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He understood why Jud loved it here. There was plenty of sky in Texas, a horizon that seemed to go on forever, and mile after mile of emptiness. This was different. Just as much sky, but the landscape beneath it was awe inspiring. He’d been through this part of the country but never spent much time here.
Back in the day, when he and Jud were assigned to the same team, he’d listened to Jud talk about his family and their ranches. The Blackstone family was what you might call old money. As far back as Jud could remember they were born into it. His family spent on land, buying up as much as they could to keep it from being developed and depleted.
It surprised Gunner when Jud retired from active duty. Then he met the reason. Ivy. Gunner was glad Jud found love, and now had a wife and a child. He’d never have imagined that, but seeing Jud today was like meeting a new man. One who smiled. A lot.
“So, you and Riggs ran back into the fire,” Jud said as he escorted Gunner to the vet center.
“You’re telling me you weren’t tempted?”
Jud’s grin was sheepish, which told Gunner the answer. “I’m happy where I am,” Jud said.
“I can see why.”
“How long’re you gonna stick around?”
Gunner shrugged. “I reckon that depends on Oakley. I have two weeks.”
“I hear ya, and just between us, according to Ivy, Oakley’s been lonely. She mentioned something Oakleysaid about feeling like an intrusion on people like me and Ivy or dad and Grace.”
“I can understand that.”
“So, can I. That was me, once.”
“But not today.”
“No, not today,” Jud smiled. “Okay, I’m gonna go check on the things and take the wolves for a run. I put them in the kennel while I tended to new foal. I’ll send Oakley your way. Just wait here.”
“Will do. Thanks, Jud.”
“It’s good to see you, Gunner.”
“Same here, bud.”
“See you later,” Jud started up the ATV and drove off, leaving Gunner watching the dust trail behind the vehicle.
He wandered around the building, checking things out and wondering if this was a good idea. Maybe he should have warned Oakley he was coming, or at least asked if she wanted him to visit. He’d let Riggs and Georgie convince him it was the thing to do.
It stood to reason that pretty soon he’d either have cause to thank them or decline ever taking their advice again. In the distance, he saw some cowboys driving horses toward the barn. He watched until the horses were in a paddock and then turned away to glance towards the house.
Gunner saw her long before she spotted him. He watched her walk, noticing the way she scanned the land around her, and even lifted her head once as if smelling something on the air. Surprisingly, she jerked her head around and looked in his direction.
His breath hitched a bit when her gaze found his. Even with the distance between them, her gaze carried apunch. In the next breath she launched herself into a run. He smiled as he watched her eat up the distance between them.
“You’re here!” She shouted as she drew within range. “You’re really here!”
She propelled herself through the air at him. Gunner caught her, let the momentum spin them around and then pulled her in close.
Oakley hung onto him. “God, you feel so good.”
The way she said it woke something inside him, a need he’d tried to suppress or ignore. The desire for someone who had that dept of emotion over being in your embrace. He wanted to be that man. For her.
“You’re here,” she put her hand on his face and then his chest when he set her down. “You’re here and you’re whole and –“she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. “You’ll never know how happy I am to see you.”
“Oh, I think I have an idea,” he replied and then whispered. “This is what I wished for every day.”
That brought tears to her eyes, and when she pulled back to swipe at them, saw Gunner’s eyes widen. She turned and saw the wolves running toward them, their long legs eating up the distance, leaving Jud in their dust on the ATV.
Oakley watched with pride. Wolves are known as coursing predators, which means that as opposed to animals like tigers or lions that typically ambush, wolves take their prey on the run. Many people were unaware that wolves are among the best of all terrestrial endurance athletes. She and Ivy clocked Ba’Cho and Nashoba running flat out, and they registered forty-two miles an hour.
