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“No. He’s actually being sweet.”
Bunny’s eyes widened. “Sweet, huh?”
Millie’s heart skipped a beat. “ I, um, I don’t mean like...sweet,I just mean, like, not too gruff. Um, just normal.”
Just normal. Great job, Millie. Way to go.
Obviously, just like always, she’d said too much. The last thing she wanted to do was let on that anything was going on between the two of them. If anyone found out, her job here might be over before it really began.
“Got it,” Bunny said. Then, making sure Takis didn’t see, the mischievous Little mimed zipping up her mouth.
Millie was about to say something — no doubt putting her foot in it even more — but before she could, Chuck interjected.
“Come on now, Mill, we better get out, like I was saying. Need to check on the sheep.” There was an urgency in his voice that told her that now wasn’t the time to disobey.
“Right, D-boss.” Another skipped beat. There was no way that anyone would have heard her almost call Chuck ‘Daddy,’ was there? She was going to have to be alotmore careful from now on.
“Watch out for coyotes,” Takis said.
“Don’t worry,” Chuck said, “they need to be watching out for us.”
Millie stared up at Ranger’s saddle, and she felt her body tremble with fear.
When she had been a girl, she would have loved the opportunity to ride a horse like Ranger. But now... now it was a different story entirely.
“Come on, you can do it,” Chuck said, encouraging her. She reached up, and she touched the saddle gingerly. Just then, Ranger puffed out a breath, and Millie heard a sound that almost sounded like the horse was laughing at her.
“Easy there, boy,” Chuck said, reaching up and patting the horse. “You’re scaring Millie.” He gave a nervous chuckle, and Millie felt her heart skip a beat.
Millie couldn’t bear the thought of not getting on. She felt as though this was the critical moment. If she didn’t mount Ranger right now, she might never do it.
But then, as she got herself ready to put her foot in the stirrup, images flashed through her mind.
Wizard, struggling to breathe, panting with pain, his leg broken in two places.
She felt the prick of hot tears, then, she felt Chuck’s hand, heavy on her shoulder.
“We’re gonna do this together, babygirl. Me first, and then you. Alright?”
Bunny and Takis were watching nearby, and the terror of having the two of them see her fail was laying heavy on her.
“Alright,” she whispered back.
In a smooth, practiced movement, Chuck easily mounted Ranger. The horse didn’t complain at all and looked totally at ease. Then, Chuck held out his hand. “Now’s the time, babygirl. Now’s the time.”
She took his hand and reached up into a new world.
CHAPTER TEN
Thenewworldwasgood.
The feeling of an animal beneath her. The sense of freedom and wild opportunity. It was all coming back to her.
It was a warm, sunny day. The kind of day where you can almost feel the earth breathing a sigh of relief. The sky was a deep, clear blue, and the rolling hills that stretched out before them were covered in lush grass, dotted with patches of wildflowers.
They rode together, sharing Ranger’s saddle. The ride was long, but the view kept Millie going, as well as the feeling of closeness to Chuck. She clung to him as she felt Ranger smoothly move smoothly under them.
It struck her that Chuck smelled exactly the same as he had when she’d been a young woman: fresh-cut grass, coffee, and the same dang cologne he must have worn his whole life long. When she was younger, that smell used to make her feel all woozy and confused. Now, though, it just made her feel safe.
