Page 55 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight

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s soon as Grady saw her, he knew why Cole loved her.

She was, on the face of it, a magnificent horse.

Excellent breeding, a Thoroughbred but with the stronger hindquarters suggesting some warmblood in there, a lustrous dark bay coat, flowing black mane and tail—textbook.

But that wasn’t it. It was in her eyes. As she looked over at Grady walking up to the fence, she stared right through him, crazier and saner than anyone else all at once.

She tossed her head, kicked her rear hooves up, and the girl on her back scolded her and held on. Grady smiled.

“Grady?” Stewart’s missus came up behind him.

Grady touched the brim of his hat.

“What can I do for you?” She sounded downright surprised, and rightly so. Grady’d never had no cause to come to the riding school, and he wasn’t friends with her husband, either. Always found him to be too soft for his woman, whipped by her.

As Grady glanced back at the ring, at the horse doing everything she could to dislodge the rider, he smiled to himself and thought he might have to re-evaluate those charges. Wasn’t only a woman could be making a man soft, whipping him.

“How much for that there horse?”

She scoffed, surprised and bemused. “That horse ain’t for sale.”

The horse went to make a jump and balked. She backed up, turned sharply and tossed the rider with a sudden flick of her back legs, bringing her hindquarters into the air. The girl hit the ground with a shriek. Leaping back up, she charged at the horse, fist raised, profanity spewing from her mouth.

“But if it were, how much?” Grady watched as she cantered around the ring, shaking her head from side to side, celebrating being free of her rider.

He glanced sidelong at Stewart’s missus as she came to rest her arms on the fence beside him and smiled wryly at him.

“You can’t afford a horse like that.”

“How much.”

She continued to smile at him, calculating, and named a figure Grady reckoned no man had paid for a horse in these parts ever.

It was a little more than Grady had on the redraw, but he reckoned it’d be worth it to redraw a little more and get this done.

With Cole now a permanent fixture in his home and his bed and on his land, they’d make that back in a few years, no problem.

“I reckon you got a deal.”

“I was joking.” She gave him a look like he was stupid.

“Well, I wasn’t.” He turned to face her, rested his forearm on the fence, and spat to the side. “Reckon I’ll be takin’ her now and wire the money tonight.” He put his hand out.

“Have you lost your mind? Stewart said you were cracked, but ain’t no way you’re bein’ serious.”

“We got a deal here or not?”

She shook her head but extended her hand. “I’d have to be crazy not to take it.”

He shook it. “I reckon I done you a favor,” he said as he released her hand. “Only one man can ride that horse.”

She squinted at him, and he saw the moment she realized who he meant. He braced himself for the derisive comment, tensed as he prepared to defend against it, but she smiled, sad yet pleased, and just said, “Ain’t that the truth. Best damn rider I ever seen. Shame.”

She turned and looked at the horse. “You go on in to get her now, I don’t wanna deal with that.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She gave him another smile, warmer now, and headed back to her house, calling for the girl to come on in.

It took some effort, but Grady got the mare to come over to him with some of Cole’s carrots. He unsaddled her, put on the lead rope and led her to the trailer. She went in without too much trouble, and they headed for home.

Cole was sitting on the porch and tossing a ball for Lady when Grady drove up. He took in the horse trailer and then Grady getting out of the truck. He’d been out working when Grady left, and so it was fair he’d be looking surprised when Grady arrived back with the trailer attached.

“Don’t get mad,” Grady said.

Cole stood and made no expression, just watched as Grady undid the ramp, went in and led Cole’s horse out.

She was tossing her head around, and Grady looked over and saw Cole seeing her and realized the moment she saw him back.

She settled and hit the ground with her front hoof, her eyes on Cole, ears pricked up.

Cole brought a hand up to his mouth, and his eyes widened.

Grady couldn’t tell if he was sad or angry or what.

Cole dropped his hand. “Calypso.”

The horse neighed, tossed her head, and Cole rushed her. He impacted with her big chest as his arms came around her neck. Calypso snorted, brought her snout down and rested it gently on Cole’s back.

Cole squeezed her tight, his body shaking. Grady worried he’d gone and upset him, but when he pulled back, Grady could see he was smiling like he couldn’t believe she was real. He was crying too, but he was happy.

“Now don’t go thinkin’ you can’t be ridin’ Chloe too. She’s gonna get jealous if you only ride this one,” Grady said.

Cole laughed wetly. He leaned back and stroked Calypso’s nose. She whinnied softly at him, her eyes relaxed, lips quivering.

“I can’t believe. How?” Cole looked at Grady and Grady saw him get it. “The redraw. You shouldn’t—”

“We’ll make it back. We got time.” Grady handed him the lead rope and swatted his ass as he went for the house.

“Grady,” Cole called as Grady was about to go inside.

Grady turned back, and Cole was standing there, one hand still patting his horse, his eyes shining and smile blinding as he looked up at Grady on the porch.

“Thank you.”

Grady grunted. Cole laughed.

“No, but. I’m serious. Thank you. I—”

“You know I’d do anything for you. This was nothin’.”

Cole laughed again, a small, surprised sound. “I love you, you know that?”

“I know it,” Grady said. “I love you too,” he added gruffly. “Now go on and figure how you gonna manage your two horses and then come on in when you ready. I got another surprise inside.”

“Does the other surprise involve the bed?”

Grady huffed a laugh. “It might.”

Cole grinned at him.

Yeah, Grady thought, they had time.