around with interest. It was her first venture on to the ranch proper since her dismal trek the night of the storm. The tranquil beauty of the hills and distant mountains seemed far removed from the sinister and ominous shapes the lightning had revealed. They rode several miles with only subdued exclamations from Coley at the sight of giant yucca plants, their stalks rounded with clusters of blossoms. Occasionally Tony would catch her attention to point out the white rumps of antelopes bounding away at their approach. When he finally slowed his horse to a walk, it was a wide-eyed and breathless rider that reined in beside him, her eyes dancing with pleasure and delight.
'Oh, that was so much fun!’ Coley exclaimed. ‘You are so lucky to be able to ride all over.'
'I'm enjoying it today, but most days it's a bore,’ he replied, reining his horse into a ravine. ‘What do you see right now?'
The sides of the ravine sloped away to reveal a canyon meadow with a thin ribbon of sparkling water slicing it in two. On the rich dark grasses grazed a herd of horses. At the entrance to the canyon, the two riders halted. A frolicsome colt kicked his heels and dashed in whickering panic to the safety of his mother's side at their appearance.
'We have one of the best studs in the state. His ancestry, on both sides, traces directly back to Old Sorrel, one of the founding sires of the Quarter Horse breed. Those are Sun God's colts and fillies out they'd with one of our herd stallions. You can bet they'd fetch a high price in any auction,’ Tony told her, his eyes never leaving the herd before them.
Coley studied the foals as they peeped around their mothers’ sides while the bolder ones skirmished playfully with each other. Each one seemed a replica of the other, from their red-gold coats to their flaxen mane and tails down to the white stockings on their feet and the blaze on their faces.
'They all look alike.'
'That's what makes Sun God such a valuable stallion. He breeds true, just like Old Sorrel did,’ Tony explained, ‘Old Sorrel was born and raised down on the famous King Ranch near Alice, Texas.'
'You're very lucky to know so much about all this.’ Coley glanced at him briefly before turning back to the herd. ‘How long have you lived here?'
'I came here seven years ago, after my father died. I was sixteen then,’ said Tony, lightly touching a spur to his horse's flank as they moved out together at a walk. ‘My mother was Ben's baby sister. If you can picture a female version of Ben, that was my mother.’ His smile as he glanced over at Coley was scornful. ‘She was already an old maid when she ran away with my father. Poor Dad, he worked here on the ranch for Ben. He figured by marrying Ben's sister he'd have it made. Of course, he didn't know Ben too well. He threw them both off the ranch. I came along a few years later. From the time I can remember, Mom was a regular shrew, constantly reminding Dad of all the things she'd had, and it was all his fault that we lived in such squalor. I was twelve when she flew into her final rage and her heart burst under the constant strain. And Dad, who only wanted an easy life, spent fifteen years of hell with her. But he never stopped trying. He got involved smuggling drugs across the border and was fatally wounded in a gun battle with Treasury agents. Even on his deathbed, his last words were that this ranch was my heritage and for me to claim my share. Since I was a minor, the court declared Ben my guardian and I came here. Not a happy story, is it?’ Tony smiled grimly at Coley, his dark eyes studying her face intently. At the short, negative shake of her bead, he added, ‘But from what Danny's told me, yours isn't pretty either. We're a lot alike, Coley.'
A lump in her throat prevented her from replying. Poor, proud Tony, she thought; he always seemed so carefree, teasing her and constantly attempting to charm her into gaining more self-confidence and his life had been
'Oh, that was so much fun!’ Coley exclaimed. ‘You are so lucky to be able to ride all over.'
'I'm enjoying it today, but most days it's a bore,’ he replied, reining his horse into a ravine. ‘What do you see right now?'
The sides of the ravine sloped away to reveal a canyon meadow with a thin ribbon of sparkling water slicing it in two. On the rich dark grasses grazed a herd of horses. At the entrance to the canyon, the two riders halted. A frolicsome colt kicked his heels and dashed in whickering panic to the safety of his mother's side at their appearance.
'We have one of the best studs in the state. His ancestry, on both sides, traces directly back to Old Sorrel, one of the founding sires of the Quarter Horse breed. Those are Sun God's colts and fillies out they'd with one of our herd stallions. You can bet they'd fetch a high price in any auction,’ Tony told her, his eyes never leaving the herd before them.
Coley studied the foals as they peeped around their mothers’ sides while the bolder ones skirmished playfully with each other. Each one seemed a replica of the other, from their red-gold coats to their flaxen mane and tails down to the white stockings on their feet and the blaze on their faces.
'They all look alike.'
'That's what makes Sun God such a valuable stallion. He breeds true, just like Old Sorrel did,’ Tony explained, ‘Old Sorrel was born and raised down on the famous King Ranch near Alice, Texas.'
'You're very lucky to know so much about all this.’ Coley glanced at him briefly before turning back to the herd. ‘How long have you lived here?'
'I came here seven years ago, after my father died. I was sixteen then,’ said Tony, lightly touching a spur to his horse's flank as they moved out together at a walk. ‘My mother was Ben's baby sister. If you can picture a female version of Ben, that was my mother.’ His smile as he glanced over at Coley was scornful. ‘She was already an old maid when she ran away with my father. Poor Dad, he worked here on the ranch for Ben. He figured by marrying Ben's sister he'd have it made. Of course, he didn't know Ben too well. He threw them both off the ranch. I came along a few years later. From the time I can remember, Mom was a regular shrew, constantly reminding Dad of all the things she'd had, and it was all his fault that we lived in such squalor. I was twelve when she flew into her final rage and her heart burst under the constant strain. And Dad, who only wanted an easy life, spent fifteen years of hell with her. But he never stopped trying. He got involved smuggling drugs across the border and was fatally wounded in a gun battle with Treasury agents. Even on his deathbed, his last words were that this ranch was my heritage and for me to claim my share. Since I was a minor, the court declared Ben my guardian and I came here. Not a happy story, is it?’ Tony smiled grimly at Coley, his dark eyes studying her face intently. At the short, negative shake of her bead, he added, ‘But from what Danny's told me, yours isn't pretty either. We're a lot alike, Coley.'
A lump in her throat prevented her from replying. Poor, proud Tony, she thought; he always seemed so carefree, teasing her and constantly attempting to charm her into gaining more self-confidence and his life had been
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