changed into clothes that were both more casual and more comfortable. He was changing in one stall of the two-stall trailer, Xander’s travel blanket hanging in the opening for privacy. He’d just gotten his annoying breeches exchanged for jeans and was working on the one stubborn button on his coat when Dustin called in to him.
“I did everything I can out here, do you mind if I bring Xander in?”
“Sure,” Vince replied, giving an inward sigh of relief when the button finally came undone.
As he slipped the coat off and easily pulled off his tie Dustin led Xander into the stall next to him. Vince reached over the partition and rubbed his horse’s forehead.
“I got everything in the truck,” Dustin explained as he tied Xander’s lead to the ring on the wall. “I just need his blanket.”
Vince nodded to the blanket. “I’d say to take it down, but the way Stephen was acting, if he’s still here, he’d try to have me suspended for public indecency if he saw me changing my shirt.”
Dustin snorted. “I’m glad you beat him, though.”
Vince grinned and reached over to pat Xander again. “Xanny does all the real work. All I do is tell him where to go and how fast and make his work easier by knowing how to ride. He’s the one running and jumping. Anyway, hop out and close the back of the trailer, then come back in this door on my side and take it. By the time you get it on him, I’ll be ready to go.”
“Works for me,” Dustin replied with a nod.
He moved back past Xander, who was too busy eating his hay to care, and closed the back of the trailer. When he heard Dustin at the little side door, Vince moved aside so he could get in and past him. Only when he noticed the way Dustin quickly looked away from him did he become fully aware of the fact that he had just taken off his shirt.
And the situation was suddenly awkward.
Vince quickly tossed his shirt onto the floor with the rest of his clothes and grabbed his T-shirt. “Do you want to stop somewhere for dinner?” he asked, trying to dispel the uncomfortable feeling suddenly filling the trailer. “And by that, I mean go through a drive-thru.”
Dustin finished getting the blanket down and shrugged. “Sure,” he answered without looking at Vince even slightly. “I’m pretty hungry.”
Vince yanked on his T-shirt and grabbed Xander’s halter so he didn’t spook when Dustin dragged the blanket up behind him—not that he was likely to with Dustin murmuring to him the way he was. The kid had more horse sense than Jane, that was for sure.
“There are a few places just down the road,” he said, still holding Xander.
Dustin got the blanket onto the horse’s back, and Vince let go, knowing Xander wouldn’t be bothered by Dustin getting the thing adjusted on him. While Dustin worked, Vince picked up his show clothes and hung them in a suit bag, then placed it flat on the floor in the empty stall.
They were soon on the road, after a quick stop at McDonald’s for a healthy and nutritious dinner. Dustin was quiet, and Vince wasn’t sure if it was because he was eating or because of their awkward moments at the show. When the eating excuse was no longer possible, Vince decided he couldn’t take the quiet anymore.
“Did you like coming with me, or not really?”
Dustin nodded. “Yeah, it was cool. I learned a lot. Mainly, that you’re a lot nicer than most of those other people. I’m glad you beat them all.”
Vince grinned. “Me too.”
“I was wondering,” Dustin asked a few minutes later, “why do you have all your ribbons and things at your dad’s house and not yours?”
“I don’t know,” Vince answered with a shrug. “I guess because he’s my dad and he wants to be proud of me, and I don’t need to look at my ribbons every day to be happy. Some people need to be reminded of their accomplishments every day, but I don’t. I guess if it wasn’t just me there, like if I had someone else to share in those
“I did everything I can out here, do you mind if I bring Xander in?”
“Sure,” Vince replied, giving an inward sigh of relief when the button finally came undone.
As he slipped the coat off and easily pulled off his tie Dustin led Xander into the stall next to him. Vince reached over the partition and rubbed his horse’s forehead.
“I got everything in the truck,” Dustin explained as he tied Xander’s lead to the ring on the wall. “I just need his blanket.”
Vince nodded to the blanket. “I’d say to take it down, but the way Stephen was acting, if he’s still here, he’d try to have me suspended for public indecency if he saw me changing my shirt.”
Dustin snorted. “I’m glad you beat him, though.”
Vince grinned and reached over to pat Xander again. “Xanny does all the real work. All I do is tell him where to go and how fast and make his work easier by knowing how to ride. He’s the one running and jumping. Anyway, hop out and close the back of the trailer, then come back in this door on my side and take it. By the time you get it on him, I’ll be ready to go.”
“Works for me,” Dustin replied with a nod.
He moved back past Xander, who was too busy eating his hay to care, and closed the back of the trailer. When he heard Dustin at the little side door, Vince moved aside so he could get in and past him. Only when he noticed the way Dustin quickly looked away from him did he become fully aware of the fact that he had just taken off his shirt.
And the situation was suddenly awkward.
Vince quickly tossed his shirt onto the floor with the rest of his clothes and grabbed his T-shirt. “Do you want to stop somewhere for dinner?” he asked, trying to dispel the uncomfortable feeling suddenly filling the trailer. “And by that, I mean go through a drive-thru.”
Dustin finished getting the blanket down and shrugged. “Sure,” he answered without looking at Vince even slightly. “I’m pretty hungry.”
Vince yanked on his T-shirt and grabbed Xander’s halter so he didn’t spook when Dustin dragged the blanket up behind him—not that he was likely to with Dustin murmuring to him the way he was. The kid had more horse sense than Jane, that was for sure.
“There are a few places just down the road,” he said, still holding Xander.
Dustin got the blanket onto the horse’s back, and Vince let go, knowing Xander wouldn’t be bothered by Dustin getting the thing adjusted on him. While Dustin worked, Vince picked up his show clothes and hung them in a suit bag, then placed it flat on the floor in the empty stall.
They were soon on the road, after a quick stop at McDonald’s for a healthy and nutritious dinner. Dustin was quiet, and Vince wasn’t sure if it was because he was eating or because of their awkward moments at the show. When the eating excuse was no longer possible, Vince decided he couldn’t take the quiet anymore.
“Did you like coming with me, or not really?”
Dustin nodded. “Yeah, it was cool. I learned a lot. Mainly, that you’re a lot nicer than most of those other people. I’m glad you beat them all.”
Vince grinned. “Me too.”
“I was wondering,” Dustin asked a few minutes later, “why do you have all your ribbons and things at your dad’s house and not yours?”
“I don’t know,” Vince answered with a shrug. “I guess because he’s my dad and he wants to be proud of me, and I don’t need to look at my ribbons every day to be happy. Some people need to be reminded of their accomplishments every day, but I don’t. I guess if it wasn’t just me there, like if I had someone else to share in those
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