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Horses that were already checked out entirely, shut down, were that much harder to break through with. Because the only way to start was to get them to confront the mistreatment and terror they’d been facing. This guy seemed still lost in the midst of it.

Something that I would hopefully be able to show was no longer happening.

I wasn’t one to trust people as quickly as I did Briar. However, maybe it wasn’t trust. It was the fact that she was willing to ask for help despite knowing that she could end up in prison if I believed she was the one to abuse the animal. That was what had me shoving any doubt about her down.

Besides, I liked her feisty attitude, even if it was a defense mechanism right now.

The stallion finally stopped moving completely and turned toward me, his eyes connecting with mine.

I propped a boot up on the bottom rail, watching him. Studying him. Eyes, as black as coal, filled with a dark desperation to escape.

“I got my stuff,” Briar called out, and I glanced away from the horse as she walked my way with a duffel slung over her shoulder. That was it? Only a duffel full of clothes? I thought women packed like hoarders.

Suddenly, pressure kicked against the back of my weight-bearing leg, and my knee buckled out from under me. I crashed against the ground, dirt clouding up around me, with a groan escaping my throat.

A low chuckle met my ears, and I looked in the opposite direction of Briar—who was fighting a grin herself.

“Seriously?” I grumbled as Weston walked by with his hands in his pockets.

“She’s staying?” he asked, nodding toward the girl, ignoring my question.

“Yeah, for a bit.”

“This her horse?”

“Yes, that’s my horse,” Briar interrupted, and I slid my upside down gaze to her. She grinned wickedly, as if I was owed this torture from Weston.

“She’ll be coming on the cattle drive, too,” I added, and the smirk quickly fell from Weston’s lips. Pulling my legs under me, standing upright, I brushed off some of the dirt from my jeans.

Weston didn’t say a thing as his blue eyes snapped to Briar and then back to me. I shook some dust from my hair and pulled off my hat, patting the debris from the brim. “If she doesn’t do well, she’s gone,” I quickly added.

My brother sucked in some air. “She’s your responsibility,” he stated and walked away.

“Yes, sir!” I saluted him behind his back.

“Cassidy,” Weston grumbled a warning.

I chuckled as he kept moving and eventually disappeared into the barn.

“Alright, Goldie, follow me.” I shoved my hat back on my head, stuffed my hands in my pockets, and started down the path toward the main house over yonder.

“I have a name,” she mumbled, following along.

“I know that.”

“So use it.”

“Quit giving me attitude.”

“I’ll give you all the attitude I want.”

“Like I said once before, you’re a golden ray of sunshine.”

“Jerkface.”

“Sassy pants.”

“Butthead.”