Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)(47)

He tied Reno to a post and grabbed a brush. “You sure about this?” he asked Charlie, deciding that ignoring her threat was the safest course of action. “Depending on her age and size, one of the horses would be better.”

“You’re a pony hater, which makes you unlikeable,” Charlie told him, collecting a second brush and starting on Reno’s other side. “Trust me. He’s the better choice. A horse would be too hard for Kalinda to get on. More important, if something goes wrong, we can just pull her off.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Yes. She needs to get out into the world. To experience things in a safe way.” Charlie glared at him, something she did a lot. “I’ve told you about the burns.”

“Yes. ‘Don’t be shocked, don’t stare. Just act normal.’ I’m not an idiot.”

“That’s yet to be seen.”

What he didn’t tell her, mostly because he wanted to keep his head firmly on his shoulders, was that he liked this side of Charlie. The sweet side that worried about a kid.

When she’d called that morning and asked if she could borrow Reno, he’d agreed. She’d shown up and explained the pony was for a ten-year-old burn victim. The previous summer, a gas barbecue had exploded, causing burns over forty percent of Kalinda’s body. All this time later, she was still having surgeries and healing.

Priscilla called from a nearby corral. She hadn’t wanted Reno to leave, so they’d compromised by bringing her closer to where Kalinda would ride. At least Wilbur and the cat family had been content to stay in Priscilla’s enclosure.

“My life used to be normal,” he muttered, dropping the blanket on Reno’s small back, then reaching for the saddle.

Charlie grinned at him. “If you wanted normal, you never should have moved back here. Didn’t your brother warn you?”

“I think he tried, but I didn’t believe him.”

They finished saddling Reno. Charlie grabbed the bridle and slipped in the bit. The pony didn’t protest and almost seemed happy with the process.

They’d barely finished when a car drove into the yard. Charlie waved and walked toward the vehicle. Shane stayed by Reno.

He reminded himself not to stare. The girl had been through enough. But Charlie’s warning hadn’t prepared him for the sight of Kalinda slowly, obviously painfully, getting out of the car.

Her face had scars that twisted red. Only her startlingly blue eyes were undamaged. They stared at him solemnly, as if expecting judgment. She wore a long-sleeved shirt over jeans and had a surgical glove on one hand.

Charlie walked toward her unhesitatingly. “Hey, kid. You made it. Wait until you meet Reno. He’s a cool pony. I think you’re going to like him.”

A pretty woman in her early thirties got out. She was blonde like her daughter, on the small side, with a worried frown pulling her eyebrows together.

“Hi, Charlie,” the woman said. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

Charlie put her arm around the mother. “Let’s see how it goes, Fay.”

“If you say so.”

The group approached. Shane smiled at Kalinda. “Hi. Welcome to the Castle Ranch. This is Reno and I’m Shane.”

“Hi, Shane,” the girl said in a soft voice. “I’m Kalinda.”

“Fay,” the mother said, stepping toward him and holding out her hand. “Thanks for doing this. We’re—” Fay’s eyes widened and she screamed. “Oh God! What is that?”

Shane groaned, wondering if Khatar had somehow gotten out again. He turned to see Priscilla walking toward them.

“My mother’s elephant,” he said. “Priscilla.”

“I’ll get her.” Charlie walked toward the large animal.

“Your mother has an e-elephant?” Fay stepped closer to her daughter, her mouth hanging open.

“It’s a long story.” He glanced at the girl, expecting to see the same amount of fear, but Kalinda was smiling.

“That’s so cool,” she whispered. “An elephant.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Shane admitted. “My mom bought her without knowing much about elephants. Now that we’ve done research, we’ve learned female elephants are social. Which means Priscilla needs friends. We’ve been trying different animals to keep her company.” He patted Reno. “So far, this little guy is her favorite.”

Kalinda giggled. “They’d look pretty funny together.”

He found he liked that happy sound and wanted to hear it again. “There’s more. Back in her enclosure is a pig named Wilbur and a cat family. Priscilla watches over them.”

Kalinda grinned. “For real?”

“Yup. I’ll show you when we’re done here.” He patted the saddle. “Okay, let’s get you on this pony.”

They discussed the best way to get her on Reno. Her burns went down her front far enough to make bending difficult. So Shane simply picked her up and put her on the pony.

He was shocked by how little she weighed and how small she felt in his arms. Once she was settled in place, he showed her how to hold the reins in her good hand, then led her into the corral. He released Reno to close the gate, then turned back and found the pony was slowly walking around the ring. He would swear the animal was being extra careful not to jar his delicate rider.