty land throughout the country. Herds seem very adept at finding places to graze. They eat what’s there, then move on. They’re very wise about that. Problem is when a herd is sighted, they’re rounded up and driven to places that often don’t have enough natural resources to maintain them or they’re driven to auctions. We’re losing our heritage.” Indignation put a bite into his words. He shrugged self-consciously. “I get carried away sometimes.”
“I hope it’s catching,” Lauren said wistfully. “Julie used to be curious, but now she’s reluctant to even go outside. She’s very self-conscious about using crutches, although she’s had an operation that we hope will solve that problem.”
“That usually wears off fast around here when her companions all have had disasters of their own,” he said. He was finding it more and more difficult not to meet those eyes directly. They were just too damn brilliant. Why hadn’t Patti warned him?
“She’s gone through hell. Four operations. Once a whirling dervish, now she rarely leaves the house—except for medical reasons. She’s been mourning her father and blaming herself for the accident while undergoing multiple surgeries on her leg. We’re waiting to see whether the last one will be the last one.
“It would give her some control over her left foot,” Lauren continued. “Right now she doesn’t feel as if she has control over anything. But Patti says her favorite books involve horses and other animals so I’m crossing fingers that this program will help bring back the old Julie.”
When Lauren MacInnes smiled, her face lit. He realized now that her multitude of questions had not been personal but because she was someone used to making decisions and now found herself floundering in quicksand.
Reese turned to Bob. “Ever been in this area before?”
“No, I had no idea there were ranches in the mountains.” The man paused, then added, “You have some operation here. How many cattle do you have?”
“Damn if I know exactly,” Reese said. He ignored what was considered the ultimate no-no in cattle culture of never asking a cowman how many cattle he had. He chalked it up to ignorance. “We’ll have a new count in the spring when the calves come, but it’s several thousand.”
“That’s a bunch to look af
ter,” Bob said.
“Yeah, it is,” Reese said, suddenly impatient to get that glass of whiskey and visit the mustangs. He was too attracted to Mrs. MacInnes and far too quickly. “I should get back to the mustangs,” he said.
A sudden very loud braying interrupted the conversation. All four of them glanced back at the paddock.
“What was that?” Bob asked.
“It’s a burro,” Reese said with a slight smile. “He’s hidden in there among the mustangs.”
Bob looked puzzled. “A burro?”
“Another word for donkey but usually a smaller—and louder—version. They’re the offspring of a mare and a donkey and are called donkey in the East and burro in the West. They’re often found with a herd of horses and this one was rounded up with this group of mustangs. He was thrown in the package for free because no one else would take him. He’s a loud little critter. Bossy, too. Don’t know what in the hell we’ll do with him.”
Lauren glanced up at him, as if seeing through his words and knowing the burro was probably going nowhere. Their gazes held. He couldn’t look away. There was a connection, a flash of understanding that went soul deep. He was stunned by it.
“I think we should start back,” Bob said, breaking that thin thread that had passed between him and Lauren MacInnes.
Reese jerked back to reality as Lauren nodded.
“Did we pass inspection?” Reese asked with a half smile.
“If you will have her.”
“Patti would never talk to me again if I didn’t say yes,” Reese said. “And next to Sally and Nathan, my nephew, she’s my favorite person. I respect the hell out of her. I offered to help her with her tuition, and she turned me down.”
“Why?”
He shrugged, but she gave him a suspicious look.
Lauren held out her hand. “Thanks. I think this would be great for Julie. All I have to do is convince her.”
He shook her hand for a brief second, nodded and turned around with Leo at his heels.
* * *
Lauren stared after him. She recognized avoidance gestures when she saw them. There was a story there, somewhere, where Patti and her tuition were concerned. She suspected there were a lot of stories around the ranch.
Sally said, “He’s always like this when new mustangs come in, and I doubt whether he had any sleep last night. He usually doesn’t at one of these auctions. Can’t keep him away from them. He’ll be down there singing to the mustangs this evening.”
“Singing?” Lauren asked.
She nodded. “Along with some of the guys. Reese believes it relaxes the horses.”
“And do you believe it?” Lauren asked.
“Yep. Just like it does with cattle. I even join in sometimes except my voice seems to scare them.”
“What about his?”
“It’s actually pretty good,” Sally said.
Another interesting fact about him. “You said guys,” Lauren said, “but he mentioned female hands.”
“Being a ranch hand is a hard, dirty job that takes a lot of strength,” Sally replied. “I worked with the horses as a kid but I didn’t do the heavy stuff. But out of about forty, we have five women and they’re among the best. Two of them have come out of the Horses for Heroes program near Covenant Falls.”
Patti had mentioned Covenant Falls. Maybe she could explore that area if Julie was here.
A big if. Now that she felt more confident about the program, she would still have to convince Julie.
Sally smiled. “I hope to see your daughter here. It sounds like she’s had a rough time, but horses and kids go together. There’s a lot of magic between them.”
* * *
As she drove the rental car back to the plane, Lauren tried to absorb everything she’d seen.
And felt.
