Chapter Four

After changing, definitely putting on a bra, and grabbing my riding boots, I ran out the door to catch up with everyone. 

I hoped that they didn't wait on me but was wishing for the latter when I got to the empty barn and found Nyah tied up and lonely. As soon as I was close enough that she could smell me, her head popped up from the grass she was munching on at her feet and let out the most beautiful sound only a lover of horses could understand. 

"Well hello, my ragamuffin. Has anyone bothered to even brush you since I left?"

I walked into the tack room and grabbed a curry comb off the hanger knowing she was in major need of a rub down. It was clear she had a hay day rolling in mud; unfortunately, it dried in her coat. Making my way to her, I heard something up in the loft, causing me to jump ten feet in the air and scream at the top of my lungs. 

"I see I still can have that effect on you."

Looking up at no one other than Jase Jergensmeyer, my fear became rage. 

"Do you think it's funny to scare the ever loving daylights out of me? Huh?"

He stood there in nothing but a fitted pair of jeans, holding on to the rafters.

"I think it's hysterical that you still want to bite my head off every chance you get."

I couldn't help the way I felt about seeing his upper body even though it was attached the one man I wanted to strangle with my bare hands.

"Well, you can just go back to whatever you were doing and leave me alone."

"Nothing in the world could sound like a better idea, hot stuff."

"Do not call me that!"

"Get over yourself, Red, it's just something I say to anyone that has a firecracker stuck up their ass." 

"You can talk all big and bad as much as you want from up there, pretty boy. I don't care what you have to say, so why not hold your breath?" 

He went silent, blessing me with peace. I’d hoped he had gone back to work and was going to leave me alone, but I was proven wrong when he landed right in front of me seconds later.

"What the hell?"

Complete shock took over as I processed the fact he had just jumped down from the loft.

"For your information, I brushed her down yesterday. She just loves the mud piles. You would know that if you were around and taking care of her."

I had never felt the urge to slap someone as much as I did in that moment. 

"While I was away getting an education, I left her in the hands of the hired help. Oh, that's right, that's you."

He took a step forward, ending three inches from my face.

"You have no idea what you are starting here, Red, so move along and go enjoy your ride with the family. I will still be here working when you get back. You won't have to miss me for too long, don't worry."

"I was never worried about you anyway. Have fun shoveling crap."

I took a step back but stood my ground. He was no longer going to intimidate me.

We may have had a stare off contest if he weren't willing to budge first, because there was no way in hell I was giving in. Thankfully, he walked away after sneering at me one last time beforehand. Choosing to take the high road and let it go, I went straight to work on Nyah, taking all my aggravation out with every stroke, sending clouds of dirt airborne in the process. 

"Can you believe that jerk?"

Nyah threw her head up and down forcing a laugh out of me.

Twenty minutes later, I had finally got her saddled up and ready to ride. Letting her tie rope loose, she began to walk away as I mounted her. Again, I laughed, knowing she was just as ready, if not more, for this ride, and as the leather reins slid through my palms until I had the grip I needed, I felt at home for the first time.

"Let's do this, girl."

There was no need to kick her. Just the simple adjustment I made in the saddle was enough of a signal for her to get moving. She and I had literally grown up together and nothing could replace our bond. Seconds later, the warm wind blew against my face as we transitioned from a gallop into a full-blown run. Racing across the field, I dropped my weight forward, practically resting my stomach on the brim of the saddle as the world around us turned into a complete blur. We went through the tree line, across another field, and to the peak of the range. I was sure that was where I would find them, but clearly, I was wrong.

Looking out across the land, I couldn't help but take in the clean air and let all my stress go. It was magnificent. The mountain tops in the distance showcased the beauty only Montana could hold. 

"Isn't it just gorgeous, girl? I'm going to miss it and you."

She threw her head to the right, which at first had me thinking she may have understood me, but when I heard it too, I knew better. Off in the distance, it was clear my family was coming to join me. Gabriel led the pack with Arianna right on his tail. Canyon was in the back, not surprising me at all with as careful as he was of his family. Nyah reared up, excited to join them, but I forced her to hold still knowing they were headed our way.

Gabriel reached us first, and I couldn't help but compliment him on his skill.

"Wow! Look at you, stud. You're riding like a champ now."

His chest puffed out, forcing me to bury the laugh that was desperate to escape. 

"If only you would tell my dad that. He won't let me enter the rodeo coming to town, and it's the last year a boy can do barrel racing."

