Rainier Drive (Cedar Cove #6)(43)

When she arrived at the ranch, she didn’t immediately see Cal. Various horses milled around the fenced pasture to her right. She wasn’t sure exactly how many Cliff owned now—several dozen as far as she could tell. On previous visits Linnette had learned the names of a few of them. Cliff’s stallion was called Midnight, and the brown-and-white yearling cavorting around the pasture closest to the fence was Funny Face. And there was Sheba, of course, the mare she’d ridden a few weeks ago.

When she’d parked and left her car, Cliff was emerging from the barn. He was a good-looking man, probably older than her parents, with a striking, vital presence. She thought he looked better than he ever had, and being a romantic, Linnette felt sure the difference was due to his marriage.

“Hi, Linnette,” Cliff said as he came closer. He led a big dark-brown horse who stomped and snorted, making her nervous. She saw that the animal was already saddled. “Cal didn’t say you were coming by.”

“He doesn’t know.” She turned toward the corral and saw Cal standing there, a rope in his hands. The animal apparently recognized his intentions and whirled to avoid him.

Linnette watched, fascinated, as Cal expertly spun the lasso, all the while moving slowly toward the horse. With an ease that seemed entirely natural, he tossed the rope. His aim was true, and the lasso settled around the horse’s neck. The stallion suddenly reared up, pawing frantically in the air. Linnette gasped and covered her eyes.

Cliff touched her shoulder in a reassuring gesture, and Linnette made an effort not to step apprehensively aside as the black horse thrust its neck toward her. “It’ll be fine. Cal’s working with a new stallion I just bought. He wouldn’t do anything that might hurt the horse or himself.”

When she found the courage to look again, she saw Cal standing in the corral, the stallion now backing away from the restraint. He kicked up dirt and reared again.

An involuntary sound of protest came from her lips as she rushed to the fence. She stared in horror as Cal went down. Cliff stood there, watching, too, and she wondered why he didn’t seem more worried about the fact that Cal knelt on the ground, hunched over as if in pain.

“He’s fine,” Cliff assured her again. And as she looked intently at Cal, she saw him get up, still holding the rope. Her heart was in her throat as he shortened the distance between the stallion and himself, speaking quietly to the massive horse.

Linnette stared in amazement as he neared the animal and, after a few minutes, ran his hand down the sleek, sweat-drenched neck. She couldn’t believe he’d managed to do that—or that the stallion was allowing it.

Linnette didn’t understand what had just happened. All she knew was that she had to get to Cal—talk to him. Find out for herself that he was all right. Despite herself, she was impressed that he’d subdued the stallion so quickly.

She climbed the fence and swung her leg over the top rung when Cliff stopped her.

“Stay here,” he ordered. “Cal will be back in a few minutes.”

Sure enough, as soon as he’d slipped a halter on the stallion and led him into the barn, he joined Linnette and Cliff. He was frowning slightly. “What are you doing here?” he asked. She noticed that he hadn’t greeted her or expressed any pleasure at seeing her.

“I came to talk,” she said. Her heart was still racing. Cal’s world was so different from her own, she reminded herself. So filled with risks and dangers that were commonplace to him, but completely foreign to her.

When he didn’t respond, she couldn’t help asking, “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he said brusquely. Then he seemed to relent a bit. “I’m perfectly fine,” he said in a friendlier tone.

“But…you could’ve been injured! What if that horse had kicked you? Or stomped on you? Or…or…”

“He didn’t, did he?”

In the back of her mind she registered that he’d spoken without stammering or hesitation. “Why do you take these kinds of risks?”

He didn’t seem to realize how badly she’d been shaken by seeing him in danger. Her knees would barely support her.

“Come on,” Cal said, ignoring her question. He slipped an arm around her waist as he drew her away from Cliff. “Let’s talk, since that’s why you’re here.”

“I don’t want you to go,” she blurted out. “I know you feel you’re doing something noble and good but is it really necessary? And doesn’t this seem like a bad time?” She was afraid he hadn’t considered all the consequences of leaving. “You’re doing so well with your speech therapy…and…and you said yourself that there are mares ready to deliver. Surely Cliff needs you.” Desperately she looked in the other man’s direction, but Cliff had already mounted the brown horse and galloped off, giving her and Cal privacy. “And what about me?” she added.

“Cliff’s encouraging me to go,” he said patiently. “My speech therapist thinks it’s fine.” He shrugged. “I need to do this.”

“But—”

“This is my life, L-Linnette,” he said and for the first time his voice faltered slightly. “I make my own decisions.”

“Of course you do.” She was astounded—and frightened—by the intensity of his declaration.