His Foxy Lady

by Kasey Belle

  Jim shook his head. No use worrying about what might have happened. They needed to be proactive and plan for what could happen in the future, which was something Koda was already working on.

  Jim didn’t know what he’d do if he could no longer work at the refuge. He loved working with the rescues and knowing he made a difference in their lives. There was nothing like watching a broken and scared animal heal and learn to trust. He climbed out of the truck and ran though his mental checklist of remaining tasks he needed to complete that afternoon.

  “Hi, Mr. Jim.” Casey waved as she came running over with Koda’s dog Vinny Pawzienza hot on her heels. The pup had really mastered his prosthetic. Once he finished growing, Ella’s friend would fit him with a permanent one.

  Jim stopped and waited on them to catch up with him. “Hey, Squirt. Whatcha doing out here by yourself?” He asked even though he already knew the answer.

  “Momma’s talking with Mr. Koda and Ms. Ella and we got bored.”

  “We?”

  “Me and Vinny,” she responded as if the answer were obvious.

  He glanced at Vinny who cocked his head and stared back at Jim with an expression that said, “Don’t I look bored?”

  “I asked Momma if I could bother you. She said yes as long as I don’t get in the way.”

  He grinned. Only a child would think bothering was a good thing.

  “So, is it okay? Can I bother you?”

  “Sure.” He studied her. She was old enough to learn a few simple tasks. “You’re seven, right?”

  “Yes. I’ve been seven for a few months.”

  He gave her a nod. “Good. You can help me.”

  She peered up at him with curiosity. “With what? What are you fixin’ to do? Can Vinny come help, too?”

  “We are fixin’ to brush Lady Grey. It’s her favorite thing next to sweet treats. And yes, Vinny can join us.” The pup spent a lot of time in the barn. He usually accompanied Koda wherever he went. Personally, Jim thought the pup would make a great service animal by the way he read and reacted to the moods of both animals and humans. “Come on.” He motioned for Casey to join him as he walked towards the open barn doors.

  “Who’s Lady Grey?”

  “She’s a rescue horse. She’s been with us a little over a year.” Jim gently snagged Casey’s ponytail and stopped her before they entered the barn. She giggled and gazed up at him with a wide grin. “I need you to listen to me. Are your ears open?”

  Casey looked up at him with wide guileless eyes and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Lady Grey has had a hard life. She still spooks easy and can hurt you if she gets scared. So, don’t rush up on her. No loud noises. No sudden moves. No excessive exuberance.”

  A frown formed between Casey’s blond brows. “What’s exu-exuberance mean?”

  “Unrestrained bounciness.”

  “Oh. Okay. No jumping around and acting crazy. Got it. Be gentle and sweet.”

  “Exactly.” Jim led Casey into the barn and went directly to the storage room. He grabbed a couple of sugar cubes out of the plastic container on the shelf above the feed, then an apple. He cut the fruit into quarters, wrapped them in a paper towel, and gave it to Casey.

  “Is this for Lady Grey?”

  “It is. She loves apples and sugar. I’m going to let you feed them to her.”

  “Then she’ll be my friend?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Jim carried the grooming tools, smiling when he noticed Casey tip-toeing next to him. She’d taken his little lecture to heart. He led her to Lady Grey’s stall. The mare poked her head over the gate and nickered.

  “Is that Lady Grey?” Casey whispered.

  “Yes. You don’t need to whisper. A normal inside voice is fine.” He showed Casey how to feed the mare without getting her fingers chomped on by placing the apple slice in her palm and holding her hand flat. She giggled when Lady Grey quickly scarfed down the fruit and nudged her looking for more.

  Once they were out of treats and Jim was sure Lady Grey felt comfortable with Casey, he opened the stall door. Jim knew the moment Casey gasped that she’d noticed the mare’s scars.

  “What happened to her?”

  “She was abused by her former owner.”

  Casey nodded her expression solemn. She laid her cheek against Lady’s side. “Poor girl.” She ran her hand over the horse’s neck and Lady nuzzled Casey’s hair. “I’m sorry you were hurt, Lady.”

  Jim’s eyes stung at the precious scene. She was a sweet kid.