Just when I was about to ask why, Arianna rode up with Amelia sitting behind her saddle, peeking out around her mother, wearing the biggest toothless grin.

"Why don't you tell your Aunt Shelby why that is, son?"

Before Gabriel could utter a word, Canyon made it to us. As soon as he saw his father, his mouth closed tight.

"What is this about Gabriel wanting to enter the rodeo?"

"Gabe!"

I went from asking Canyon a question to looking at my nephew with shock all over my face. I had never heard him snap at anyone the way he had just done to me.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't want to be called that anymore. I'm eight now, not a little boy."

When I looked at his parents, both appeared to be ready to pounce.

"Well then, Gabe it is. But let me tell you something, Gabe, I think you could find a better way to get that across then scream at me, don't you think?"

His head hung in shame while both his parents wore smiles of satisfaction. 

"I'm sorry, Aunt Shelby."

I let him linger on it for a few before I felt he had suffered long enough. 

"Now that we got that out of the way, who wants to race?"

His adorable head shot back up at the same time Amelia screamed, "Me. Come on, Momma."

Canyon moved over next to me sporting a smile I knew very well. "You're asking for it."

"You bet I am." 

Looking at the others, they already had their reins tightened.

It was up to me to count down, and I was more than happy to do it. "On your mark, get set, go."

Every one of us took off. Ari stayed at a slower pace but gave Amelia enough that she felt she was a part of something. In the meantime, Gabriel was giving it his all and showing me just what he had in him. I was impressed but knew Nyah would beat out his stud any day of the week. Canyon was my main concern, but with my weight being half of his, Nyah and I held the advantage. 

Canyon and I crossed the tree line and were neck and neck through the open field in front of us. I knew I wasn't pushing her—it wasn't needed. She loved to race and was giving Canyon’s horse, Malcom, a run for his money. Sitting low again, I bent my legs, taking the stirrups with me, feeling a rush of adrenaline that I missed more than words could explain. 

We were five hundred yards from the corral we knew to be our finish line when Nyah opened up and took the lead. I didn't need to turn my head. Canyon was grunting, making it obvious he wasn't happy the win was about to be stripped of a possibility for him. The closer we got, the more my smile grew until we passed the open gate and were, indeed, the winners. My body went upright as my hands flew over my head in victory. 

"Yes. I still can beat you."

I brought my left hand down to rub Nyah's neck while telling her over and over again what a good girl she was.

Canyon was sulking when he came along side of me, but nothing could have beat the expression Gabriel wore as he crossed the gate. He was raging mad.

"Son, you know it will come with time and experience. You did great."

Canyon and I had already dismounted and were walking the horses back when he passed me his reins, signaling that he wanted to go and have a heart to heart with his son. I walked both the horses to the water trough and looked over just as Ari and Amelia rode up. Canyon left Gabriel's side after patting him on the back before he made it over to help Amelia off of Sasha, Arianna's favorite horse since Magnus had passed. The ranch didn't seem the same without him, but the cancer had spread so rapidly there was no choice in the matter to put him down. 

As adorable as it was to see Canyon kiss his daughter on the forehead before lowering her to the ground and watching her run off, it was even more so when he helped my sister slide off with her baby bump in tow. They made the perfect family, and I couldn't have been happier that they were expanding once again. 

Gabriel walked up next to me, allowing his horse to get a drink, but it was what he said that surprised me.

"Dad told me it would be a good idea if I asked you to ride with me more. He says I could learn a lot from you."

I was shocked but honored Canyon would speak so highly of me.

"I would love to ride with you, Gabri—I mean, Gabe. It would be my pleasure."

"Well, you're the one who won all those trophies at Grandma's house. If you could teach me, maybe I could win too."

It was obvious that he was uncomfortable asking for help. I had known from the time he was two that he was the most stubborn person on the planet. That didn't mean I loved him any less. He kind of reminded me of someone I knew all too well myself.  Letting my arm fall across his shoulder, I kissed the top of his head and explained the best way I knew how so that it wouldn't break his spirit.

"You don't need help, hun, just a little more experience. That comes with time, and there's nothing you can do about that part, right?"

He looked up at me and smiled.

"Yeah, nothing I can do about that." He looked at his parents as they were talking while Canyon unsaddled Malcom and then turned back to me one last time, muttering, "Thanks, Aunt Shelby," before he began to work on his own horse.

