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They continued to walk, lost in their own thoughts as the stable where he kept his horses came into sight.
“Oh! You’re going to show me the geldings you’ve been working with!” she exclaimed, like they’d never lapsed into silence, or that she’d ever thought about leaving.
“Yeah. And something else.” He tried to infuse excitement into his voice.
“Something else?” she repeated, sounding perplexed.
“Yeah. Something I’m going to give you.”
“Give me?”
“Hmm. You’d think there were mountains around here with the way your throwing my words back at me.”
“You’re saying crazy things. What could you possibly have to give me here?”
He just smiled, waiting. The geldings were in the near pasture, and Goldie was on the other side of the barn. She’d be visible in just a few more steps.
It took Dakota a bit, because her experienced eye was taking in his geldings, and she whistled low. “Those fellas are nice.”
“They’ve got great personalities, too,” he said, knowing he should be modest, but also knowing that what he said was completely true.
He could see Goldie around the corner of the barn. Maybe she sensed Dakota’s presence, because she whinnied, putting her head up in the air, sniffing, before throwing her tail up and galloping forward, like she was running to meet an old, beloved friend. Which she was.
“Goldie?” Dakota said, soft and low, disbelief in her voice. A few heartbeats passed. “That’s Goldie, my horse!”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, she used to be my horse.”
“No. She’s still yours.”
“How? No. Wait. What?”
“I bought her. But I haven’t transferred the papers. And I’m not going to. She’s yours.”
“You bought her? From me?”
“Yeah. I didn’t handle the details because I was working on the store, but yeah.”
“I had a friend do the sale for me since my gram had passed...”
“I know.”
She turned slowly to look at him. “You’ve had her since I sold her?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t read your name on the contract. And I hadn’t had time to look at the papers. But, yeah. And I can’t keep her. She belongs to you.”
They made it to the fence, where Goldie stretched her head over, reaching for Dakota. With tears in her eyes, Dakota walked under her neck, putting her arms around it and hugging her horse, burying her head in her mane. Horse and woman stood like that for long moments.
Ryan watched, knowing for sure he’d done the right thing. It would set his plans back - he’d need another foundation mare to start his herd with, and he’d need to spend more time saving in order to start the ranch he wanted to, but it was the right thing to do, and to see the two of them together again, it was worth it all.
Finally, after what seemed like a long time, Dakota lifted her head. Goldie nuzzled her neck, making her laugh softly.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see her again. It’s such a relief to know she’s in such good hands.”
“Maybe you didn’t understand. She’s not mine. She’s yours.”
“I can’t take her.”
