Fractured Sky (Tattered & Torn #5)(20)

“I am terrified.”

She turned back to me, white-blond hair catching in the breeze. “That just makes you human. It’s what you do with that fear that counts.”





8





RAMSEY





I held out my hand, and the gelding took the offered peppermint eagerly. His lips danced as he ate the treat, and then he let out what could only be considered sounds of joy. A chuckle escaped me. “I think I’ve got your name.”

My hand rubbed over his face, and the horse didn’t even flinch. “What do you think about Pep?” It worked on a few levels. There was an unbreakable spirit to the gelding—a true pep. His love of peppermint just secured it.

Pep wiggled his lips a little more. Whether it was in agreement with his name or to beg for more treats, I wasn’t sure. I slid another mint out of my back pocket. “This is your last one. Then we need to introduce you to some new friends.”

Pep snatched up the peppermint in a flash, dancing his lips some more. I grinned as I hooked the lead rope to his halter. “We’re going together this time.”

His ears twitched as I unlocked the gate and led him out of the round pen. His gaze jumped around, taking in the fields and pastures with a new attentiveness.

I patted Pep’s neck and began walking. I had him set up with some of my mellowest horses. I called them the welcome wagon because they put up with more than the rest of the herd. They were the perfect test case for socialization.

Pep sniffed the air as we approached the paddock. The mare and two geldings in the field chomped away on lush grass, barely acknowledging us. But Pep’s muscles quivered.

I stroked the side of his neck as we stopped at the gate. “It’s the next step. Time for some friends. Some community.”

It would give him a sense of purpose and belonging. These horses were some of my best teachers, modeling behavior and showing the newcomers the way of things.

I scratched behind Pep’s ears. “You’ve got this.”

Unlatching the gate, I pulled it open and unhooked the lead rope from Pep’s halter. He took a few tentative steps inside. My mare, Strawberry, lifted her head and let out a soft whinny. Pep answered back and then took off running.

It had been a while since he’d had a chance to truly stretch his legs, and it was a beautiful sight to see. He raced along the fence line, letting loose a few small bucks on the way. But they weren’t ones of aggression, they were joyful.

The other horses in the paddock knew it. A few seconds later, they joined him in the run, and four became one—a single force charging around the field.

I couldn’t have moved if I tried. It was so damned beautiful to see. After a few minutes, they slowed from gallop to canter to trot and then to a walk. Finally, they halted altogether, finding a spot of especially thick grass and stopping to graze.

Pep’s head lifted, his gaze meeting mine. I swore his eyes shined in the morning light. There was joy there. Relief. Peace. It was the greatest gift I’d ever gotten.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I slid it out. An alert for the front gate flashed. I opened the app, and Shiloh’s face filled the screen.

The surge of heat through my bloodstream set off alarm bells in my head, but I shoved them away and hit the button for the intercom. “Shiloh.”

She jumped slightly at my voice. “H-hi.”

I hated the slight tremor in her voice, but I understood it. She had never lived anywhere but the ranch. What she was doing now was a huge undertaking.

“The hardest part’s over. You’re here.”

Shiloh let out a huff of air and then bit the inside of her cheek. “You said I couldn’t bring anyone here, right?”

I stiffened. “I don’t let strangers on my property.” Except it seemed I was breaking that rule left and right lately.

“My sister. She brought Sky for me. I don’t have my own trailer. I could unload her at the gate if you don’t want—”

“It’s okay.” The words were out before I could stop them, pulled from my mouth by the anxiety coming off Shiloh in waves. “She can help you get settled.”

“Thanks,” Shiloh said softly.

I hit the button for the gate. “Follow the road to the barn.”

She didn’t respond, but I saw her drive through the entrance. As she disappeared from camera view, I lifted my gaze to the road and let out a loud whistle. Kai came charging out of the trees and ran to my side.

I sank my hand into his fur and scratched behind his ears. “You’re gonna lose your mind in a second.” If I wasn’t careful, Kai might leave me for Shiloh completely.

Kai’s ears twitched, picking up sounds that I couldn’t hear yet. My eyes stayed fixed on the road, straining for the first sight of her. It was a bad sign—this want buried so deep.

The silver truck rounded the bend, an SUV with a trailer following behind. Kai tensed at my side, bracing. I scratched behind his ears. “You’re fine.”

Shiloh pulled to a stop in front of me and slid from her vehicle. Those hypnotizing eyes glinted in the morning light, and my blood heated again. Kai let out a sound that was a cross between a howl and a bark, and then he charged.

The smile that split Shiloh’s face was a vicious punch to the gut. She sank to her knees, holding out her arms to my dog. Kai launched himself at her, almost knocking her over. Shiloh laughed as he licked her face. “I missed you, too.”