Page 11 of The Cowboy's Redemption
“I have nowhere to stable Lady for the night. I’d planned to drive straight through,” she said to Levi.
“You can stable her at the Endeavour. You can set up your trailer there, too, if you like.”
She’d splurged and bought a second-hand trailer with living quarters combined, meaning she’d run out of arguments. They’d already negotiated the price—the terms of payment were the problem. If Otto didn’t agree to them, then there was no point in her making a second trip.
“A stable would be appreciated but I’ll find a motel,” she said, reluctant to take too much advantage of his generosity when she was already in his debt.
“It’s getting too late to be checking into a motel,” Levi said. “The Endeavour is a pretty big spread, and the owners are generous about putting up guests.”
She allowed herself to be persuaded because she wanted to spend the night in Grand even less than she wanted to find herself deeper in debt. She didn’t want to run into any of Tanner’s hometown fans. She really didn’t want to run into Tate or Ford, his sister and brother. The last time she’d seen Tate was at Christmas, when Tate had delivered Tanner’s final Christmas gift to her, and it had been so horribly awkward when Dana refused to accept it that she doubted if Tate was eager to see her again, either.
An engagement ring, Tanner… What were you thinking?
Plus she was tired, and it was a long drive to Billings, especially while hauling a trailer. Her priority was to reach an agreement on purchasing Tanoa. Having Levi on her side, since he knew Otto so well, wouldn’t hurt.
“That sounds great,” she replied. “Thank you.”
“Give me a few minutes to make sure everything is secure here for the night.” He loped off into the darkness.
She sat on the stoop near Otto’s feet. She considered asking how he was feeling, or if she could do anything for him, but since Levi hadn’t pestered him about his health, she left it alone, too.
“He’s a good man,” Otto said, out of the blue.
“He seems to be,” Dana agreed, cautious about where he was headed. Otto wasn’t matchmaking, was he?
“People used to overlook Levi because Tanner was so friendly and loud. Levi’s more of a thinker. He’s quiet. But the real difference between those two boys is the same as the one between Tanoa and that horse you ride now. They’re both good horses, but yours is one or two generations away from being a winner. Doesn’t make her less valuable, though. Not if she’s bred to the right stallion. Her babies will be worth something.”
Pain gathered, then blew in like a storm. She’d had a shot at childbearing, and the shot had gone wide of the mark, because she hadn’t wanted a baby, and it was as if the baby had known. That whole period in her life had been a nightmare she tried never to think about and didn’t intend to repeat.
“Are you suggesting that Levi’s children could be winners if he finds the right broodmare?” she said, once she could speak without her voice cracking. She could see why he’d think that. Levi, quiet and steady, was a prize winner. For the right woman, of course.
Otto set the rocker in motion with the toe of his dusty boot. “I’m just shooting the breeze.”
Levi reappeared, as if he had some sort of internal radar aligned with her need for rescue, because his timing was perfect.
“All’s good,” he reported. “Dana, why don’t you follow me, and we’ll get you settled in at the ranch?”
*
The Endeavour Ranchwas impressive, even by Montana’s high standards. The driveway alone was at least a mile long, curving between an L-shaped mansion that overlooked the Tongue River, and a garage that looked more like a car dealership. Three barns, along with a smattering of cabins and bunkhouses and other outhouses, marked the driveway’s conclusion another half mile beyond the main house. Acre upon acre of pastureland stretched into the night.
Dana had misgivings about leaving Otto alone in his rocking chair on the stoop. He seemed so frail and the isolation so vast around him. She said so to Levi an hour later, as they were unloading Lady next to one of the Endeavour barns.
“He’s a grown man who has full use of his mental faculties,” Levi said, in response to her concerns. “There’s not much I can do for him if he doesn’t choose to allow it.” He rubbed Lady’s nose and Lady, the flirt, snuffled his neck.
“But he’s out there, all alone,” Dana said.
“I’m aware of that fact. So is he. He’s lived alone for so long he doesn’t know anything else.”
Nevertheless, it didn’t feel right.
A bat, a rare sighting these days due to the devastation of White-nose syndrome on the country’s bat population, swooped across the open barn door, scooping up bugs drawn to the light. Its shadow made its wings appear to span several feet rather than inches, which she might have found creepy if she hadn’t felt so sorry for it.
“How did you and Otto become so close?” she asked. Otto hadn’t struck her as a man who encouraged casual acquaintances, yet she’d found the two men sharing a beer together.
“He hired Tanner and me to ride his horses for cutting cattle when we were younger.”
Cutting cattle was an excellent way to prepare a horse for barrel racing. “You don’t ride for him anymore?”