  Casey turned to him. Her eyes clouded with worry. “Nobody is mean to her here, are they?”

  “No, Squirt. All the animals here have been neglected in some way. This is the place they come to heal and learn to trust again. Some go to other homes. Some stay here.”

  “Does Lady Grey have to leave?”

  “No.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “Koda decided to keep her. You ready to learn how to groom a horse?”

  “Yes.” She nodded enthusiastically. Her eyes were bright with excitement as she took the brush from him. He placed his hand over hers and demonstrated how to brush Lady’s coat. They worked together in silence. Jim couldn’t help but grin at her expression. Casey was completely immersed in her task. Her eyes followed each stroke of the brush and her tongue poked out between her lips. She was extremely gentle when she brushed over Lady’s scars.

  “Mr. Jim?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Did the bad person who hurt Lady go to jail?”

  Jim wasn’t sure how in depth his answer should be, but he was a big believer in honesty and the fact that Casey was a little girl didn’t change how he felt. In fact, it reinforced his need to be nothing but truthful. Children didn’t trust adults who lied to them and somehow, they always knew when they did. He wanted Casey to trust him and know, like the animals did, she could count on him. “The man was charged with animal cruelty and went to jail.”

  “Is he going to be there a long time?”

  “Unfortunately, no.”

  Casey’s eyes held an understanding that belied her years. She nodded. “The punishment doesn’t always fit the crime.” She sighed. “My dad used to hurt my mommy. He went to jail, but he’s out now. Momma wasn’t happy. I heard her talking to Mr. Hill. He’s Momma’s lawyer. She said it was complete crap that my dad was out after what he’d done.”

  The thought of any man laying his hands on a woman or a child boiled Jim’s blood. But, the thought of anyone hurting Nicolette had him fighting rage. He kept his voice neutral and asked, “Is that why you moved here?”

  “Um, no. Well, sort of. My dad wanted custody of me and Momma had to go to court. The judge told him no. He said since my dad gave up his rights before he went to jail and because he hurt my mommy, he didn’t get to have me. The judge said Momma got to keep me because that’s what Mommy wanted.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “Momma isn’t my real mommy. Um, I mean she didn’t give birth to me. Mommy was killed in the war. My momma Nicolette and Mommy were best friends and sisters. I used to call her Aunt Nikki, but she’s been my mom for a few years. I decided a while ago that I wanted to call her Momma. ‘Cause she is.” Casey shrugged a shoulder. “Anyway. I stayed with my grandma and grandpa when Mommy was dep-dep―”

  “Deployed?”

  She sent him a grateful smile. “Yes, deployed. Mommy’s will said that Aunt Nikki was supposed to raise me if she died. Grandma and Grandpa weren’t mad about that. They love Momma. Plus, they’re old.”

  He snorted a laugh. Jim wondered how old they were? Hell, her grandparents could be anywhere from fifty to a hundred. Anything over twenty-five was old to a child Casey’s age. “Where did you live before you came here?”

  “Shreveport. It’s nice there, but I like it here too. Momma said you get snow. I can’t wait to play in it. Will you help me build a snowman? Oh, and a snow fort. Maybe we can convince Mr. Koda to have a snowball fight.” Casey wiggled her eyebrows.


  Kicking Koda’s ass in a snowball war? Yes, it would be a war and damned if that didn’t sound like fun. “Sure. I haven’t been in a good snowball fight in a long time.” He took the soft touch brush to Lady’s mane. The horse let out a satisfied breath. “Do your grandparents live in Shreveport?”

  “Yes. They said they would come visit once we got settled. I miss them. They have a big RV and said they can come see me anytime. They are retired. Being away from them won’t be so bad.”

  Jim marveled at the little girl. She was highly intelligent and mature for her age. He supposed losing her mom had a lot to do with it, but she also seemed to have awesome adult influences in her life. He imagined Casey Hendrix would grow into a fine adult herself one day.

  Chapter 6

  After Koda had shown Nikki the cabin and helped unload her car, she’d walked down to the barn and retrieved Casey. She didn’t know if she was more relieved or disappointed that Jim wasn’t there. She found Casey sitting on a folding chair next to a teenage boy named Max, who turned out to be Hal’s grandson. Max was showing Casey how to polish a saddle while Jim took an important call.

