Chapter Three

“He’s a cross between a Quarter Horse and a Pinto, with some Clydesdale along the way,” Dyna said. “Won Saddle Bronc of the Year at ages four and five. But you probably read all about his linage in the report I emailed. His dam Becky retired about two years ago and his foundation stallion won the WRC Finals three different times in the early 2000s.”

“Yes, I read up on Yukon. A draft and Quarter Horse cross breed. A piebald himself although we don’t use that term too much.”

She grinned at that. “We sold Yukon to a Montana breeder and he’s now retired. We breed about twenty bucking horses per year and we’re proud of our winners. The rest are for dressage or for other rodeo events—roping, cutting and barrel racing, mainly. We also breed some pretty sturdy pick-up horses and hard-working ranch horses.” She smiled. “I’m thinking you read up on all of that, too.”

He grinned back at her. “I like to read.”

He also noticed the many trophies, ribbons and rodeo pictures lining the long central hallway of the rambling house, two of those, as she’d said, belonging to Domino.

Rico followed her out to the stables, her dogs she’d called Butch and Sundance trailing behind them. Just as impressive as the house, the barns and stables looked clean and maintained. The whole place was surrounded by a sturdy white steel fence that mimicked white wood.

The main stable occupied a long rectangular building which matched the aged creamy-yellow stucco and shimmering natural stone of the rambling ranch house.

“I’ve got Domino out in the main practice arena, with two hands monitoring him,” she said when they reached the biggest of what looked like three barns. “The last stall out the back of the stables belongs to him. He likes to agitate the other horses but I keep him where he at least has some company.”

“Horses hate being alone,” Rico replied, thinking men did, too. He wondered how she felt about that. Did Dyna Malloy mind being alone or did she have someone in her life?

“Domino pretends to hate the rest of them but I see him eying the mares,” she replied.

“Smart gelding.”

Motioning him through a partially opened door, she grinned over her shoulder. “The horses have it better than us, I think.”

Clean and precise, the cool alley of the open air stables smelled of fresh straw and horseflesh. Impressive horseflesh.

“Maintenance on this place must cost a pretty penny,” he said, looking up at the massive ceiling fans lined up and humming away up and down the aisles.

“Well, yes, but it’s hot almost year round and the horses don’t like being hot.” Motioning to the stalls, she said, “We usually keep the stalls open as much as possible and we let our horses graze underneath the shade trees we’ve planted in the pastures. They get the best grass and they get grain every day, too.”

“I’d live here,” he quipped, noting a large office and tack room to one side and what looked like an upstairs apartment on the other.

“You’re welcome to stay in the apartment,” she offered, following his gaze. “We let guests stay there but it’s been a while since we’ve had to use it.”

“Thanks,” he said, surprised. “I’m hunkered down at Cella and Sean’s place right now but it might be wise to stay close to Domino. We’ll see how the first session goes. I travel light anyway.”

His cousin Sean Knight was married to Cella Cassidy, another female rancher who lived not too far from the Malloy place. Cella’s operation was top-notch, but everything about this place was palatial in size and scope.

Looking a little relieved, Dyna nodded. “You’re in good hands then.”

He’d enjoy seeing more of her, however. Putting himself in her hands or at least, letting her hold his hand. But she didn’t need to know that. Would probably scoff at the notion.

Rico wiped any such thoughts out of his head and focused on his surroundings.

Busy employees moved up and down the aisle and nodded in passing. Butch and Sundance ran ahead to explore, used to being around horses and humans.

Rico immediately felt at home amongst the roans, sorrels and chestnuts. He loved his small ranch in Texas and he had several beautiful horses to ride and lots of ranches nearby that always needed a trainer, but lately he’d become restless. So getting away to work with a challenging animal offered him something besides the quiet routine of training horses around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

The broncs were his favorite but they weren’t the most trainable animals on the planet. Mostly, a cowboy had to take his chances and try to hang on to a bucking horse.

Rico preferred a hands-on method that often left him sore and bruised. But riding the horse was the best way to get to know the horse. He figured Domino had his reasons for deciding to stop cold-turkey.

After meeting Dyna Malloy and seeing how attractive she was up close, he figured this bronc—and this woman—might just be a little more challenging than he’d bargained for.

“She’s stubborn,” Edwin had told him. “Wants to do things her way and she is the boss. Don’t like me interfering. She and her daddy were tight. I don’t want to be her daddy but I wish I could be her friend. I love her mama but the woman won’t marry me. Afraid it will not set well with Dyna. If you can fix what ails Domino, maybe they’ll both soften up on me. But I’ll warn you, son. Dyna Malloy is a tad prickly.”

Prickly. Rico took that into consideration while he studied her mannerisms and her beautiful, classic face. Not so prickly, but maybe a bit reserved and serious. But her smile was pretty and refreshing.

They came out the other side, the late afternoon sun reminding him of why they had fans running all day and night. And a sprinkler system installed in case of fire.

When he looked out at the training arena and spotted Domino, he stopped without putting on his shades and took in the magnificent animal that stood pawing at the dirt. Domino’s ears pricked up and his nostrils flared then he turned his head, his grayish-white mane flowing out, his flanks quivering, and stared right into Rico’s eyes.

“Wow,” Rico said for lack of a better word. He held the gaze, man to horse. Domino didn’t back down. Rico kept watching, no hostility in his mood or stance. He wanted the animal to trust him from the start. First impressions were so important.

With both animals and women, too, apparently.

“I told you he was a piece of work,” Dyna said, her voice low. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”
Rico finally glanced from the still horse to the woman beside him. “Yes.”

So was she.

