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“This is Oliver,” Suzanne said. “He’s our resident heartbreaker.”

“Oh?” Natalie said. “I can believe it. He’s magnificent.”

Vaughn leaned on the stall and crossed her arms over her chest. “How is he this morning?” She looked to Natalie to explain. “He’s had some colic here recently.”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Suzanne said. “The vet said it’s just gas. He seems better this morning. He took a little hay and we’ll try again in a couple of hours.”

Vaughn gave Oliver a pat and walked away. Natalie quickly said good-bye to Suzanne and followed Vaughn who, thankfully, stopped to open the next stall. She entered and slid a halter on another beautiful amber horse. “This is O’Malley,” she said, stroking him. “He’s our old man.”

“Aw,” Natalie said, stroking his graying muzzle. “He’s sweet.”

“He’s actually quite grumpy.”

“No, I’m sure he’s just misunderstood.”

“Ha. He’ll like you.”

Vaughn gently led O’Malley out of the stall, and they walked him to the corral where Benny, the leaner fellow, came and took his lead. Natalie stood with Vaughn for a moment and watched. The rising sun glinted off O’Malley’s tawny hide, making it look like warm, rich honey.

“These horses,” Natalie said. “They’re so majestic.” She knew she sounded wistful, almost silly, but she couldn’t help it. She was truly moved by these creatures.

She felt Vaughn’s eyes on her. “You really like them?”

Natalie nodded. “I do.”

“You’re going to fit in just fine around here.” She placed a soft hand on her shoulder, causing Natalie to angle her head. “Come on, you can help lead the rest of the horses out.”

Natalie, Vaughn, and Greer headed back inside the stable and brought out horse after horse, with Vaughn showing Natalie how to ease on the harnesses and slowly lead them out into the corral. Natalie smiled as she walked, feeling proud and honored to be leading each horse. She felt dignified and purposeful and her smile, she felt, couldn’t be any more genuine.

“Come on,” she cooed, directing the last horse out. She ticked at him, as she’d heard Vaughn do and the horse, whose name was Beauregard, followed her slowly. He, too, was up in years and slow moving. But his eyes were deep and rich, and she could tell he was taking her in and trusting her. They reached the corral and she gave him a few soft strokes on his velvety muzzle. “The pleasure was all mine,” she whispered to him. He bobbed his head. She laughed. “I’ll come back for you later, okay?” She left him and joined Vaughn at the gate.

“And the rest of the horses?” Natalie asked, motioning back toward the stables.

“We feed them inside and then they go out a little later, when the others are out to pasture. They just need a little extra one on one attention.”

Vaughn started heading for the house.

“What now?” Natalie asked, catching up to her.

“Now we eat,” she said. “Breakfast time.”

Chapter Six

Natalie stood awkwardly at the kitchen counter as everyone moved around her like ants on a mission. Benny brushed by her with a heavy-looking pewter plate in hand and sat his scrawny body down at the table, removing his hat to hang on the back of the chair. He joined Greer in heaping a hefty spoonful of eggs onto his plate.

“Help yourself,” Vaughn said, as she too breezed by her, plate in hand. She also sat at the round table and removed her hat to hang on the back of her chair.

“Yes, child, here,” June said, handing Natalie a plate. “You better get in there or there’ll be nothing left.”

“Hey, Dumb and Dumber aren’t here, so can I have their share?” Benny asked. Natalie assumed he was referring to the missing ranch hands that Vaughn had spoken of earlier. Seems she had two workers who weren’t keen on showing up to work.

“You think I made enough for those two?” June said, making herself comfortable at the table. She patted the seat next to her, encouraging Natalie to join them. “Not likely,” she said. “You don’t work, you don’t eat.”

Greer laughed as he bit into a crispy strip of bacon. “I’ll work extra hard then.”

“You better,” June said. “With your appetite.” Greer’s heavy cheeks bloomed with red. He was as husky as Benny was scrawny. Natalie found them both to be young and endearing. She was a little less intimidated by them now. They were just kids, maybe nineteen or twenty, with the whole world ahead of them. And they acted as such. She stifled a laugh as they continued to ramble as they ate, their sweat-soaked hair sticking up in places due to their hats. Boys. They were just boys really. They seemed okay enough.