  They waited around for a few minutes, but when it didn’t seem like Jim wouldn’t emerge from the office anytime soon, they left. She asked Max to pass on their thanks for watching Casey.

  “Me and Mr. Jim brushed Lady Grey and fed her treats. She’s a mare. That’s a girl horse.”

  Nikki grinned to herself as Casey skipped along beside her and gave a play-by-play of her time in the barn with Jim. Casey was leery of most men and it lightened Nikki’s heart to know her daughter wasn’t afraid of the men she’d met so far at the sanctuary. She knew Casey remembered what her father had done to Betsy even though Casey had only been two at the time. The last and final beating Mark had given Betsy made a lasting impression on Casey. One Nikki feared the little girl would never get over. Maybe with Jim and Koda’s help she would. The thought gave her hope.

  “Somebody hurt Lady. She has scars. It’s sad ‘cause she’s so sweet, Momma. You’d like Lady. Maybe you can meet her tomorrow. Would you like that?”

  “Sure, if we have a moment. The movers will be here in the morning with our stuff.”

  “Good.” Casey’s eyes widened, and she quickly added, “I don’t mind sleeping with you, but I miss having a bed to myself.” They’d spent the last few nights in a motel and as luck would have it, the only rooms available had been singles so they had to share a bed. Her daughter did not abide by the rules of personal space once her eyes closed.

  “I understand. I miss mine too.” She tugged Casey ponytail. “Especially, since I’ve been sleeping with Restless Rita.”

  Casey wrinkled up nose. “I don’t think I like that nickname.”

  “No?” Nikki tapped a finger against her lips. “How about Kung Fu Casey?”

  Casey pulled a face and shook her head.

  “Why not? It’s accurate. I thought the ghost of Bruce Lee was attacking me in my sleep.” Her little girl giggled but didn’t deny the accusation. “You’re lucky I don’t break easily. I’d probably have a few broken bones from your boney heels.”

  “Yep. Good thing.” Casey laughed.

  “You’re not even sorry you nailed me in the head with your foot of all things?”

  “Nope.” She made the ‘p’ pop.

  “Brat.” Nikki chased Casey the rest of the way to their cabin. Oh, she could have easily have caught her, but Casey’s peals of laughter as she evaded capture were much more rewarding.

  Casey made it through the door of their new home before Nikki decided to grab her. She slung her little girl over her shoulder and smacked her on the booty before setting her on her feet. “Are you hungry, punk?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Ella and Koda had stocked the refrigerator and pantry with essentials, which according to Koda included frozen pizza and ice cream. Nikki couldn’t argue with his logic.

  “Go take a shower while I pop a pizza in the oven. We’ll stream something on the laptop while we eat. How’s that sound?”

  “Can we watch something Marvel?”

  “I suppose.”

  “Yay!” Casey turned to head to the bathroom and Nikki stopped her. She pulled a towel, plus Casey’s shampoo and body wash from the box that contained all their toiletries. Thank god she’d had the foresight to pick up an air mattress, a few towels, and a set of sheets when they stopped for more car snacks in Denver or they’d be stuck in a hotel again tonight or worse, bunking at her new boss’s house. Koda and Ella had offered, so she knew they wouldn’t mind, but Nikki did.

  Nikki slid the cardboard disk under the bubbling pizza and was in the process of removing it from the oven as Casey emerged from the hallway in pajamas smelling like strawberries with a towel wrapped around her head. She’d worry about brushing Casey’s hair after they ate.

  “Grab a couple of bottled waters out of the fridge, please.” Nikki cleaned off her pocket knife with an alcohol swab and cut the pizza into manageable slices.

  “Oh, hey, guess what, Momma.” Casey stated when Nikki joined her on the mattress.

  “What?”

  “Mr. Jim was in the rodeo. He told me he used to ride bulls. That’s crazy, huh?”

  “It sure is.”

  So, her mate was a bull rider. The mere thought made Nikki tingle all over. There was absolutely nothing sexier than a cowboy.

