product of attraction and impulse. An isolated
occurrence.
As she climbed the three steps to the office, her heart rate
increased. Her palms, she noticed, were damp, and her entire body hummed with a
pleasant anticipation.
So much for being grounded and acquiring perspective.
Tugging on the hem of her sweater, she pasted a friendly, but
not too friendly, smile on her face and swung open the office door.
Conner wasn’t there, as per their prearranged plan. Instead,
Gavin sat at the desk, staring at a computer monitor. Dallas read the flashing
banner advertising equine medical supplies.
He glanced up as she entered. “Hey, girl. How’s it going?”
“Good.” She wavered between relief and disappointment.
“Conner’s on his way back from the rodeo arena.”
“Oh, okay.”
He was coming. He hadn’t stood her up. The relief she felt now
was of an entirely different nature.
“Can I get you a coffee?” Gavin nodded at the pot warming on
the file cabinet.
“No, thanks.” She studied the office. It was functional and
hardly fancy, the furniture old but sturdy. “I can wait outside if you’re
busy.”
“I’ll go with you.” He stood, closed the webpage and reached
for the cowboy hat resting on the corner of his desk. “Any excuse to get out of
ordering supplies online. Whatever happened to catalogs and 800 numbers?”
“There’s a ton of people here today,” Dallas commented as they
stepped outside.
“Thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“Those photographs you sent to the local media.” He zipped up
his Carhartt vest. “Apparently they’re generating a buzz. Did you see the news
Wednesday evening?”
“I missed it. I was photographing the Carefree Fine Arts
Festival.”
“The station ran a segment. Mentioned the ranch by name. We’ve
been flooded with calls since. Most people want to know if we found the mare and
colt. Quite a few were interested in our services.” He nodded at the dozen
horses and riders gathering in front of the main arena. “We have a record number
of trail rides scheduled for today. I had to recruit a few of Ethan’s rodeo
buddies to help out.”
“That’s great, Gavin.” She patted his arm affectionately. “I’m
so glad.”
The Powells were still recovering from the financial disaster
that had cost them their cattle operation after Gavin’s mother died, several
years ago. If the mare and colt weren’t ever found, at least something good had
come from her photographs.
“Sage found the news clip on YouTube,” Gavin said. “She’s
better with computers than me. I’ll have her send you the link. We’re going to
add it to the ranch and sanctuary websites.”
“Any sightings of the mare and colt?”
“Not a one, unfortunately.”
“You’ve been searching for them, though.”
“When we can. Conner and Clay went out Monday and again on
Thursday. No luck. I spoke to the Forest Service. They told me if we do find the
horses, they’ll let us keep them as long as no one comes forward with proof of
ownership.”
“That much is good at least.”
“We’re thinking of trying the same trick we used to capture
Prince.”
“A Judas horse. I remember.” Dallas had learned all about it
while working with the writer for the book.
“Yeah.” Gavin nodded. “The mare was raised with other horses,
that’s obvious. If Ethan and I hadn’t come barreling up that hill on our ATVs,
Conner would have had her tied and ready to be led home.”
Dallas remembered her frustration when the mare took off at the
sudden noise.
“We’re thinking of erecting a similar makeshift pen in the box
canyon,” Gavin continued. “Put a couple horses in there for a day or two and
spread out some hay. With luck, she’ll come out of hiding.”
“She and the colt have to be hungry.”
Gavin’s cell rang before he could respond. “Yeah, Conner.” He
paused and looked at Dallas. “She’s here now. I’ll tell her.” Gavin
disconnected. “He’s on his way. Be another
occurrence.
As she climbed the three steps to the office, her heart rate
increased. Her palms, she noticed, were damp, and her entire body hummed with a
pleasant anticipation.
So much for being grounded and acquiring perspective.
Tugging on the hem of her sweater, she pasted a friendly, but
not too friendly, smile on her face and swung open the office door.
Conner wasn’t there, as per their prearranged plan. Instead,
Gavin sat at the desk, staring at a computer monitor. Dallas read the flashing
banner advertising equine medical supplies.
He glanced up as she entered. “Hey, girl. How’s it going?”
“Good.” She wavered between relief and disappointment.
“Conner’s on his way back from the rodeo arena.”
“Oh, okay.”
He was coming. He hadn’t stood her up. The relief she felt now
was of an entirely different nature.
“Can I get you a coffee?” Gavin nodded at the pot warming on
the file cabinet.
“No, thanks.” She studied the office. It was functional and
hardly fancy, the furniture old but sturdy. “I can wait outside if you’re
busy.”
“I’ll go with you.” He stood, closed the webpage and reached
for the cowboy hat resting on the corner of his desk. “Any excuse to get out of
ordering supplies online. Whatever happened to catalogs and 800 numbers?”
“There’s a ton of people here today,” Dallas commented as they
stepped outside.
“Thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“Those photographs you sent to the local media.” He zipped up
his Carhartt vest. “Apparently they’re generating a buzz. Did you see the news
Wednesday evening?”
“I missed it. I was photographing the Carefree Fine Arts
Festival.”
“The station ran a segment. Mentioned the ranch by name. We’ve
been flooded with calls since. Most people want to know if we found the mare and
colt. Quite a few were interested in our services.” He nodded at the dozen
horses and riders gathering in front of the main arena. “We have a record number
of trail rides scheduled for today. I had to recruit a few of Ethan’s rodeo
buddies to help out.”
“That’s great, Gavin.” She patted his arm affectionately. “I’m
so glad.”
The Powells were still recovering from the financial disaster
that had cost them their cattle operation after Gavin’s mother died, several
years ago. If the mare and colt weren’t ever found, at least something good had
come from her photographs.
“Sage found the news clip on YouTube,” Gavin said. “She’s
better with computers than me. I’ll have her send you the link. We’re going to
add it to the ranch and sanctuary websites.”
“Any sightings of the mare and colt?”
“Not a one, unfortunately.”
“You’ve been searching for them, though.”
“When we can. Conner and Clay went out Monday and again on
Thursday. No luck. I spoke to the Forest Service. They told me if we do find the
horses, they’ll let us keep them as long as no one comes forward with proof of
ownership.”
“That much is good at least.”
“We’re thinking of trying the same trick we used to capture
Prince.”
“A Judas horse. I remember.” Dallas had learned all about it
while working with the writer for the book.
“Yeah.” Gavin nodded. “The mare was raised with other horses,
that’s obvious. If Ethan and I hadn’t come barreling up that hill on our ATVs,
Conner would have had her tied and ready to be led home.”
Dallas remembered her frustration when the mare took off at the
sudden noise.
“We’re thinking of erecting a similar makeshift pen in the box
canyon,” Gavin continued. “Put a couple horses in there for a day or two and
spread out some hay. With luck, she’ll come out of hiding.”
“She and the colt have to be hungry.”
Gavin’s cell rang before he could respond. “Yeah, Conner.” He
paused and looked at Dallas. “She’s here now. I’ll tell her.” Gavin
disconnected. “He’s on his way. Be another
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