“You think?”
“Why don’t you try it? There’s a bucketful at the front.”
He disappeared and returned with a carrot. And hesitated.
She wondered how he had avoided this first step. He should have been taught all this by now. “Just offer it. She won’t bite.”
Simon tentatively held the carrot and Sara scoffed it down and looked expectant. He blinked, not sure whether this was a good thing.
“Did you saddle Sara yesterday?”
“I didn’t feel well.”
She was right. He didn’t want to be here. He was probably afraid of horses but apparently his wife forced his hand. He was clever enough to get someone else to help him saddle the first time and then probably made an excuse to hang back.
“She’s very gentle,” she said. “She’s like a rocking horse, and she loves anyone who gives her carrots and feeds her. Let’s get some oats and put them in her feed bucket. You will have a friend for life.”
Simon looked at her with frank disbelief.
She took the bucket from the stall and showed him where the feed was and how much to give Sara. He followed instructions and Sara nuzzled his hand.
“It’s soft,” he said, looking surprised.
“When are you supposed to have your first riding session?” she asked.
“This afternoon.”
“Is it okay if I give you some pointers?”
Several of the other men came in and started feeding and watering their horses. She saw his shoulders get a little straighter.
Thirty minutes later he was riding in one of the riding rings. Stiff at first. Fingers clutching the saddle horn, then gradually loosening. After another half hour, he started to relax. He walked around the circle several more times.
“Ready for breakfast now?” she asked.
She went over and held the horse. “Just swing your right leg over and slide down. Then walk him back to the barn, unsaddle him and cool him down. Okay? You can show up the instructor this afternoon now.”
He gave her what she thought must be a rare smile. “Thanks,” he said. “Yeah, I can do it.” He and Sara headed for the barn.
Susan turned around and saw Ross standing next to a tree. “Nice work,” he said. “From what I read and heard, I thought we might lose him.”
She noticed it was we. “How did you know I was here?” she asked.
“One of the guys saw you lead him here. He was a little worried. Simon made no secret about not wanting to be here.”
“He was more afraid than anything. I suspect there was an unfortunate encounter with a horse somewhere in his past.”
Something flickered in Ross’s eyes. But it was gone almost immediately.
“You should be an instructor,” Ross said.
“I’ve worked with some kids,” she said, “but I would rather just ride. Like your bike, it’s my freedom.”
“I get that,” he said.
“I thought you would.” Their gazes met. She tried to look away but something held her. His eyes showed little about what he was thinking. It amazed her that he could manage that. She always jumped into every cause with fervor.
Problem now was she should be running in the other direction.
Still, words popped out of her mouth.
“Need a lift to Stephanie’s office?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “I need to buy some clothes, as well.”
“Then you’will need a ride. I don’t think running will work. You don’t have enough hands for clothes and a dog.” She was asking for trouble but she couldn’t help herself. “You can even drive,” she taunted, “if you can drive a four-wheel vehicle?”
“When I must,” he said with a lopsided grin that made her heart turn over. She winced. Why in the heck was she asking for trouble? She didn’t want her heart to turn over. It was the worst thing that could possibly happen.
“I’ll be in the stables helping anyone who needs it,” she said. “I’ll find you at eleven thirty.” She turned around and walked toward the stable. It had been a dumb offer. He was perfectly capable of getting his own ride from someone at the ranch.
She could only hope that he would say or do something that would spoil her opinion of him. Unfortunately it was the opposite. Physical therapist for the stars or not, he cared about her vets. It had been obvious last night and again this morning.
And they responded to him. He connected to them in a way she never could because he’d shared some of their experiences. His understanding was unspoken but demonstrated in the respect he gave them.
She hadn’t noticed any physical wounds but she would bet he had emotional ones. She knew medics often had the worst of it. They were right there in the action and charged with doing all they could to save bodies torn apart by explosions and bullets and often there was little they could do.
How did he go from that to working with film stars? Why didn’t he work for the VA or with other programs where physical therapy improved lives, instead of helping careers?
And why did he insist on a nomadic lifestyle?
Two big questions she’d love to have answered.
Chapter 10
Along with Danny, Susan spent the rest of the morning helping the vets care for their horses and gear. They fed their horses, talked to them, saddled and unsaddled them during the course of the morning.
She made sure the girths were tight and the stirrups adjusted properly, that they cooled off the horses on return to the stable. It was the participants’ second day on horseback. They were feeling more at ease.
She loved doing it. She already saw changes in their guests. They were less nervous, less uptight in just these two days. They complained of sore butts—“beg your pardon, miss.”
When the stable cleared out, she walked out to the riding ring. Four vets were being asked for a slow canter while Luke watched and shouted instructions. She knew Luke had already decided their skill levels, or lack of them, and divided the participants into three categories: stark beginners, some experience and good riders. Luke worked with the beginning riders and Jubal and Josh with the middle group. After basic skills were developed, the the vets would graduate into advanced horsemanship, including herding cattle and teaching horsemanship themselves.