It was clear Canyon wanted him to take responsibility if he wanted to ride, which was the same way he raised me. As I stood back and watched Gabe undo the girth strap and pull the saddle off all by himself, pride filled me. He was a fine young man affirming that, once again, Canyon had done the job well.

"He's you all over again, isn't he?"

I laughed as I turned to my sister, finding her standing behind me.

"Pretty much, but hey, you did an amazing job raising me so he should be no problem at all."

"Says who?" Canyon joked as he whipped me playfully with a leather rein while passing by on his way to carrying the tack back to the barn.

"Just ignore him. I think you turned out exactly the way you should have."

Her eyes looked like she was struggling to keep them open. It was obvious she needed sleep.

"Why don't you go in the house and rest? I can get this."

Relief came in the form of a blown out, obviously pent-up, breath of air.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Go take a nap."

She didn't need me to tell her twice before she pulled me to her, hugged me like only she could, and then went into the barn. As she walked away, I couldn't help but laugh at just how short she was compared to me. As a kid, she seemed so tall, but when I passed her up in sixth grade, it hit me—she was a runt. But she was my runt. I guess anyone under my five foot ten could be considered that. I hated that I took after him in any way, shape or form, but I got my height from my father.

Snapping out of my own thoughts, I reached over and took hold of Nyah.

"You ready for your wash down, pretty girl?"

She rubbed her face against my thigh not letting me forget it was her favorite part.

"I know. I know." 

"That's part of my job description, you know?"

The sound of his voice literally made stomach turn over.

"Why do you have to be everywhere?"

I said it more to myself, but it was clear when he came out of the barn still not wearing a damn shirt, that he had heard me. 

"I work here. By here I mean here."

He spread his arms out and turned in a circle to prove his point, all while flexing his muscles to show off.

"Whatever. It doesn't mean you have to be where I am, does it? And put a damn shirt on."

"If it bothers you so much, stop drooling and look the other way."

"Aunt Shelby?"

I heard Gabriel call me, but when I looked over, I could see it was more out of desperation as he was struggling to get the bridle strap over the ears of his horse.

"You want some help?" 

He was seconds away from punching himself in the nose if he reared his head back one more time.

Ignoring Jase, I walked over, while watching the horse give his owner some trouble.

"What's his name again?"

"Butthole is what it should be."

He was so mad. I honestly was holding back a laugh, trying to keep a straight face as I waited for the real answer.

"Scout. His name is Scout."

"That’s right! Well now, Gabe, come over here and take one of the reins off the bridle."

He unsnapped the rein and held it in his hand, looking at me for what to do next. You could see in his eye he wanted to whip the horse with it.

"I want you to throw one end over his head and then take the two ends together and pull, saying the word down. This is something you need to practice with him. He knows what he's supposed to do but obviously doesn't want to do it for you. You can't let him think he's boss. You control the situation or Scout here can never be trusted out there." I nodded my head to the property. 

Gabriel pulled, said the command, and sure enough, Scout’s head came down with it. The smile my nephew wore was pre-warranted which he soon figured out as he reached for the bridle and Scout’s head flew back up taking Gabriel's arm with it.

"So you want to play it that way?"

Gabriel had let go of the rein and was rubbing his shoulder. I knew how much that was going to hurt.

"Who's the boss here, you or him?"

When I watched anger take over his disposition, I knew it would be his shining moment. He didn't once look at me for reassurance. Instead, the leather strap was taken firmly in his hand and with one forceful jerk he said, "Down". Scout’s head came down, that time staying in place as the bridle slid over his ears. After the lead rope was clipped onto the halter, a stoic Gabriel turned back to me beaming.

"Great job, you did everything perfectly."

"He's still a butthole."

"I can see why you would say that for sure. Now, do you want to hose him down, or would you like me to do it for you?"

"I can handle it. He needs to know who's the boss, right?"

"You got it."

I figured I might as well get started on Sasha seeing as Nyah was happy at the moment grazing, but when I turned, she was gone. Glancing around, I found her already stripped, hosed down, and running free in the corral. Jase was standing at the fence staring at me with a smug look screaming, I told you it was my job. 

Ugh!

I looked over my shoulder and saw Gabriel had his horse taken care of as well, leaving me with two options: strip Nyah or go back out for a ride. It didn't take much thought to decide I needed to get as far away from Jase as humanly possible. 

Grabbing Nyah's reins, I walked back over to her side and mounted her.

"You ready for a little more, girl?"

No answer was needed as we rode off into the beauty of Montana.