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Chapter 2
“Yellowstone Gold isfor sale.”
Ryan Landry held the phone to his ear and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as he walked down toward the beach in Strawberry Sands.
“Yellowstone Gold?” he repeated, although he had heard his friend Denver loud and clear.
That was Dakota’s horse. The one she’d come so close to winning a barrel racing championship on.
Dakota had been a go-get-them kind of girl, and as far as he knew, she’d gotten everything she’d ever set out for. Except for him.
He’d declined her offer of marriage. She was a great friend, and it was possible he had feelings for her, probable, even. He admired her as a barrel racer, but he hadn’t wanted to be saddled with a wife and possibly children as he chased his own rodeo dreams. He would never have won the three championships if he’d have married her when she asked.
She hadn’t truly loved him or been heartbroken, since the next time he heard about her, she was married with a baby on the way.
That had put the brakes on her rodeo career, and he supposed he should feel like he’d dodged a bullet, but he always felt like maybe she’d been the one who got away, and he’d always regret not going after her.
He didn’t know what happened to her, but apparently she and her horse had parted ways, since Yellowstone Gold was up for sale.
“How much?” he asked, rolling over in his mind whether or not he would be able to scrape the money together to get her. He’d been saving to buy property of his own, but using his down payment to buy a horse of Yellowstone Gold’s quality would be a wise investment of money that had been meant for a ranch.
Denver mentioned the amount.
“Wow. That’s it?”
“The post is five minutes old. If you want her, you better move fast.”
“I’ll take her. Do whatever you have to to get her. If you can pay for her, I can wire you the money today as soon as the banks open.”
He looked at the pink glow on the water. The sun hadn’t quite made it up over the eastern horizon, and he was on his way to help his brother feed his horses before he worked with two of the horses he was training in roping and reining. After that, he would go to the inn to help as a handyman.
He had several ads out with his handyman business, offering services, but he wasn’t expecting to get a lot of work here in Strawberry Sands.
Which was just fine by him. The more time he had to work with his horses, the sooner he could sell them, and not just make back the money he’d spent, but hopefully pocket a tiny little profit and put that much more toward his dream of owning his own ranch.
It was almost a dream come true, since he saved his winnings from the rodeo. He’d had endorsements and purse money he’d won, and he was close to being able to afford the ranch of his dreams. Although it had been hard for him to admit that his rodeo days were over. He didn’t want to think that he was getting older, that he would never have another championship belt, never be number one again, never have more accolades to add to his list.
It had taken him a while after he got back to settle into the small-town routine, and humble himself enough to ask the Lord if this was really what God wanted for him, and to give his life over fully to God.
When he was chasing the rodeo circuit, he was sure that was what God wanted him to do. And, as a champion, that gave him a platform to point others to the Lord. But fame was fleeting, and he’d experienced that firsthand. Now, God had other things for him, and he needed to be ready, willing. And he needed to move forward with no regrets, including the fact that Dakota would never be his and he’d most likely missed out on the woman who would have been perfect for him.
“I just messaged the person who posted. She said she was selling for a friend, who had a death in the family and needed to sell ASAP. As soon as I wire the money, she’ll take the post down.”
“All right. If you don’t mind doing it, I’ll make sure you’re refunded.” He couldn’t go now, since he was helping his brother, then he needed to help at the inn. Mark Shields had been doing most of the work himself, but he was planting trees today and needed Ryan’s help. Ryan had given his word that he would be there.
But he wasn’t going to let this opportunity to own Yellowstone Gold pass by. She could be the foundation mare for his entire herd. Any man who’d been on the circuit at all would kill to have her as a part of his herd. The fact that Ryan didn’t have any horses currently would make Yellowstone Gold the cornerstone on which he would build everything.
He didn’t have to see her to know that she was perfect. Even if she never competed again, and he guessed she wouldn’t because she was well past her prime, she was the perfect mare to be put out to pasture and raise babies for him to train.
“I’ll let you know if anything changes,” Denver said. Then he chuckled. “I figured you’d jump on that.”
“I appreciate you thinking of me. Thanks,” he said.
They hung up, and Ryan continued down the sidewalk. Whistling a little, excited. He hadn’t planned on starting to build his herd this quickly, but he wasn’t going to let a chance like this pass by.