She checked her watch. Eleven thirty. Time for them to leave for Stephanie’s animal clinic. She hadn’t seen Ross since they’d talked earlier. Temporarily at loose ends, she tried the bunkhouse. Ross was on the floor with Dennis, one of the quietest of the group. They were doing push-ups. Both were sweating. Hobo was lying a few feet away, his eyes on Ross.
“That’s enough,” he said to Dennis. “Unless you want to keep going.”
“No, sir.” Relief was evident in his voice.
Ross raised an eyebrow.
“I mean Mr. Taylor. Ah... Ross.”
“Got it right the last time. Keep going with those push-ups in the morning,” he said. “See if you can work up to twenty. How did the riding lesson go this morning?”
“Better than yesterday but I’m sore as hell today.” Then Dennis noted her standing at the door. “Beg your pardon, ma’am, I mean...” he stuttered.
“Don’t mind me,” she said. “I’ve used that expression several times.”
Dennis stared at her. “You have?”
“Afraid so,” she said, then changed the subject. “Have you been on a horse before?”
“Just an old farm mule.”
“That counts,” she said.
“How did you hear about New Beginnings?” Ross broke in.
“The VA. A counselor there. He suggested that I come here. I couldn’t hold a job. Every loud noise freaked me out. Couldn’t sleep. Started drinking too much. Trying to forget things I saw.”
The young man cut his gaze at her. “I still want a drink,” he said, �
�but Ross, he told me whenever I thought about taking a drink, I should start doing push-ups until I was too tired to want one anymore.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said.
“There isn’t anything around to test the theory,” he said with a shy smile.
Susan nodded. “But push-ups do sound like a good idea. I might try that.”
“Can’t do them like I used to,” Dennis added regretfully. “Got to get my body back in shape for the camping trip. Ross said he would work with me on that.”
Ross rose in one graceful movement, leaned down and pulled Dennis up.
She noticed both men’s T-shirts were damp with sweat. She wondered how long they had been at this.
Ross looked at his watch. “I need a quick shower. Do we have time before the veterinarian appointment?”
“Stephanie won’t care if we’re a few minutes late. I think she would prefer you have a shower.”
He gave her that slow smile that caused heart fluctuations. “I’ll just be five minutes.”
She noticed Hobo was starting after him. She swooped down and picked him up. “You can trust me,” she told the dog. “He’ll be right back.”
She made small talk with Dennis, and several minutes later, Jubal entered the bunkhouse with a shirt in his hands. “Ross called. Said he needed a clean shirt.”
“He’s washing up.”
Jubal went straight to the shower room.
Jubal and Ross came out together. Ross was wearing a blue pullover shirt that was a little snug. It outlined every muscle and the color looked great with his gray eyes. “Let’s go,” he said.
“Have you had anything to eat?” she asked Ross.
“Not yet. I was going to grab a sandwich here.”
“Can you take more time in town?”
He nodded. “Next meeting here isn’t until two.”
“That will do,” she said. “You haven’t been to Maude’s. Best diner in Colorado and a veteran’s first visit is free. After you see Stephanie, you can visit the General Store while I check in at the inn and then we can meet at Maude’s for lunch. You can leave Hobo with Stephanie while we eat or you can take her to Maude’s. She doesn’t notice if you sneak in a dog. No food inspectors around here. Amos is a well-known figure there.”
“She sneaks dogs in?” he asked.
She noticed he didn’t jump at the chance to leave Hobo with the vet. “No, she just makes a point of not noticing. She’s much too busy.”
His grin widened. “Okay. I want to get clothes to keep some at the ranch. Running to work has disadvantages.”
“The General Store manager is very nimble in her buying,” Susan said. “If she doesn’t have what you need, she’d have it tomorrow even if she has to drive to Pueblo to get it.”
“I’m beginning to like this town,” Ross replied. “Free meals. Accommodating stores.”
“That’s the idea,” she said.
“I know,” he said. “‘We aim to please,’” he said, repeating one of her earlier statements. He turned to Dennis. “Good job today. That wasn’t easy, and I know it. I’m proud of you.”
She watched as Dennis seemed to grow another inch or two taller as he straightened up. “Thanks.”
“Same time tomorrow,” Ross told him. “And I would take a long hot shower to relieve some of those sore muscles.”
“I think there will be a line tonight,” Dennis said shyly.
“I expect there will,” Ross said, then turned to Susan. “Let’s go.” He leaned down and picked up Hobo, who had been restrained for the time Ross was in the shower room. “I’m going to tell Luke I’m leaving,” he added. “Can you take Hobo? He accepts you. I’ll meet you at the car.”
She leaned down and picked up Hobo. The leash she’d bought wasn’t necessary. He didn’t need one. It was clear he wasn’t going far from Ross.
A few other vets were still in the ring with Luke. She knew it was all very organized and that in the next few weeks the groups would meld together into one competent group of riders when they took the wilderness trip. There would be other rides together, as well. They would have new confidence, new abilities, new coping skills.
