Page 66 of Head Over Spurs

A strangled laugh escaped her dad. “He insisted his new way of cooking that bird was going to wow us. Such a stubborn man.”

“I think that stubbornness is one of the ways Grandpa lives on in you,” she pointed out, raising her eyebrows at him. “And maybe me too.”

He scowled back at her, fighting a smile. “We are quite the pair, aren’t we?”

She felt some of the tension furled in her chest loosening. Maybe she and her dad could find their way back to a real relationship. This seemed like a good start.

“We are. But, if your choices were about holding on to him, not the business, what it sounds like is that people are more important than a career.”

“Ah, this isn’t me making your decision for you,” he said.

“Can I ask you something then?”

“Of course,” he nodded seriously, placing an arm around her shoulders.

“Is it worth it? The good parts? Because people just ended up hurting you and leaving you alone. Is that hurt worth it?”

The corner of her father’s eyes crinkled as a wide smile stretched across his face. “Doesn’t sound like you are just dealing with career paths. Tell me, what’s his name?”

29

RILEY

He was really getting too old for Wrangler’s Tavern on a work night. At least, that was the conclusion Riley came to as he dragged his hungover body out of his truck. Snatching his ten-gallon hat off the dash and depositing it atop his head, he leaned back in for his tin coffee cup in the center console before starting towards the barns. His head was pounding, and despite the thick cloud coverage today, it seemed far too bright out.

The night had started with a plan for a beer or two. How he ended up throwing back shots with Cooper and Knox was beyond him.

As he rounded the corner into the stables, he found Brett at Lucky’s stall. Reaching them, he folded his arms on top of the stall door.

“How’s he doing?” Brett asked.

“Really well, actually. His quarantine is almost up, and I’m hoping he’ll acclimate pretty seamlessly into the herd. He seems like a social guy.”

Brett nodded, studying the foal. “He looks good. Maddie mentioned you haven’t needed her at all, you’ve taken over hiscare and made him up a special regiment for the girls to follow while you were out on the pack trip the last few days?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Riley nodded hesitantly. He wasn’t sure where this was going, and he suddenly wondered if he should have just left the care details to the veterinarian.

“I asked how you knew to do it all, and Jules said you’re a legend up at the Blue Sky Sanctuary. Did you ever mention having experience there?” Brett studied him with that stoic gaze, the scars from his days in the service gleaming amongst his beard in the morning light.

“Maybe only to Grey,” Riley admitted, holding his hand out as Lucky rose and approached him. He smiled as the young horse began to nibble on his fingers. Maybe he didn’t need to run his pitch by anyone. Brett already seemed to be heading down the same thought process as him.

“After Dune came along, I always thought it might be cool to rehab wild horses here. But I don’t have the bandwidth—especially with a baby on the way now.”

With a gulp, Riley worked to rein in the reaction that was rising in his chest. This could be it. His mind had already been swirling with ideas. Even without having a chance to talk to Jules, this could be histhing. It felt right. It made sense.

“Might be something to think about,” Brett continued. “We could talk about what I had in mind later?”

“Absolutely,” Riley agreed. “I have a few ideas, actually.” More than a few, but he could play it cool for now.

“Great. I came in to see if you could head up to the hay barn and help Coop get some supplemental hay out to the heifers.”

What he wanted to do was work alongside Jules as usual. To find her and finally talk. He needed to apologize for assuming she was flirting with Knox, amongst other things. But he had his marching orders, so Riley agreed and headed for the range.

He parked his truck beside the pole barn out in the hills, finding Cooper already sitting in the tractor.

“You’re feedin’ today. I can’t see straight.”

A laugh escaped Riley. At least he wasn’t the only one struggling after last night. “Should you really be operating heavy machinery then?”

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