Page 10 of Due North
A lot, man, but don’t go there.
“I’m glad you get a break when you need it.”
“Hey, Tobi,” Cece said, noticing the girl standing next to me. “Dawn was looking for you earlier. She has something you need to sign.”
Tobi handed me Sundance’s reins. “I’ll go do it now. Thanks, Cece.” She turned to me. “Let me know when you’re ready to chat.”
“Will do,” I promised as she walked to the house and disappeared inside. I noticed Cece watching her with weariness in her eyes, but I didn’t comment on it. She was probably just tired. “I’m going to put the horses up in the barn, and then I can help with whatever you need.”
“I’m just stretching out my legs and getting things together for tomorrow,” Cece said as she walked over to Dolly and held out her hand for the horse to nudge. “Who is this? I’ve never seen this horse before.”
“She’s new here, just like little Miss Poppy,” I explained, giving her another beaming smile. “Her name is Dolly.”
“With a mane like this, it can only be Parton,” she said, running the horse’s mane through her fingers.
My laughter filled the air, and I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. “The one and only,” I agreed. “Dolly is a Haflinger horse. I’ve wanted one for years. I have no idea why she’s here, though. Someone bought her, paid the ranch owner, and had her delivered, but I don’t know who. I didn’t see much sense in sending her back. I figure she must belong to Bison Ridge, but damn, I want her.”
Cece’s laughter filled the air, and I bounced on the toes of my boots with contained joy. She was going to be okay. Those of us at this ranch, and that little girl inside the house, would make sure of it. “That’s a mystery I want to solve, too. She’s a keeper. Why is she so much smaller than Sundance? Is she a baby horse?”
I loved it when Cece tried to talk ranch life. She might know cooking, but ranching was not her forte. “Yes, she’s a filly. Haflingers are a smaller horse breed, which explains her height.” We walked together toward the barn. “You see how she’s built compared to Sundance?”
“Short and squat,” she said, patting the horse’s strong ribs.
“Exactly, and that’s by design. They’re commonly used as pack animals like donkeys because of their solid footing on uneven terrain. She will be perfect for the ranch. The ridge has some of the toughest terrains for the horses, but Dolly could go right over it. They’re also great horses for teaching kids to ride. They’re calm, have a smooth gait that isn’t jarring or scary to kids, and since they aren’t as many hands tall, they’re easy for kids to mount and dismount.”
“As many hands?” she asked as we reached the barn.
I handed her the reins while I slid the doors open. I wasn’t sure where I would put Dolly, but I’d find a stall for her even if that meant I had to build one. “Hands is how you measure a horse’s height,” I explained before taking Sundance’s reins again and leading him to his stall. I left his gear on for the time being and went back to the door where Cece stood holding Dolly’s rein. “For instance, Sundance is a quarter horse, and he’s seventeen hands tall. I haven’t measured Dolly, but she can’t be more than eleven right now. Thirteen to fifteen is about top height on a Haflinger. She will grow a bit yet, but stay much smaller than Sundance.”
I tutted at Dolly, encouraging her to join me in the barn but knowing she’d balk about going into the new building. They always did. “Come on, beautiful, let’s find you a place to stay until we figure out why you’re here. You might want to stand back, Cece,” I said, motioning her to the side. “She might spook.”
“I doubt it,” Cece said but moved closer to the side of the barn.
Before I could ask her what she meant, Dolly met my gaze and stepped through the barn door, allowing me to lead her down to the only empty stall we had. I usually kept it open for Heaven’s horse whenever she rode him over to the ranch. Since it was nearing winter, and she didn’t ride much when it was cold, Dolly could use it for now. I coaxed her into the stall with some apples and carrots, removed the lead rein from her head, and closed the stall door. I stood on the other side of it, leaning against it and rubbing the sweet filly’s nose.
“As I said, I doubted she’d give you any trouble,” Cece said from behind me.
“She’s just the sweetest thing.” I let her nuzzle my cheek. “I still need to figure out why she’s here and if we can keep her.”
“Of course, you can keep her,” came a voice from behind us.
I spun around to see Heaven and Blaze leaning against the side of the barn a few stalls down. “You know about this?” I asked, pointing at the animal who was now nuzzling Cece’s cheek. I could tell Dolly was going to worm her way into everyone’s heart.
“Yep,” Blaze said on a nod. “I hope so since we bought her.”
I glanced between the two of them. “Oh, so Dolly is for Bison Ridge. Do you want me to walk her over? Is that why you’re here?” I was one hundred percent disappointed that she wasn’t Heavenly Lane’s, but I’d still get to see her if she was at Bison Ridge.
Heaven shook her head. “No, she’s not for Bison Ridge. Does she have a name?”
“Dolly,” I said, rubbing her nose lovingly.
Blaze’s guffaw was loud in the barn when he slapped his leg. “Dolly, as in Parton! I love it. Look at that mane,” he said, stepping closer to inspect the horse. I moved aside so he could look her over.
“Did you buy Dolly to replace Grover, or is she for Eden to ride eventually,” I asked Heaven.
Heaven’s gasp of shock filled the barn. “Replace Grover! Never! How dare thee,” she said with laughter on her lips. “I’m going to tell him you said that. Then you’re going to be in trouble.”
I held up my hands while I laughed. “My apologies to the old guy. I would never dream of replacing him. Dolly is just so gorgeous. It’s hard not to fall in love with her.”