Damn it, she’d been drawn to the tall, rangy rancher and she couldn’t figure out how it had happened. It was the first time in a year and a half that her heart quickened when she was with a guy. She never even imagined she would—or could—feel even the slightest attraction for another man after Dane died.
Physically, they were quite different. Dane had been shorter, leaner, and his clipped hair was blond where Reese Howard’s was dark, almost black and, truth be told, a bit shaggy. A shock of it had fallen over his forehead, and he’d run his fingers through it, pushing it back in place.
Reese was tall, rangy in build, but every movement seemed to have a grace to it. He was not handsome in a classic way, but there was a rugged attractiveness that appealed to her. His cheekbones were high and his mouth was wide, sensual and curved in a reserved smile. Reese Howard had the same intensity as Dane and obviously the same commitment to what they did for a living although their jobs—their lives—were worlds apart: Dane flying the most advanced aircraft in the world, and Reese Howard more comfortable in the saddle.
But she wasn’t ready yet to entertain thoughts of another man, nor, she was sure, would Julie be ready for that, either. Patti had forgotten to mention her cousin was a bachelor, which he apparently was. There had been no mention of a wife or child. Nor had Patti mentioned the size of the ranch and the big, rambling ranch house that had obviously undergone constant growth.
It was a far different world than hers. If she were smart, she would run like all the demons in hell chased her, but the program and change of scenery could help her daughter, and that was all that was important.
Chapter 4
They were halfway back to San Antonio before either Bob or Lauren spoke. The cockpit didn’t encourage conversation. He’d been busy with flying, and she tried to absorb everything she’d heard and seen, particularly her reaction to Reese Howard.
Lauren had been wary of the program when she’d arrived. She wasn’t going to leave her daughter with a stranger without knowing more. She’d done due diligence and asked the navy psychologist to check Eagles’ Roost out. His report was positive, even glowing.
But that was not enough. She’d had to see it for herself. Her first impression was poor when Reese Howard was late for their appointment.
She liked Sally Reynolds. Still, she planned to contact the parents of past participants. It was that pilot’s training again. You check everything once, twice and three times.
The ranch was far larger than she’d anticipated, and the ranch house was intriguing. According to Sally, it had been built in 1910 after the original was destroyed in a fire. As the family multiplied, additions were built, but the house, though sprawling, looked comfortable. For someone who had lived in a three-room apartment in a poor neighborhood for years, then military housing, it was...impressive.
But her main goal had been to meet the man in charge. For some reason she’d expected someone older, someone more...
More what?
He’d looked rough, disheveled and tired when he arrived. He certainly didn’t look like someone who owned thousands of cattle. He had two or three days of beard but his dark, almost black eyes were intelligent and wary. His jeans and jean jacket were stained. He wasn’t handsome in traditional terms, but he would be hard to ignore in a crowd.
It was the unexpected humor and lack of ego that attracted her as he walked her around the ranch area. He’d been curt in the beginning, obviously eager to get back to the mustangs, but he’d relaxed as he talked about his love of the mustangs, the ranch and his equine therapy program.
The ranch awakened her childhood longings. She’d been an avid reader as a child and practically lived in the library when she wasn’t helping her mother. Among her favorite books were those about animals. Animals and adventures. Even at six, she’d wanted to have adventures.
Maybe she could give her daughter one. An adventure that would awaken her fighting spirit.
“What do you think?” she asked Bob through their headphones as they approached the airport near San Anto
nio. She wondered if meeting Reese Howard was affecting her judgment.
“I think Howard’s for real,” he said as if reading her mind. “Sounds like a great program to me.”
“You think it’s safe, then?”
“I watched the way they brought in those mustangs. Howard obviously knows what he’s doing. Everything about the ranch says good management—the way they handled the mustangs, the cleanliness of the stables and the other buildings. He doesn’t have to do this equine therapy program. Doesn’t bring him anything but satisfaction. But he’s a man who expects results. I think it would be good for Julie.”
His observations only strengthened her instincts. She had been dubious about the idea, but the ranch stirred something in her. The only problem now was to stir it in Julie, as well.
“Thanks for flying me down there,” she said.
“Dane would have done the same for my wife and I would do it for any coworker.”
“I’m not a coworker any longer,” she said sadly.
“You will be once Julie gets her life together. She’s completely dependent on you, or thinks she is. This horse thing is her chance to regain some independence.”
“If she agrees to attend...”
“She will, and I know for a fact the air force would like you back in a New York minute.”
Lauren wished she was as optimistic as Bob was. The four of them—Dane, herself, Bob and Sue—had been friends for nearly all the time they’d served in the air force. Bob had been in training with Dane and had been his best man at their wedding. Lauren had been maid of honor for Sue. They babysat for each other when they were in Germany together.
Unfortunately, her thoughts returned to the ranch’s owner. She’d been irritated until he stepped down from the trailer and watched as the horses dashed down into the paddock or corral. He looked as if he belonged to those mountains that surrounded the ranch. Rugged and formidable.
Home on the Ranch--Colorado Rancher Page 4
