Jerry's favorite show, and he must've watched ever rerun , and she and Katie had to watch too .
Karlie had been at the Rockin' D four days now, and she liked it here, and she liked Tommy Tucker. He was a mild-mannered man, but knew his horses , and was a horse nut just like her . Some of the stock he had on this farm was beyond exceptional. Cassie hadn't lied about his operation ...and Karlie was thankful she'd m entioned the Rockin' D to her.
Tommy had introduced her to his daughter, Dixie a few night s ago at dinner. He told her he was having some problems with Dixie , and she'd been punished to her room the night Karlie had arrived there. From what he said, the little girl sounded a lot like her when she was little. Some boy had pulled her hair at the summer camp he'd sent her to for a week , and she'd wound up taking him down and giving him a black eye. Needless to say, they had called her daddy t o come get her.
He said he was at his wits end with her shenanigans , because he was a single parent , and a man too boot . His wife had died giving birth to Dixie , and he didn't know how to get through to a ten-year old girl. Karlie knew what was wrong with her...she was angry at the world and bored. She felt out of control, and getting into trouble, got her the attention she needed, and let her control her little universe, because at least she wasn't sitting back letting it give her black eyes.
Everyone dealt with grief different ways, but she felt sure that's what was going on here. Dixie missed her mama, and even though her daddy was trying, she didn't know how to communicate with him any more than he did with her. At least she'd had Katie to talk to... Dixie didn't have anyone who understood her.
The problems with Dixie and Tommy weren't her business, but she had decided to try and help him some. Her fix-it tendencies wouldn't let her ignore it. She had to make sure the little girl didn't get too attached to her though, because Karlie didn't know when she'd have to move on. If Jake showed up here, she'd have to hit the road again.
Karlie opened the stall of the horse Tommy had told her he wanted to start training to rope and cut, and clipped a lead onto the leather harness. Leading the gelding down the long aisle of the main barn, she took him into the tacking area and clipped him into the crossties, then went to get her saddle, and a longe line. The P aint gelding was pretty young, so she needed to wear him down a little, so he could focus on what she was trying to teach him.
She was pulling down her saddle when a small voice behind her said, "Whatcha doing?"
Turning around with a smile, she faced Dixie , who stood there cute - as - a - button with her blond pigtails, and pink cowboy hat. Karlie told her, "About to work on Apache's training...you wanna help me?"
Dixie 's pretty little face lit up then she nodded enthusiastically , then said seeming a little unsure, "You gonna show me what to do?"
"You bet...grab that saddle blanket, and a longe line. You know what that is?" Karlie asked her.
"Nope," Dixie told her with a pop of her lips on the 'p' , then folded her arms across her chest.
Karlie pointed to a long rope with a metal clip on the end looped on a nail on the wall. "That's a longe line...grab one of those long whips too," she said and the little girl ran over there and got them, then came to stand beside her, her shoulders a little higher and her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Hefting her saddle off of the rack, Karlie put it over her shoulder and grabbed her spurs and Apache's bridle , then said, "Okay, let's go get Apache tacked up, then we're going to train him to be the best cutting and roping horse in Texas ."
She laughed when Dixie let out a whoop that rang through the barn. Yep, she was a helluva lot like her when she was young. "Okay you stand back there." Karlie pointed to
Karlie had been at the Rockin' D four days now, and she liked it here, and she liked Tommy Tucker. He was a mild-mannered man, but knew his horses , and was a horse nut just like her . Some of the stock he had on this farm was beyond exceptional. Cassie hadn't lied about his operation ...and Karlie was thankful she'd m entioned the Rockin' D to her.
Tommy had introduced her to his daughter, Dixie a few night s ago at dinner. He told her he was having some problems with Dixie , and she'd been punished to her room the night Karlie had arrived there. From what he said, the little girl sounded a lot like her when she was little. Some boy had pulled her hair at the summer camp he'd sent her to for a week , and she'd wound up taking him down and giving him a black eye. Needless to say, they had called her daddy t o come get her.
He said he was at his wits end with her shenanigans , because he was a single parent , and a man too boot . His wife had died giving birth to Dixie , and he didn't know how to get through to a ten-year old girl. Karlie knew what was wrong with her...she was angry at the world and bored. She felt out of control, and getting into trouble, got her the attention she needed, and let her control her little universe, because at least she wasn't sitting back letting it give her black eyes.
Everyone dealt with grief different ways, but she felt sure that's what was going on here. Dixie missed her mama, and even though her daddy was trying, she didn't know how to communicate with him any more than he did with her. At least she'd had Katie to talk to... Dixie didn't have anyone who understood her.
The problems with Dixie and Tommy weren't her business, but she had decided to try and help him some. Her fix-it tendencies wouldn't let her ignore it. She had to make sure the little girl didn't get too attached to her though, because Karlie didn't know when she'd have to move on. If Jake showed up here, she'd have to hit the road again.
Karlie opened the stall of the horse Tommy had told her he wanted to start training to rope and cut, and clipped a lead onto the leather harness. Leading the gelding down the long aisle of the main barn, she took him into the tacking area and clipped him into the crossties, then went to get her saddle, and a longe line. The P aint gelding was pretty young, so she needed to wear him down a little, so he could focus on what she was trying to teach him.
She was pulling down her saddle when a small voice behind her said, "Whatcha doing?"
Turning around with a smile, she faced Dixie , who stood there cute - as - a - button with her blond pigtails, and pink cowboy hat. Karlie told her, "About to work on Apache's training...you wanna help me?"
Dixie 's pretty little face lit up then she nodded enthusiastically , then said seeming a little unsure, "You gonna show me what to do?"
"You bet...grab that saddle blanket, and a longe line. You know what that is?" Karlie asked her.
"Nope," Dixie told her with a pop of her lips on the 'p' , then folded her arms across her chest.
Karlie pointed to a long rope with a metal clip on the end looped on a nail on the wall. "That's a longe line...grab one of those long whips too," she said and the little girl ran over there and got them, then came to stand beside her, her shoulders a little higher and her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Hefting her saddle off of the rack, Karlie put it over her shoulder and grabbed her spurs and Apache's bridle , then said, "Okay, let's go get Apache tacked up, then we're going to train him to be the best cutting and roping horse in Texas ."
She laughed when Dixie let out a whoop that rang through the barn. Yep, she was a helluva lot like her when she was young. "Okay you stand back there." Karlie pointed to
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