Page 13 of Cowboy Stole My Heart
“I can tell when I’m not wanted, so I’ll leave you both to it. We’re off to take a look at some new stud bulls that Stretch wants me to write a check for.” He reached out his hand and shook Sam’s again. “Mia’s been looking forwardto working with you, Sam. You’ve got quite the reputation around these parts it seems. Join me for a whiskey later on your way out if you have time.”
Mia went through the motions, saying goodbye to her father, watching him go, looking back at Sam. He was still like a statue; immobile and glaring at her. If looks could kill, she’d be long dead. Mia took a deep breath and filled her lungs.
“And you were going to tell me about him killing his last riderwhenexactly?” he asked, his voice deeper than before.
“I didn’t want you to…” she started before he interrupted her.
“Get the hell out of my sight,” he growled. “You want me to work with him and see if there’s any coming back from the horse he’s become? Then you start telling me the goddamn truth when I ask for it.”
Mia nodded. He was right, she should have told him. But it wasn’t easy reciting what had happened, not to a stranger.
“Do you still want help constructing the makeshift pen?” she asked.
“No,” he ground out. “Will I find what I need in the barn over there?”
“You will. Everything you need is there, and if not, you can radio one of the ranch hands from in there,” she told him. “Just tell them you’re here working with me, and they’ll get you whatever you want.”
He stormed off, his dog leaping up and running after him.
“Sam,” Mia called out, cringing, wondering if she should have just let him go without saying anything. “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
He was walking backwards now, slowly, face like thunder. “Was he nasty as hell when he killed the rider, or was it an accident? At least tell me that.”
She took a deep breath, fisting her hands so hard her nails dug into her palms. “It was an accident. He was nothing like this then.”
He nodded. “I’ll work with him for today, see how it goes, then I’m coming to find you,” he said. “If you don’t tell me the truth about this horse then? About what happened to him and whatever the hell is going on with him? Then tomorrow is it. No amount of money is going to entice me to work this horse without knowing the full story, for his sake and mine.”
Mia let him go then, didn’t bother responding. She needed some time alone to clear her head, to figure out how she was going to talk about something that had traumatized her so badly she’d wondered how she’d survive and taken the life of her best friend. She watched as Sam became smaller in her vision, his broad shoulders fading away as he strode off. She wished she’d been nicer to him, but then he hadn’t exactly been charming himself.
Some things weren’t supposed to be relived, but Sam was right. He couldn’t work Tex without knowing everything, and she couldn’t expect him to.
What she needed was to go for a long, relaxing ride around the ranch to gather her thoughts.WithoutSam. And then figure out how to tell him he story that needed to be told. She needed to breathe in the pure, fresh country air, feel the strength of her horse beneath her and get lost in the endless acres of grass that stretched on for miles. Or maybe she needed to roll her sleeves up and get dirty, helping out the ranch hands with whatever tasks they wereworking on. Nothing took her mind off things like doing something physical, that was for sure.
Or maybe she just needed to call Kat. She bit down on her lower lip and then pulled her phone out of her back pocket.
Kat answered on the first ring.
“You fired him already, didn’t you?” Kat began, her voice muffled. It sounded like she was eating.
“Ha-ha no, but he might walk out of here and never come back at the end of the day,” Mia admitted, feeling better just hearing Kat’s voice.
“Sorry, don’t mean to chew in your ear but I’ve just come out of surgery and I have consultations starting in fifteen.”
Mia nodded. “It’s fine. I just…”
“What is it?” Kat asked.
“I’m going to have to tell him about everything. About Kimberley and what happened and I just, well,” she blew out a deep, shaky breath. “It’s so hard talking about it, you know?”
She could almost hear Kat nodding. “Yeah, I know. But you’ve kept a lot bottled up inside. It might feel good getting it all out.” She paused and Mia waited. “Look, he’s there to help you and he’s there to help Tex. Just be honest with him, okay?”
Mia gripped the phone tighter. “Okay. You’re right, it’s just hard.”
Dogs barked in the background and Mia felt bad for calling Kat at work. Her friend worked long hours as a veterinarian, and she would never usually call her during work hours.
“You’ll be fine, but I have to go,” Kat said. “Call me later.”
Mia said goodbye and hung up, heading back to the stables. She’d saddle one of the horses up, go for a nice ride, and then head back to her house. If Sam wanted to talk, then her only option was to answer him. Honestly this time. Because if she didn’t then she was certain he’d leave River Ranch and never, ever come back.
