Page 29 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy (Brides of the Lonesome Creek Orcs #3)

Sel

T he barn smelled like fresh hay and clean animals, with a soft tang of leather and wood in the air. Max jogged ahead of me, excitement practically sparking off him as he tugged one of the big doors open and slipped inside.

I followed at a slower pace, letting him soak it in.

Mishka, the youngling sorhox we were going to work with, waited in the right stall on the end.

I’d put her there this morning to help acclimate her to being penned.

A lot smaller than an adult sorhox, her shoulder came to my waist—and to Max’s chest. When I opened the gate, she gazed at us with her too-big dark eyes, her tail placidly sweeping back and forth behind her.

I’d purposefully selected her for Max because she was the gentlest of the youngling bunch.

Max waited beside me, practically vibrating with the effort it took to stay still.

“You ready to meet her?” I asked, grabbing a halter from the peg on the wall to the right of the gate.

“I sure am.”

He was always polite and kind. Holly had done a good job raising him.

“Mishka’s five months old. Sorhoxes take about three years to fully mature.” I kept my voice low as I approached her with the harness hanging loose from my hand. “She’s still learning what everything’s about. She’s sweet, though, like someone else I know, so you two should get along well.”

Max ducked his head, grinning so hard I thought his face might split in two.

As we got close, Mishka watched us with bright, curious eyes, her green fur ruffling in the faint breeze sneaking through the barn windows.

“There’s one big rule when you’re working with animals.” I moved slow and easy, not wanting to spook her. “Be patient at all times. You don’t force them. You show them they can trust you.”

Max nodded, hanging on every word.

I let him watch me first, showing him how to approach from the left side so the sorhox could see me clearly, how to offer the back of my hand for her to sniff before trying anything else. Mishka stretched her neck out, giving me a snuffle before butting her nose against my hand.

“You try,” I said.

He came around to stand beside me and held out his hand for her to sniff. She butted him too.

“She likes you,” I said. “Go ahead and scratch behind her ear. She loves that.”

While Max’s eyes widened with excitement, and he did as I suggested, and she leaned into his touch with a happy huff.

“Good. Now hold out the halter like this.” I demonstrated, letting her sniff that too before I gently slid it over her snout and tugged the straps snug behind her ears. After removing it, I handed it to him.

He copied my posture carefully, the halter hanging from his hands just right. I guided him step by step, showing him how to slip it over Mishka’s nose, how to fasten the side straps without tugging or fumbling.

It wasn’t perfect. He missed a loop the first time and Mishka danced sideways, snorting. Max’s face fell, but he gritted his teeth and tried again, slower this time, like I’d told him.

“There you go,” I said when he got it right. “Great job.”

Max straightened, pride radiating off him like sunshine.

“She’s soft.” He stroked Mishka’s cheek.

“Soft and smart. She’ll do anything you ask if you treat her right.”

Max bit his lip, and a frown flitted across his face. “My dad didn’t treat animals or people right.”

I kept my hands steady, adjusting Mishka’s lead rope while I thought about how to answer.

“Your mom mentioned something like that,” I said quietly. “A youngling sorhox who flinches when it makes a mistake usually learned the hard way.” We both knew what I meant.

Max stared at the ground, his knuckles whitening.

“What your father did is his mistake. It’s not a reflection on you. None of what happened was your fault.”

Max’s throat bobbed as he swallowed.

“You’re not him,” I continued. “You get to choose what kind of male you want to be.”

He nodded, turning to wipe at his eyes with his sleeve as if he thought I wouldn’t notice.

“From what I’ve seen, you’re going to be a damn good one.”

A shaky laugh escaped him, and he straightened his shoulders.

I gave the end of the rope a light tug. “Let’s see you lead her around.”

Max took a deep breath, tightened his fingers around the straps, and clicked his tongue the way I’d shown him. Mishka followed him, her segmented hooves making soft clops on the hay-strewn wooden floorboards.

I watched him circle the inside of the pen with her following.

Pride swelled in my chest so fast it was painful.

“That’s it.” I smiled when Max glanced my way, his face alight with pure joy. “You’re very good at this. She can tell.”

His cheeks flushed with happiness.

After a few laps, we called it a night. Max removed Mishka’s halter, hanging it back on the wall peg before giving her one last scratch behind the ears.

“She did good,” he said.

“So did you.”

“Thank you, Sel. I appreciate it.”

I nudged his shoulder with my knuckles and when he frowned, I explained. “Orcs do this to show friendship. Comradery.”

He jumped up to do the same to me.

“One day soon, you won’t need to jump,” I said as we headed back toward the house, walking side by side in the darkness.

Cool air nipped my skin, and the first stars were peeking out overhead.

“If you think you can handle it, I’d like you to work with her again tomorrow.

You can take her from the pen, but don’t leave the barn.

Not yet. Make sure the barn doors are secure, and you’ve got a good grip on her harness before you release her from her pen, then lead her back and forth a few times tomorrow to get her used to that. ”

Max nodded like I’d handed him a sacred quest. “I can do it.”

“In a few days, we’ll start taking her outside, but I want to do that only during daylight hours in case she bolts.”

His head tilted. “Would she?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. We won’t give her the leeway to do anything like that. We’ll work with her so much, it won’t occur to her to do anything but what we ask. As you saw, orcs don’t use harnesses or saddles, but the tourists going on trail rides do. We’re training Mishka for an important job.”

His chest puffed. “I can do it. You can trust me.”

“You’re right. I can.”

As we neared the house, I glanced sideways at him. His mop of hair was sticking up in the back, and there was a smudge of dirt on his cheek. He looked happy, and it made my chest ache.

I didn’t only want a future with Holly. I wanted one with Max too. This was what a family could be, laughter and trust and learning side by side. No fear or cruelty.

I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve being here to give them both a second chance, but I’d do everything in my power to protect it.

I ruffled Max’s hair one more time before we stepped up onto the porch. He rolled his eyes but didn’t duck away this time.

We walked into the house, shucked our boots, and after washing our hands at the sink, we strode to the living room. We found Holly curled up on the couch with a book, her feet tucked up under her, her face peaceful.

My heart twisted in the best way.