Page 45 of When the Storm Breaks
After we’d groomed the horses, Brody led them into their stalls, and I wandered over to Cayenne to check on her.
She looked restless and was trying to scratch her stomach with her back hoof. Was that normal?
A few minutes later, Brody joined me. “Is she okay?” Now she was rubbing her backside against the side of the stall.
“She’s fine. Pretty sure she’s gonna drop her foal tonight.”
“Tonight? Did you call the vet? Do you have to take her somewhere?”
“I’ve delivered a lot of foals. The only reason to call the vet is if something goes wrong. But this is her third foal. She’ll be just fine.”
“She has two other babies? Where are they?”
“They’re not babies anymore. I sold them.”
“Yousoldher babies? How could you do that to her?”
“I don’t do this as a hobby, Shy. I need to make money at it.”
“It just seems so mean to separate them.”
“I don’t kick them out as soon as they’re born. I wait until they’re weaned.” I gave him a skeptical look.
“What’s that look for?”
I shrugged and looked at Cayenne again. “It just sounds like it goes against everything you believe in.”
“I’ve got my own moral compass and my own convictions. If you’ve got a problem with that, too bad. If I don’t make money, I can’t afford to rescue horses. I wouldn’t expect you to give your music away for free. It might be your passion but it’s still a job, and you’ve gotta accept the bad with the good, just like anything else.”
I nodded, hearing the logic in his words. “I know. You’re right. It’s just... it’s kind of sad.” My gaze returned to Cayenne. I was taking this too personally and I knew it.
“It’s the same as letting your kids go out in the world to find themselves once they get old enough to leave home. You can’t hang onto them forever.”
I turned my head to find him watching my face, searching for something. “I know.” I forced a smile. “How else do you make your money?”
“Training horses. Starting colts and fillies. Gentling wild horses. And I work with a lot of ‘problem’ horses.” He used air quotes for problem. “The horses are never the problem. It always goes back to the owners.”
“Daddy Jude!” Noah’s voice interrupted our conversation and I turned to look at the man who had just walked into the barn. Wow. So this was Lila’s husband. These McCallister boys sure were easy on the eye. I’d expected him to look more like Brody, but they looked nothing alike.
“Hey buddy. Looks like you had some ice cream.”
Brody left me by the stall and strode over to them. “I would have driven him home.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Thought I’d save you the trip. You’re always bitching and moaning about how busy you are.”
“I don’t bitch and moan.”
I laughed. “Sure you don’t.”
Brody shot me a look as I joined them. Jude laughed. “Looks like she knows you already.” His gaze landed on me and he smiled. Like Levi, his eyes were blue, and his hair was chestnut brown. He was a couple inches taller than Brody and had to be at least 6’3” with broad shoulders and sculpted muscles. “I’m Jude.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m—”
“This is Shy Viv,” Noah said.
We all laughed but Noah scowled, not catching the joke. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.” Brody lifted Noah off the ground and hugged him goodbye. “I’ll see you on Sunday.”