  Her fox did a little cheer. “Wrangler butts. Yummy!”

  “I know right?”

  “When are we claiming our mate?”

  “I don’t know. We just got here. We know nothing about the man. Not to mention, we haven’t told Casey.”

  Fox scoffed. “Fate knows him. He is our chosen one. What else is there to learn?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Whether he’s an asshole or not? Better yet. Whether he can handle our little secret. He knows nothing of shifters.” Fox readied her rebuttal and Nikki cut her off. “We’ll worry about the claiming when we get there. Right now, we aren’t even in the vicinity.”

  Casey fell asleep halfway through the movie, but since a certain blonde Australian was involved Nikki thought it would be a sin to not finish watching it.

  When she returned from taking a shower, Casey was still sleeping soundly. Her arms and legs flung wide taking up most of the space. Nikki huffed a laugh and made herself “comfortable” on the foot-wide strip of space her daughter so graciously left for her. Nikki sat with her back against the wall, picked up the laptop, and set it on her thighs. She wanted to know more about Jim. Even though she wasn’t ready to claim him, he was still her mate. And hello? He used to be in the rodeo which was all kinds of hot as far as she was concerned.

  She plugged in her earbuds and Googled Jim Halsey rodeo bull rider and was shocked at the numerous pages of online articles, images, and videos that came up. She read a few articles and perused the photos before making her way to the videos. She clicked on one titled Halsey Wins First Buckle.

  Fox wagged her fluffy tail. “Holy hotness. Am I right? Yep!”

  Nikki rolled her eyes. She watched a few more, getting more turned on and enamored by her mate with each video. She finally worked up the courage to watch the video entitled: Big J’s Horrific Final Ride.

  Nikki leaned forward as the online video of Jim’s last ride began to play. Everything was going great. He’d stayed on the bull aptly named Demon Spawn the entire eight seconds. The announcers praised his ride, saying it would be the score to beat. Jim went to dismount, and the bull decided to leap in the air. Demon Spawn came down on his forelegs, immediately pivoted 180 degrees, shot his ass up in the air, and threw his head back. The top of the bull’s head connected with Jim’s skull. The bull spun again quickly. Jim hung off the bull’s left side because his right hand was firmly caught in the rope. Demon Spawn spun several times more. The bull fighters jumped the railing and rushed to help him. They tried to get him loose, but the bull wouldn’t slow down.

  Nikki gasped, and a hand fle
w to her mouth. She watched in horror as Jim got tossed and dragged by the giant bull. It reminded her of the scene in The Avengers when the Hulk slammed Loki around. Except the scene unfolding before her wasn’t the least bit amusing. The sight was horrific, yet like a train wreck, she couldn’t look away. “Oh, my god,” she whispered. “Fuck.” Even though the video was a few years old, and she knew Jim had survived, Nikki found herself willing the rope to release his glove.

  “This is absolutely horrifying to watch, JD,” one announcer said.

  “Right you are,” JD responded. “The rope won’t release. This is what a worst-case scenario looks like, Davey.”

  Nikki let out the breath she’d been holding when the bull and rider were finally separated. Her relief was short-lived. The bull turned and stomped on Jim’s motionless body as it lay on the ground. A bunch of men jumped into the arena, grabbing the bull by the horns, smacking its butt, yelling at it, basically doing anything they could to draw the beasts attention away from the fallen rider. But, the bull wouldn’t cooperate and kept its sole attention on Jim.

  A horse and rider appeared on screen. The cowboy threw a rope around the bull’s horns to help get him away from Jim’s broken body. Finally, the bull was chased out of the arena. Nikki blinked back tears as the announcer kept up his running commentary.

  “The sports medicine team is with Big J. We can’t know at this point how bad the injuries are, but honestly, it doesn’t look good. I would venture a guess and say he has at least a few broken bones. You folks at home are probably wondering why they aren’t moving him. They’re required to wait on the paramedics in case Big J has a neck or spinal injury.”

  “I don’t like how still he is JD. I haven’t seen him move. Have you?”

  “No. You could hear a pin drop in the arena. The silence as they say is deafening.”