settled her on her feet. “Why don’t you get some shoes on and I’ll show you around?”
“I left my sneakers on the porch.” She jogged up the porch stairs and picked up her old canvas shoes before returning.
He ran water from a hose and she rinsed off her feet. She put on the old shoes she’d used for gardening in the little plot she’d had in her backyard in Philadelphia. Because of her stepfather’s death and all that she’d had to take care of, she hadn’t planted anything this year and she missed having a garden to tend to. It had been relaxing, a stress reliever.
After she had her shoes on, she walked beside Dan and they headed toward the corrals and outbuildings. She shoved her hands in her back pockets as they passed a small riding arena. They walked up to a corral that penned a small herd of red Hereford cattle with their distinctive white faces and underbellies.
The pungent smell of manure carried on the breeze along with the low mooing sounds of the cattle as Dan and Renee passed the corral.
They entered the barn’s cool, dim recesses. It smelled of manure, alfalfa hay, and sweet oats. He had four horses, all Quarter Horses, which included a black stallion, two sorrel mares, and a blue roan mare. She liked the blue roan in particular, a pretty horse named Apple. Because of her petite height, Renee had to step on an upside down paint can by the stall door. When she looked over the door, she noticed a wobbly-legged palomino foal beside Apple.
“What’s the foal’s name?” Renee looked over her shoulder at Dan.
“Peaches.” Dan smiled, seeming to enjoy her delight.
She glanced at the palomino. “That fits.” She looked back at Dan. “Can we go riding sometime?”
“How about this afternoon?” he asked as he went to a fifty-gallon oil drum and removed the lid then scooped out a small can of pellets. “I need to visit Mrs. Grady down the road. I can introduce you to her.”
“I’d love that.” Excitement flowed through her veins.
He returned with the feed and handed the can to her. “You can feed the girls some pellets if you’d like.”
She accepted the can, poured some of the pellet feed onto her palm and let Apple snuffle her hand. Her nose felt soft, her breath warm as she ate the pellets from Renee’s hand. From her position on the paint can she couldn’t reach Peaches, so Dan fed the foal some pellets.
Renee ran her fingers down Apple’s face and looked into her big eyes that seemed to study her so patiently. Dan swung Renee down from the paint can unnecessarily, but causing her to laugh. She fed pellets to the other horses and stroked their necks. Only the stallion didn’t seem to appreciate the attention.
“Firebrand is a little high strung sometimes.” Dan patted the stallion’s neck. “He’ll get used to you.”
Dan showed her around the rest of the small ranch. The back of the house with its lawn and shady sycamores was as well kept as the front, but there was a fenced-in patch of land that was weed-choked.
“Was that a garden?” Renee asked as she met Dan’s gaze.
“My mama raised tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuce, radishes, garlic, and onions, along with watermelon and pumpkins,” Dan said. “I never have had time to keep it up. I’ve thought about taking down the fence and letting the lawn overtake it, but just haven’t had the heart to.”
“I love to garden.” Renee looked at the patch of land, itching to plant something now that she saw the small plot. “The one in my backyard was much smaller but gardening was something I enjoyed doing. This summer is the first time I haven’t had a garden in ages.”
Dan’s cell phone rang. He un-holstered it and answered with, “Sheriff Cooper here.” He glanced at Renee. “Hi, Zane. Yes, Renee is right here with me.” Dan paused as he listened, then said, “Just a moment and I’ll check.” He held the phone away from his ear. “How does tomorrow sound for the barbeque with the Cameron
“I left my sneakers on the porch.” She jogged up the porch stairs and picked up her old canvas shoes before returning.
He ran water from a hose and she rinsed off her feet. She put on the old shoes she’d used for gardening in the little plot she’d had in her backyard in Philadelphia. Because of her stepfather’s death and all that she’d had to take care of, she hadn’t planted anything this year and she missed having a garden to tend to. It had been relaxing, a stress reliever.
After she had her shoes on, she walked beside Dan and they headed toward the corrals and outbuildings. She shoved her hands in her back pockets as they passed a small riding arena. They walked up to a corral that penned a small herd of red Hereford cattle with their distinctive white faces and underbellies.
The pungent smell of manure carried on the breeze along with the low mooing sounds of the cattle as Dan and Renee passed the corral.
They entered the barn’s cool, dim recesses. It smelled of manure, alfalfa hay, and sweet oats. He had four horses, all Quarter Horses, which included a black stallion, two sorrel mares, and a blue roan mare. She liked the blue roan in particular, a pretty horse named Apple. Because of her petite height, Renee had to step on an upside down paint can by the stall door. When she looked over the door, she noticed a wobbly-legged palomino foal beside Apple.
“What’s the foal’s name?” Renee looked over her shoulder at Dan.
“Peaches.” Dan smiled, seeming to enjoy her delight.
She glanced at the palomino. “That fits.” She looked back at Dan. “Can we go riding sometime?”
“How about this afternoon?” he asked as he went to a fifty-gallon oil drum and removed the lid then scooped out a small can of pellets. “I need to visit Mrs. Grady down the road. I can introduce you to her.”
“I’d love that.” Excitement flowed through her veins.
He returned with the feed and handed the can to her. “You can feed the girls some pellets if you’d like.”
She accepted the can, poured some of the pellet feed onto her palm and let Apple snuffle her hand. Her nose felt soft, her breath warm as she ate the pellets from Renee’s hand. From her position on the paint can she couldn’t reach Peaches, so Dan fed the foal some pellets.
Renee ran her fingers down Apple’s face and looked into her big eyes that seemed to study her so patiently. Dan swung Renee down from the paint can unnecessarily, but causing her to laugh. She fed pellets to the other horses and stroked their necks. Only the stallion didn’t seem to appreciate the attention.
“Firebrand is a little high strung sometimes.” Dan patted the stallion’s neck. “He’ll get used to you.”
Dan showed her around the rest of the small ranch. The back of the house with its lawn and shady sycamores was as well kept as the front, but there was a fenced-in patch of land that was weed-choked.
“Was that a garden?” Renee asked as she met Dan’s gaze.
“My mama raised tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuce, radishes, garlic, and onions, along with watermelon and pumpkins,” Dan said. “I never have had time to keep it up. I’ve thought about taking down the fence and letting the lawn overtake it, but just haven’t had the heart to.”
“I love to garden.” Renee looked at the patch of land, itching to plant something now that she saw the small plot. “The one in my backyard was much smaller but gardening was something I enjoyed doing. This summer is the first time I haven’t had a garden in ages.”
Dan’s cell phone rang. He un-holstered it and answered with, “Sheriff Cooper here.” He glanced at Renee. “Hi, Zane. Yes, Renee is right here with me.” Dan paused as he listened, then said, “Just a moment and I’ll check.” He held the phone away from his ear. “How does tomorrow sound for the barbeque with the Cameron
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