Page 80 of Here With Me
“I won’t!” she shouts as she runs out of the barn.
I hop in a four-wheeler and drive over. It’s only a few minutes away, but I crank my music anyway since I didn’t grab any coffee from The Lodge this morning and need a dose of caffeine to keep me awake.
The barn’s dark and empty when I enter. The twins are in charge of feeding and cleaning our horses this weekend. We all take turns, but knowing them, they’re probably still in bed and hungover.
“Hey, boy,” I say softly when I go into Donut’s stall and rub my palm up the bridge of his nose.
He nudges me with his mouth, obviously upset with me for not coming sooner.
“Yeah, I know. I’m gonna make it up to you with a nice, long ride.”
After I lead him into the grooming stall and clip him into place, I grab my supplies from the tack room and brush him until he’s ready for the saddle. I’ll work on him more after the fundraiser since Delilah wants me to help her with trick riding. She approached me before the rodeo, but I told her I needed time to decide because my schedule was already chaotic. I haven't practiced stunts since last summer when Landen drove by on his dirt bike and spooked Donut. Rolling off in the nick of time, I got away with only a scuffed knee. My mom freaked out and demanded I have a spotter if I was going to do stunts, and since no one was willing to watch me, I stopped.
But now I’m ready to challenge myself again to see if I’d be a good fit for her. Delilah’s experienced and competes regularly, but since she fired Craig, she’s looking for a new trainer.
Once Donut’s tacked up and I’m in position, we ride out of the barn. “Let’s go visit the retreat!”
I barely have to lead him anymore because he knows the way. He enjoys seeing people and trail horses. Well, I can only assume he does, but he always seems happy to go there.
We take the trail to the retreat that brings us around the fishing pond. Guests love relaxing here and being close to their cabins. There’s a hut next to it that we keep stocked with fishing gear, bait, and snacks. Next to the pond is the trail horse barn and pasture. Wilder and Waylon work there most often since they give the daily tours.
In between, across the creek are The Lodge, a gift shop, and a staff building. Since we provide a buffet style for breakfast and dinner, the cooks start early in the morning to prep for that day’s meals in the staff building. It’s also where housekeeping stores everything.
The gift shop just opened last fall, and when Ayden’s family moved here, Laney became the manager. She had experience running her mom’s boutique in Texas and was looking for a job anyway, so it was a perfect match to have her manage it.
I wave to guests as they walk by and stop a couple of times for kids to pet Donut. After I go around The Lodge, we walk past the bonfire area and pool house. Every Friday evening, we host a s’mores party for the kids and families to hang out and eat. If one of the family members can’t do it, another staff member is there to help.
The pool house is open daily until nine. There’s not a lifeguard on duty, but a staff member is always nearby if anyone needs assistance. I wish I had more time to enjoy it, but my work schedule keeps me busy until well after it’s closed and the guests are in their cabins for the night.
There are five cabins in total. Two sleep up to twelve people, and the other three hold up to six. When fully booked, we can have upward of forty-two guests. Depending how many are staying and choosing to go on horseback rides determines how busy the twins are on their guided tours. They love making it fun with jokes and pointing out silly scenery details. Wilder likes telling girls where he had his first kiss or where he pantsed Waylon when they were teenagers. It usually gets a good laugh out of the group.
Once we pass the corral area where the charity event will be held, we ride through the ranch hand quarters cul-de-sac. The twins live in one of the duplexes, and go figure, Wilder’s truck is still parked in the driveway. Waylon’s is gone, though, so hopefully, he’s working. There are no days off when you live here.
To get to the ranch side, we’d normally have to go back around the corral, past The Lodge, and toward the pond. But since Mallory is waiting for me to return, I take a shortcut. I guide Donut through the backwoods restricted from guests. It’s the wooded area of the mountains that separates the ranch and retreat.
When we approach the barn, seeing the doors closed confuses me because I know they were left open. Looking around, I don’t see anyone parked nearby. Waylon couldn’t have completed all the chores in less than an hour unless he showed up right after I left. In fact, he should be here, but I don’t see or hear anyone.
I drop to my feet and lead Donut to the doors. The lights are still on when I open them, but Donut’s stall door is closed. I left it open so if my brothers showed up, they’d know I took him out.
“Hello?” I call out as I bring him to the grooming stall and clip him in place. “Waylon?”
The wooden floor creaks in the tack room, and my heart kicks up. I pause and listen to see if it happens again. Normally, I wouldn’t be that dumb girl in a scary movie who goes down the dark basement with no flashlight or backup when a known serial killer is on the loose, but I don't think twice when it comes to my horses. Craig’s already messed with me once and implied he wasn’t done at the bar. I’m not about to let him get away with sneaking on the property again.
As I creep down the center aisle, another creak echoes. Someone is definitely in there. I spot a rake next to the wheelbarrow and grab it. If Craig’s in there to fuck with me or plant a trap of some sort, he’s about to get whacked in the head and kicked in the balls.
My stomach’s in knots as I grip the rake’s handle in one sweaty hand and slowly reach for the doorknob with the other. I push open the door and stab the air with the rake.
I’m met with silence as I glance around for him. One of the saddle stands tipped, knocking over some equipment, which must’ve been the noise I heard. Once I set the rake against the wall, I kneel and start cleaning up the mess.
When the door slams behind me, I release a strangled gasp. Boots smack against the floor, and I rush to my feet, but a hand wraps around my waist, pinning me to a hard chest. My adrenaline amps up as his hold tightens. I jab my elbow roughly in his gut, then drive my fist into his nose before he can do anything else.
He releases me with a deep grunt. “Fuck!”
I turn around with my foot ready to give him a personal vasectomy, but I’m met with long hair that is definitely not Craig’s.
“Oh my God!Fisher?”
He stands, holding his nose, and my eyes widen at the blood dripping down his hand.
