AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good, let’s ride over to our place.”
“Okay.” They’d always walked the horses back to the barn.
Pete led the way, opening the gates, and Tom closed them behind her. Having him back there, out of sight, didn’t bother her because he had to pay attention to his horse and work the gates. The ice on the driveways and road was a little nerve-racking, but Wiz remained calm, conveying confidence to Brownie, and she walked across without any issues.
They trod past the ranch house and dismounted in front of the big red horse barn. Pete tied his horse next to Brownie, but Tom used the hitching post on the other side of the barn door. She pulled Brownie’s tack, put it in the tack room, and curried the horse, checking his hooves and legs for any rocks, cuts, or bruises.
Tom led Strawberry to Brownie’s far side. “He’s okay?”
“Seems to be.” Being on the ground, looking up at Tom, was a little unnerving, but having Brownie’s bulk between them helped.
“Good. I got him.” Tom unwrapped both lead ropes from the hitch and led all three horses away to the corral, where he opened the gate and led them inside. Tom unhooked the leads but kept walking to the other side of the corral, checking on the water trough.
Pete leaned against the hitching post. “How do you think that went?”
Wiz smiled. “Pretty good. It was fun. Thanks.” She’d been getting bored, going in circles. Outside was much better.
Pete smiled back. “Good. Now, from here on out, I’d like you to come over here, and we’ll get the horses and tack them up together. Then we’ll ride, either to the arena or somewhere else. Sound okay?” Before she could say anything, he continued, “Don’t worry. Just like usual, the ranch hands will be gone for the day. It will just be me and maybe Tom. If someone else is here, just go back home or into our house.”
She thought about his proposal. She’d never been inside his house. “Okay. I guess I can do that.”
“Now, do you want to come in for some hot chocolate, or have you had enough?” Pete raised his brows.
She bit her lip, trying to decide. A strange place with two big men. She held back a shudder; she could trust both of them. “I’ll come. Thanks.” She swallowed. “I might not stay.”
“No problem. Whatever makes you comfortable.” He turned toward the ranch house. “Watch your step—it’s a little icy.”
She followed Pete inside, Rusty charging ahead. They stepped into a too-small entryway; coats and hats hung on both sides, with boots on the floor below. And a shotgun and a couple of rifles on a rack above the coats. The shotgun was a Remington 870, and the rifles looked like a .22 and 30-06, which made sense for a rancher. She wondered if they were loaded. Probably.
“You can leave your boots on. In the spring, we’ll be taking them off, but right now is fine, especially with Rusty tracking dirt in. You can give me your coat.” Pete hung hers over his.
He opened the door and led her into the kitchen. An open door at the end led to a living room with a couch and two recliners. In the kitchen, pale wood cabinets hung above worn Formica countertops with a big stainless steel sink in the middle. Ruffled floral curtains were pulled back from a window above the sink looking out to the driveway. A worn, dark wood dining table with six chairs sat below a bigger window overlooking the barn. A rich beefy scent made her mouth water and a crockpot bubbled on the counter.
“Have a seat if you want, and I’ll put some water on. It’s just instant, but it’s still good.” He filled an old-fashioned kettle. “Unless you’d rather have coffee?”
“No, hot chocolate is perfect.” She sat at the far end of the table, where she could see the whole kitchen and both doors. Her leg jittered, betraying her nerves at being in a strange house with the bare minimum of weapons, but she’d quickly learned that riding with a pistol strapped to your thigh was not comfortable. She’d downsized to a concealed carry 9mm in a holster at the small of her back and a single knife in a boot sheath.
Pete pulled coffee mugs from a cabinet. “If you’d like to see the rest of the house, you can look around, or I can get Tom to show you when he comes in. Bathroom right around the corner if you need it.”
“That’s okay. I’m all right here.” She knew there was a front door out of the living room, but the upstairs would have bedrooms, and she didn’t want to be anywhere near those.
Pete nodded and scooped powdered chocolate. “I’ve kept you a little longer than I normally would. Do you need to check anything? You can use Tom’s computer, if you want.”
“That’s okay. I don’t have anything scheduled.” Like usual, she’d stay up late tonight. And she had her phone if she had to get something done.
“Good. Because I don’t know his password.”
“I do.” At her urging, he’d changed most of his passwords but gave her access to his home network, so she could secure it. She should check on Pete’s accounts, too.
Pete chuckled and shook his head. “Of course you do.”
She’d ease into the idea; in her experience, many older men and women didn’t understand the necessity for cyber security. “He told you that I helped him secure your ranch network, right?” A door opening in the entryway signaled Tom’s return.
“Yep, he told me. And made me set passwords on everything, which is a hassle, but I get the idea.” He turned and leaned against the counter. “Never thought the day would come when I’d have to worry about that way out here.”
“You probably don’t have to, most of the time. But it’s a good habit, and it makes you a harder target. Just like having a dog makes you a harder target physically than the people down the street who don’t have one.”
The door opened, and even knowing it was Tom, she got up, ready to run or fight. Tom closed the door behind him and blew on his hands. “Brr. The wind picked up a bit.”
