“Have you seen Becky around her?”
“Yeah, she’s got it bad too.”
“Ginger was a pretty safe bet for you.”
“So she’s my horse. Just like that?”
“Yup.”
“A gift from Bart?”
“Yup.”
A silence fell over the conversation.
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Kitty and Bart have the rest of the story, but you’ll have to pry that out of them.”
Molly went straight to Ginger’s stall, wrapped her arms around her horse’s neck, and wept. Was it the second happiest day in her life?
Not just because she wanted Ginger. How about Bart and Kitty orchestrating the whole thing without leaking a single clue? Kitty would know any barrel racer would kill to have a horse like Ginger. Bart knew he could rely on his sister to pick the right horse. And Bart, Silas, and Kitty had gone to great lengths to create the goofy story and keep the lid on. If she hadn’t fallen for Ginger, Silas would be selling her to the highest bidder next week.
“Well, girl, it looks like we have some riding to do. I hope you’re half as happy with your new partner as I am with mine. You’re so beautiful, and I’m going to be so good to you. We’re going to have the best times ever.”
Molly couldn’t take her hands off Ginger.
Sitting in an Adirondack that night with a beer, Molly was watching the pups run all over the place. They were growing so fast. Every day they had new skills and were up to new trouble. They were so astonishingly cute right now. And Shadow was constantly busy, feeding, herding, and grooming.
But her head was still spinning. Ginger was her new horse. She was just realizing the impossibly good timing. She’d ride her with the former queens in the Stampede parade. Maybe she’d join the Queen’s Ride at the rodeo opening. She’d certainly ride her in the Stampede Relay Race at the fairgrounds. Well, crap, she’d ride her every day for the next twenty years unless one of them croaked.
Molly took a long, deep drink and drained the cold beer she’d just started. Might as well enjoy the second happiest day of her life while she pondered special ways to say thank you to Bart.
What she did to him in the shower was nothing compared to the erotic fantasies that were now flooding her mind.
The next morning in her office, she pulled up her email and composed a note to Kitty.
Good morning Kitty,
The happiest day of my life was my eighteenth birthday when my dad surprised me with Jo.
The second happiest day of my life was yesterday when Silas told me that Ginger is a present from Bart.
I’m sure you can picture the scene after that. My arms wrapped around Ginger’s neck bawling my guts out. I know barrel racers don’t cry, but I also know there’s an exception to that rule when being gifted a horse like Ginger.
Honestly, she’s so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off her.
And to think that you and Bart and Silas cooked up this preposterous tale about a rich guy in Oregon buying her for his daughter’s sixteenth birthday and hiding her at Summer’s End. Honestly, I suckered for that story so bad because it’s exactly what my dad did for me with Jo.
Anyway, I know there’s more to the story, and you know I need to hear it. So write me a note, or be prepared to tell me over drinks at Summer’s End.
Honestly, I’m so happy this morning, I’m completely numb.
And I’ll never be able to adequately thank you for the role you played in all this.
Appreciatively,
Molly
