“This is the first Percheron I ever bought with my own money. Until Ben, all the horses I owned had been bred through the horses on our farm.”
“He’s so big. Aren’t you intimidated?”
Mike shook his head. “No.”
Scooter sat in the doorway watching as Mike told Vanessa about the horses. “My family once owned about all this town,” he said. “Porter’s. The horses. We had quite a carriage business for years. Ran most of that out of the warehouse where you’re staying. Slowly family members died, their craftsmanship not carried on by the next generation. Everyone wants what’s new, I guess.”
“Not you?”
He shook his head again. “Give me the simple life. A comfortable home. Honest day’s work. A town full of people trying to do the right thing. Family has always been everything to me.”
“So, Buck? How does he fit into all of this?”
He jerked his head around. “What do you know about that?”
“I don’t. I mean I know he and Misty are related, but I haven’t figured out how all the pieces fit together.”
He turned and walked Ben back into the stall. “They don’t.” Mike stroked the side of the horse’s neck with the flat of his hand. His back still to her. He really didn’t want to get into that tonight.
A chill rushed in.
Suddenly, repeated barking broke the awkward moment.
“That doggone puppy. He’s going to get his fool self killed.”Mike muttered under his breath as he marched toward the big barn door. The barking continued, and Vanessa caught up to him when he got to the barn door.
He raised a hand in the air to keep her quiet as he stepped outside. The group yip howl was unmistakable. He ran back inside and grabbed a rifle from the top of a rack. “Get back. Stay right there.”
A long drawn-out growl preceded the next bark.
“Coyote,” Mike said over his shoulder. “That must be what had the hens acting up earlier.”
Mike had his rifle up and aimed when he heard the familiar heavy footsteps coming from the barn. The coyote took off.
Inside, Vanessa was backed up to one of the stalls, and Big Ben was standing in the doorway. He let out a loud whinny and pawed his foot.
Scooter ran past Mike inside the barn covered in mud. He ran a lap around Ben and then saw Vanessa and crouched as he raced for her like she was the finish line.
Mike put the rifle away, then led Ben back to his stall. “He’s lucky Ben scared that coyote off.”
“Is it just me or does Scooter look awfully proud of himself? I think he thinks he single-handedly handled that situation.”
“He’s covered in mud.” Mike watched the puppy place a muddy paw on Vanessa’s coat.
“Aren’t you proud?” she said playfully.
“He won’t be proud when he ends up being that coyote’s dinner.”
“Don’t listen to Mike,” Vanessa teased. “Seems like this little guy did okay with the help from his friends. I think you’ve found Rein’s replacement. She loves these horses, and at least one of them is very fond of him.”
“You actually might be on to something.” He looked at her all covered in mud. She’d never looked more beautiful. “I guess it’s a season of change in Fraser Hills.”
“The good kind,” she said.
He’d never been a real fan of change, but he wasn’t about to argue with her.
The sound of a truck in the driveway broke the silence between them.
“I think Misty’s home,” Vanessa said.
