Four years ago, I had the pleasure of raising a certain horse at a neighboring farm. My parents had lived in town and because my father had helped on a ranch that was only a couple of miles out of town.
I had the pleasure of naming the horse as well. Since the older woman had no living relatives and she hadn’t ever had any children, she had told me that I was like a breath of fresh air around the ranch.
I was eternally grateful that without my knowledge, the older woman had sold her ranch and had gifted half of the proceeds to me on the day that I had turned eighteen and the other half she had donated to St. Jude’s.
To this day four years later, I have yet to even touch the funds.
When my parents passed away in a car accident it seemed that they took the necessary measures to make sure that I was cared for if something ever happened to them. Luckily after paying the funeral expenses and paying for college, there was still a good chunk of change left over, hopefully, if I found a stable, some of that money would be going towards chasing my other dream.
To reclaim Stormy.
I had been following the sale from Ms. Fletcher’s place along with following Stormy’s path. So far, she has been bought and sold four times because she won’t allow anyone to get near her.
I had almost been arrested once when I grabbed a lead rope and started to hit the man that had dared to use it on Stormy, all because Stormy didn’t want the man blowing cigarette smoke into his nose, who would?
Luckily, I had major luck on my side, the sheriff had been driving by and had seen what all had happened, what all had been going on.
The man had tried to press charges on me, but he had been out of luck that I had been given. I had received a warning however that if I was found doing anything similar then I would be facing lock uptime. But for Stormy, I would dare anything.
In walked the one man that I hoped had a spare stall, I doubted it, but it never hurt to ask. Not to mention this was the last option that was open to me.
And just like normal, he had on his black felt Stetson. Lord what I wouldn’t do to wear his Stetson and be called his, that great of a man, I would more than likely be forever happy.
I finished ringing up the customers that were behind the counter and then I made my way down aisle three where I saw Mr. Denton disappear.
“Excuse me, Mr. Denton?” I called out.
I had talked with this man before who was a pillar in ourcommunity.
“Yes.” And just like that when he turned his head, I was dumbstruck by the beauty of this man. Whoever said that thirty-seven was the new twenty-seven had been right on the money. But only with this man.
But I was never allowing my feelings to show. I was content in my life and the way it was going. I had enough change when I was eighteen to last a lifetime.
Even though Mr. Denton was magazine drool-worthy.
“I am inquiring if you have a stall that is available at your stables?” I stood there with my shoulders straight and my chin lifted.
Sure, this big man intimidated some, he also intimidated me, but it was his beauty that always hit me. It wasn’t his size, even though I had to crane my neck to see up to his chin. It wasn’t that I was short, five foot three was a normal size however his six-foot-four size was something to be feared.
Not to mention the broadness of his shoulders and the expanse of his chest as it stretched the flannel across his skin. That was something that only my book boyfriends could claim.
No matter what I would do whatever I needed to do for Stormy.
I stood there as I watched him eye me with scrutiny.
“I might have one. Who is wanting the stall? What kind of horse is it?” Mr. Denton answered me.
“It’s for me. There is this horse going up at auction… and before you start about buying a horse from an auction and the dangers they can bring to other horses; I know this horse. I helped raise this horse, however, she was sold when the owner passed on. She’s a mustang, she is four years old. She allowed me to ride her bareback, but anyone else she wouldn’t allow them to even get near her. She refuses to be tamed, and quite frankly, I don’t blame her, all she needs is to be partnered with. Never tamed.”
As soon as I said my piece, I wanted to retry that entire conversation and judging by the look on the man’s face, I had just lost that stall for Stormy. All the while I watched Mr. Denton raise an eyebrow at my little rant.
The goings-on of the store sounded like a herd of elephants in my ears. I thought I might have missed his reply but no, the man had yet to say something.
I glanced over my shoulder to see if there was a line at the register in time to barely miss the tilt on Travis Denton’s mouth that had formed a little smile.
“Do you have a trailer to go and get her?” That wasn’t what I expected to come out of his mouth, far from it in fact.
“I thought they had a service where they can bring the horse to you.” I had made sure I was correct on everything that I needed to do. I wasn’t going to let Stormy down.
