Page 14 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
Dog must’ve decided he’d had enough exertion because he turned and headed for home, sliding on his belly under the fence before trotting across the adjacent field. Grady looked over and saw Cole had his flock under control, had ridden Chloe around the rear, the pair of them holding their flock tight by cantering up and down the back line and riding them over to Lady’s flock at a nice pace.
Grady nudged Red into a canter, rode over to the far side of them so he could meet up with Cole once the flock reunited; this gave him a nice view of Cole’s flushed face and bright eyes, his blinding grin as he raced Chloe along the back, the horse charging and doing his bidding like she was part of him.
“I see what you mean,” Cole shouted around a laugh as the flock merged and he came up around the back of Red. Chloe refused to settle, as if she’d finally discovered what it meant to be ridden well; she was tossing her head around, had a real spring in her step. Red sidestepped her and snorted.
“Cursed animal. He’s doin’ his damnedest to get shot.”
Cole laughed, high and free. Grady shook his head around a smile.
“Come on.” He got Red moving, and Cole and Chloe fell in beside them. “Let’s get ’em into the next one and then call it a day.”
“Yes, boss.” Cole laughed again and then nudged Chloe. She took off like she’d been waiting for it.
Grady shook his head around another smile. This damn kid.
11
“H
ave you got sometreats?” Cole asked.
He was on Chloe’s other side, brushing her down, her body rippling as she allowed it.
“Whaddya mean, like sweets?”
“No, like some apple or carrot.”
Cole patted Chloe’s neck. He whispered to her that she was a good girl and he couldn’t wait to do that again tomorrow and he’d get her a treat.
Grady rolled his eyes. He muttered to Red that he didn’t understand getting her a reward for doing her job, doing what she got kept for in the first place now since she wasn’t much good for social riding, but he’d go on in and get it.
“Thanks,” Cole said when Grady came back, handing him the cut-up carrot and apple. Chloe took it eagerly from Cole’s flat palm before lifting her head and glaring at Grady.
“All right, all right.” Grady wandered over to Red, gave him some treats as well.
They shuffled back to the house together, and Grady reckoned he hadn’t ever seen Cole smiling this much.
“Thanks,” Cole said as they got to the back door.
“For what?”
Grady figured he’d thank him for the place to stay, but what he said was, “For lettin’ me ride her.”
“I reckon you’re the first person that’d be sayin’ thank you for the gift of ridin’ that horse.”
“She’s great.” Cole was standing near Grady in the kitchen, toeing his boots off. He smelled like horse and sweat, and he finally looked alive, powerful; his shoulders back, head held high, eyes bright as he looked directly at Grady. Seeing him like this made Grady see what he couldn’t see before. The weariness. Grady had seen it, of course, but maybe not the depth of it. Weariness that deep came from something that went deeper than just living off the land for a while.
“You’re the only one who’s ever thought highly of that horse.”
Grady went to the fridge and pulled out the water jug. As he turned back, Cole was there, getting the glasses down. He poured and they both drank, wiping the sweat off their brows with their shirts, letting the heat seep out of them in the dark coolness of the kitchen.
“Where’d you learn to ride like that?”
Cole shrugged and accepted the refill. “Just back home, you know.”
Grady didn’t know why he was so curious about it, or why he was going to push on this, of all things, but he’d never heard anything about the Cole boys riding.
“Jack was in my year at school. You know it,” Grady said.