All that rose-blonde hair, tousled and falling around her shoulders, and those stark green eyes full of deep water mysteries, made him think he needed to stare her down, too. She had a row of adorable freckles across her pert nose and those wide, pouty lips begged for a closer inspection. No, not an inspection. A touch. A soft touch.

This could be trouble all the way around.

He wasn’t good with women. Never had been. He’d dated here and there, but nothing serious. Women didn’t understand his innate need to be around animals all the time. Big, mean animals or hurt, tormented animals. But standing here with this particular woman, he had an epiphany of sorts. He could see being with her. He could tell she loved horses and cows and probably bulls even, and dogs and cats and all of God’s creatures. Weird since he’d just met her.

What was happening to him?

He didn’t get a chance to find out. Domino reared up and started toward them in a full on gallop. Even though they were on the other side of the steel fence, Rico acted by pure instinct and grabbed Dyna and pulled her back just as Domino stood on his hind legs again and let them know with his loud whinny and his hoofs hitting the sturdy white steel and strong cables, that he was not in the mood for company this morning.

“I shouldn’t have looked away,” Rico said, Dyna still in his arms. The scent of something exotic and floral overtook the smell of hay and horse. Intoxicating.

She stared up at him, her gaze flickering with an awareness that seared Rico to his core. “He’s a tricky one.”

Domino finally settled and stood still, his head up, those wild eyes wide and bulging, his ears pinned forward in anticipation. The big horse backed up and quivered while he took in the scene of Rico holding Dyna in his arms, his fierce, wild stare moving over them before he met Rico’s gaze and held it. Again.

Then Domino shook his mane and turned and galloped to the far side of the corral, but he pivoted to send them a steely black-eyed stare.

Rico looked from the horse to the woman in his arms.

Her green eyes held that same steely, daring gaze.

She backed up with a rush of breath to toss waves of hair off her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

Rico didn’t know how to respond. “Getting to know my client, I reckon.” And so far, he was enjoying it. Too much.

She pulled away so fast, empty air swished by.

“That was just the first round,” she stated, straightening her spine. “Domino has staked his territory.”

And so did I, Rico decided with a smile.

But he said, “I believe he has at that.”

And Rico left it at that.

* * *

Dyna watched Rico, thinking the man had the patience of Job. He didn’t push Domino the way the other trainers had done. He hadn’t even ridden the big bronc yet. Instead, they were still doing the staring and daring thing that had brought about Domino’s first charge an hour ago.

And sent her right into Rico’s arms.

That had taken her breath away but she was going to ignore how the man made her feel and try to focus on why he was here. She had to get Domino back in shape for competition. He needed to be out there on the circuit right now but something was holding the five-year-old back. Next year, she wanted him primed and ready. Besides, she wasn’t even sure if he’d buck Rico off, go on a merry gait in the round pen, or just stand there and refuse to move. Too unpredictable right now.

While Domino had always been a handful, Dyna had a sneaking suspicion that something holding him back had to do with her last bronc trainer. The big animal had gone from bad to worse over the last year or so and then, nothing. James Roy liked to make saddle broncs and bare-backs mean enough to throw a cowboy off in the first few seconds. But Dyna and he had clashed on his tactics. Had his brutality put some kind of deep fear inside Domino’s head and crushed his courage and fight?

Watching Domino and Rico circling each other now, she had to wonder if maybe Edwin had reached outside the realm of qualified local trainers because he suspected James Roy, same as her. James traveled in a tiny circuit of his own since he partied with other trainers and knew a lot of people.

He could be talking trash about her and this ranch.

But then, so could her ex. Chip sure had a big chip on his shoulder. And he’d hated Domino with a passion. Said that bronc took up way too much of her time.

Meaning, he’d neglected Chip, of course.

Maybe Edwin had picked up on some of that trash talk from one or both of them, since they were buddies? If so, he still should have come to her first. Too many unanswered questions.

Rico Knight didn’t come with a hostile hatred of women and a need to be cruel to animals. She’d done her research, too. He served on the WRC Animal Welfare Committee. That told her he backed up his claims to protect the animals with actions that set down ground rules for everyone.

Dyna checked her emails and saw some reports that needed her attention. She took another quick glance at Rico and Domino, only to find the man now standing about a foot away from the animal. How had he done that?

Rico held a rope in one hand. Fascinated, she propped her booted foot back up on the fence and stood still. He talked to Domino in a gentle, kind tone that soothed both the horse and Dyna, too. He held the rope in a non-threatening way and lifted the whip into the air but never touched Domino. Domino backed up a step and then moved forward a step, as if daring Rico to try and get near him.

Rico advanced another inch. “Good fellow. You can be great, you know. Whether you go back to being the best saddle bronc or even if you decide differently. It’s really up to you.”

Surprised at that declaration, Dyna waited for whatever Rico intended to do next. Waited and considered this horse might have to live out his life away from the limelight. Because she didn’t have the heart to send him away or sell him to someone who might be cruel to him. Maybe he’d let her ride him. They could both spend their days roaming the back forty.

Alone.

Still talking in low, soothing tones, Rico was now within touching distance of Domino. Reaching out a hand, he offered apple slices and carrots from the feed bag attached to his belt.

Domino sniffed the air and took a step toward Rico. Rico didn’t move.

Domino whinnied and stomped.

Dyna watched Domino towering over Rico, his hoofs coming dangerously close to Rico’s head.

“Rico!”

He held up one hand, palm up, to tell her to stay away. While he stood there, still and calm, and let a half-ton animal rear up in his face.

Dyna couldn’t watch what might happen next. A call on her phone needed her attention. Afraid her conversation would be distracting, she turned to a stable hand, “Stay here and get ready to help him out of there.”

Then she took off toward her office and hoped Rico wouldn’t get hurt while she was away.