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“Did your tribe breed them?”
“Some. Horses were of great value to my people. The finer the horses you owned, the more wealth you possessed among the tribe.”
Someone whistled, the sound carrying on the breeze. He looked toward the barn and saw Owen waving at him. He still had to help set out feed but leaving Morning Dove was the last thing he wanted to do. For once, she was talking to him and it wasn’t only in response to something he asked her. She’d given him a small glimpse into her past, as painful as it had seemed for her to talk about it, and he felt privileged that she had.
He waved back at Owen to let him know he saw him. “I guess I need to go.” She nodded and stepped away from the fence. Something pulled in his chest seeing her back away from him. He’d happily let her tag along with him all day if he could. He glanced back at the barn and remembered the foals. “Hey, we have a couple of new foals in the barn. Want to come see them?”
She looked as if she was going to say no, so he added, “The newest was born last night. She barely has her legs under her good.” Stepping away from the fence, he clicked his tongue to get Cash to come to him. He grabbed his reins and started toward the barn, letting him walk behind him. He paused and looked back at Morning Dove. “You coming?”
She glanced over at the crowd that was gathered before turning to face him, her cheeks once again stained pink when she raised her eyes to his. “Yes. I would like to see them.”
Ben took his time getting to the barn. They walked in silence with Morning Dove still outside of the fence. He opened the gate when they reached it and led Cash through, the painted mare trying to come with him. He led her back inside the fence before latching it behind him. He tied Cash’s reins to a nearby post before heading into the darkened interior of the barn.
“It’s about damn time.”
He looked up at Owen, watching his eyes go wide when he saw Morning Dove.
“Sorry. Didn’t know we had company.” He grabbed the front of his hat and tipped it up as a way of greeting and grinned as wide as he’d ever seen. “It’s a pleasure to meet ya, Ma’am. I’m Owen. You need anything…”
Ben snorted. “She doesn’t, so go back to work.”
Owen laughed, along with someone else he couldn't see. He led Morning Dove to the last stall in the barn with a nod of his head.
“There she is.”
Morning Dove looked over the stall door and her face lit up. He opened the gate and walked in, soothing Ginger before telling her to come in.
She stepped in and went to her knees in front of the foal before running a hand over its head. “She is beautiful.”
Ben watched Morning Dove, taking in every detail of her features, and had to agree. She was beautiful.
Chapter Four
Morning Dove tugged the barn doors open and swung them wide, letting the dark interior flood with light. The cow was looking at her when she neared her stall. “I know, Mabel. I will milk you as soon as I have fed the chickens.”
The chicken feed was low, she noticed, when she filled the old cook pot she used to carry it outside with. She made a mental note to tell Aaron.
She spoke a soft word to Pansy, Betsey’s old mare, and checked in on Ranger, Aaron’s roan, who had his head over the sidewall staring into the empty stall beside him. “What are you looking at?” She asked, walking down the aisle to see what held his attention.
Morning Dove froze when she saw it, the pot of feed slipping from her hands. She caught it before it hit the floor.
“Why are you here?” She set the pot down and opened the stall door. Ranger was still staring and Morning Dove knew how he felt. She was having a hard time looking away, too.
The painted mare she’d been admiring the day before at the Avery Ranch stood in the stall beside Ranger's. A red ribbon was braided into her white mane and a saddle so new the leather still shined was draped across a bench pushed up against the wall.
She looked around the barn. There was no sign anyone had been there other than the mare now stood in the once empty stall. So how had she gotten here?
Had Betsey or Aaron looked at this mare? She had overheard them talking about Pansy…about her age and her need to spend the rest of her life grazing and not making repeated trips into town.
A birthday gift for Betsey, then?
No. That’s not for months yet.
Thinking back, she did not recall seeing them look at the Avery’s horses, so why was this one here?
The mare ambled over to where she stood. Morning Dove rubbed her neck. “I never thought to see you again.” She smiled. “How did you get here?” Her thoughts drifted to Ben. Of them talking about this horse at the Avery party. “Did Ben bring you here?” And if he did, why?
The mare was a beauty. Her coloring differed from Star Dancer's. Her father's horse had more patches of brown on him, this one more white.
