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Laughter caught his attention.
He turned and saw Mason’s bay horse stopped, pawing in the water.
Oh no. “Ride him forward, Mason.”
He imagined the horse going down for a roll. Trapping Mason beneath the water.
Mason laughed. “What’s he doing?”
“Ride him forward! He’s going to roll.”
Beth was closer but blocked by four other horses.
The horse turned, pawed some more, and started to drop his hind end.
Grayson saw realization strike Mason at the same time. Panic gripped his features and he yelled, “No!” and nudged his horse just as Grayson splashed toward him on Maverick.
The bay startled and reorganized his legs, then launched out of the water like it was a Three-Day Event course obstacle.
Mason clung to the horn. “Whoa. Whoa!” The bay came to an abrupt stop on the near side of the creek and settled.
Just past them, Grayson could see Eli grinning. He’d blocked the trail on his little roan.
Beth brought up the last half of the crew and took in the scene. Blinked.
Grayson scrubbed his hands over his face. He was pretty sure if they needed an ambulance and a vet call, he and Beth might both be out of jobs.
“That was awesome!” Aiden shouted, loud enough that Grayson was certain it echoed across the lake.
Grayson shook his head. “Okay, we’ve had a lot of excitement today. We need to get back to the barn—so, just a reminder: don’t let your horse stop in the creek.”
Mason gave him a shrug and a smile. “I stayed on.”
While not the only goal in horseback riding, it was at the top of the list. “Good job.”
Their afternoon crew had a much less eventful ride. Four hours later, after feeding the horses dinner and making sure all of them were settled, he hauled the hay cart back into the barn.
He stopped at the open door to Beth’s office, where she sat at her desk, leaning over a stack of paperwork.
“What’s up?”
“It’s okay—you’re busy.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m about done here. I’m trying to finalize one of the grant submissions, and I could use a break before my brain explodes.”
“Want to help me rebandage Tally?”
“Sure.” She followed him into the stall. “You did good today. I wasn’t expecting all that drama.”
Tally nuzzled Beth, her favorite human. All their handling was paying off. Tally wasn’t tense anymore when they worked with her.
He nodded. “Thanks. I really felt for those kids. That’s a tough family situation.”
“I meant at the creek.” She handed him a clean bandage. “The water. Actually, yeah—all of it.”
He wanted to lean into her words. He was drawn to her just like the kids were. Just like Tally. That peaceful presence.
She embodied a safe harbor—her heart for others, whether human or animal. Always being the one who stood in the gap. The helper.