She was impressed but not surprised at the way Ross melded so easily into the program. And she was beginning to understand how he became a physical therapist for film stars. He had patience, empathy and a way of becoming a partner rather than an instructor. He was also the kind of man she suspected film stars would respect: a former Ranger with combat experience and a body any star would probably die for.
It was difficult to put that together with the kind of outsider—or wanderer—he seemed determined to be. Given a choice, how could someone not have a home? Not have any roots? Nor want any?
Before she could muse any longer, he was at the Jeep. His hair was still damp and the fresh shirt stuck to him. She was hard put not to stare.
* * *
When they reached Stephanie’s office, Susan entered with Ross and Hobo and introduced them.
Stephanie studied Ross as she held out her hand. “I’m sorry I missed you the last couple days.”
“I heard you were on a search and rescue mission. Was it successful?”
“Depends on the way you look at it. A woman took a wrong turn and ran out of gas. No cell service. She left the car and started walking. She was in the mountains and fell. She has multiple injuries. We finally found her thanks to some good guesses by very smart forest rangers and one of my search dogs, but it’s going to be a miracle if she gets back to where she was physically. One hint,” she added. “If you ever get lost, stay in or around your car. More people die from wandering off.” Then she looked at Hobo. “I take it this is my newest patient.”
Ross nodded. “He’s obviously had a hard time. I found him shot and left on a mountain road. His leg looked bad. I did what I could with a makeshift splint. He’s walking, but I know animals can stand a great deal of pain. As you can tell, he’s obviously been mistreated for a long time. When I found him he was filthy.”
Stephanie picked Hobo up. “I’ll run a series of blood tests and check that leg.” She rubbed the dog’s tummy. Hobo moaned. There were no other words for that.
“That’s pleasure, not pain,” Stephanie explained.
“He has a lot of scars,” Ross inserted. “I think maybe he was a bait dog for a dog fighting ring. He’s not large enough or strong enough to actually fight.”
Susan bit her lip. If true, it was a miracle Hobo had survived. No wonder he feared everyone but the man who had saved him. Her affection for the little dog spiraled upward.
Susan broke in. “I’ll leave the two of you. I should check in at the inn.” She turned to Ross. “I’ll meet you at Maude’s. If you get there first, just tell her you’re with me, although she probably knows all about you now.”
Stephanie smiled. “She’s right about that. It’s scary.”
Susan left and drove to the inn a mile away. The parking lot looked ghostly with only a few cars parked, several of them belonging to staff. It would fill up Friday and Saturday nights when the dining room offered dinners that drew ranchers from miles around, as well as townspeople.
It was a regular feature and helped keep the inn solvent when room bookings slacked off.
But today, she had bills to pay and orders to make. She also wanted to check comments on the inn that had been submitted by recent guests. To her satisfaction, there were five from last week’s guests on the inn’s website. All recommended the pageant, two mentioned the gold mine Jeep trip. The inn itself received five stars on four of the comments and four on the fifth.
She copied them for possible marketing value, then glanced at the clock. It was one fifteen. She was running a little late. She pulled in front of Maude’s four minutes later. The great thing about small towns was short distances and light traffic.
&n
bsp; Susan saw Ross immediately when she opened the door to Maude’s. Maude had seated him at her favorite table, the corner booth next to the window. She was a sucker for veterans.
Maude scurried over to her. “He’s a good one,” she said.
“How do you know?” Susan asked.
“His smile. I can always tell by their smile.”
“Josh didn’t smile the first time he came here,” Susan reminded her.
“Ah...but I could tell under all that gruffness was a big heart.”
“You just plain like everyone,” Susan charged. “Admit it.”
“Not quite everyone,” Maude said. “I have several on my watch list.”
“Who?”
“That’s for me to know,” she said, and led the way through the packed restaurant to the back booth.
“Hi,” Susan said as she slid into the seat facing Ross. “What did Stephanie say?”
“The wound is healing nicely. No parasites, which is a miracle. He’s getting a more professional splint. The leg was broken but she thinks it’s already healing. He’s a tough little guy. That’s about it.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s still there but we have to pick him up. She thought it would be better if he stayed with me while she checked around for possible adopters.”
“You didn’t disagree.”
He looked shamefaced. “I couldn’t leave him in one of those small cages. Not after everything he’s gone through. But she said she would try to find a real home for him.”
Ross didn’t sound as eager about the prospect of finding a home for Hobo as he had yesterday. And she very much doubted Stephanie would look very hard. She knew a good match when she saw one. Susan smiled inside. Or maybe it wasn’t so internal because he cast her a suspicious look. “No,” he said. “I really can’t keep him.”
Maude interrupted them then. “What can I get you?”
He glanced up at her. “What would you suggest?
“The T-bone today,” she said. “Comes with salad and French fries. Best yet, it’s free.”
“That’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
Home on the Ranch: Colorado Cowboy Page 12
