by Toni Leland
Julia scrolled to the top of the story. “She was found grazing along the fence outside a horse farm in Idaho. They took her in, then began checking around the region for news of someone’s horse getting loose. The local sheriff had a report of a wrecked truck and horse trailer on one of the back roads. Apparently the driver hit a deer and went into a deep ditch. The trailer doors were open. The thief must have known he’d be caught, so he just let the horses out and ran.”
“That’s a helluva happy ending. It could have been much worse.”
Julia bit her lip. “Yes. Unfortunately, I don’t know which of my other mares was on that trailer, but she’s probably somewhere in the same area. Hopefully, someone took her in as well.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Coquette is being returned to the Carter farm. I’m devastated to have lost her, but I know she’ll be well cared for. By the way, I took those photographs of the horses here, but I have no idea how to get them to NetPosse.”
“I can do that for you. I’ll be by in the morning.”
“Where are you? I thought—”
“My plans changed. Really changed.”
He didn’t elaborate and she let out a long, slow breath. Time and patience, don’t forget.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The terrier alarm went off at about six in the morning and Julia moved to the kitchen door to see who had arrived, then she started to laugh. Dillon stepped out of the pickup and began playing with the dogs, sending them into a frenzy of glee.
She opened the door and called out, “Hey mister, you wanna cuppa coffee?”
He came into the kitchen and kissed her cheek. “Glad I’m not too early.”
She poured the coffee and started toward the table, but he took one of the mugs and nodded toward the door. “Let’s get the horses fed early. I want to show you something.”
With two of them working together, water buckets were filled, hay distributed, and grain doled out in less than three hours.
Dillon dusted off his jeans and looked around the barn, then headed toward the pinto’s stall. He leaned on the door, murmuring to the animal, then turned back to Julia.
“Ready to go?”
“I guess…are you going to tell me what’s up?”
He smiled. “Eventually.”
The pickup rolled down the driveway and turned onto the highway as Bill’s car approached.
Dillon grinned. “I think he’s interested in Casey.”
Julia laughed out loud. “You think? You should have seen them last night over Chinese food. It’s a mutual admiration society.”
Dillon turned on the main road and headed west past Lakeville. The sun was bright and the sleeping landscape looked almost attractive in the early morning light. After about two miles, they turned north and the road followed a grove of trees along the river.
“Where are we going?”
“For someone who’s shown an incredible ability to take things slowly, you’re sure impatient.”
The road crossed the river and split. Dillon took the right fork, then immediately turned onto a dirt lane lined with trees. A minute later, Julia gazed at a red ranch-style house with white trim.
Puzzled, she looked at Dillon. “Who lives here?”
He cocked his head, a foolish smile turning up the corners of his mouth. “I do.”
She was speechless. She looked at the house again. When had he…
He touched her hand. “I’m tired of living in motels and the back of the truck. This place was for rent, so I took it.” He opened the door. “Come on, I’ll show you the best part.”
Julia walked beside him as they approached the house. Dillon’s voice was bright with enthusiasm.
“It needs some work. The elderly owners couldn’t take care of it anymore and decided to move into an apartment in town. Real estate isn’t selling right now, so lucky me, they were willing to rent it out.”
Julia listened to the happy lilt in his words. She hadn’t seen this side of him, and it reminded her of the doubts she’d had the previous night. With enough time, the real Dillon would surface and she understood, only too well, that it could take a long time. She glanced up at him. I’m willing to wait.
“So, what do you think?”
She blinked. “I think it’s great.”
“No, silly, the barn.”
Julia spun around and looked where he was pointing. A small red barn was trimmed in white to match the house. Four stall doors faced out on a small paddock, and the entire area behind the house and barn was surrounded by wood fencing. An old-fashioned bathtub sat under a water spigot next to the gate.
“Dillon, it’s wonderful.”
She turned to him, overwhelmed with joy. He’d taken the first step in providing opportunities for their relationship to grow. He’d set down roots, much like she had, and that meant more than any terms of endearment ever could. She stepped close and slipped her arms around his waist, losing herself in his clear blue eyes.
He pulled her to him and brushed his lips against her ear, his whispered words stirring her heart.
“I need to start over. Will you help me?”
She closed her eyes and sank into his embrace. “We’ll help each other.”
* * *
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About the Author
From the age of eight, Toni Leland nurtured an on-going love affair with horses. Every moment of every day was filled with fantasies of owning her very own horse, a dream that finally came true at the age of twelve. Her life has been graced by many of these beautiful creatures, so it only seemed natural that her careers would revolve around them, as well.
Graphic artist, advertising consultant to the equine industry, and publisher/producer of magazines, books, and videos about horses have consumed the past eighteen years of Toni's life.
The next step was obvious: equestrian fiction.
Visit her at
Romancing the Horse
http://www.tonileland.com
Other Kindle Books by Toni Leland
Double Exposure
Winning Ways
Gambling With the Enemy
Hearts Over Fences
Deadly Heritage
A Garden of Secrets
Tattoo: The Awakening (YA)
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