Page 38 of Save A Horse (Texas Rose Ranch #1)

Daisy

I had gotten up before Walt and Colt to get a head start. I wanted to watch the sunrise, and the best way to do that was from a horse. I saddled up Domino and took off into the fields, knowing a perfect spot that Colt and I had escaped to as kids, our moms going with us on a few occasions.

The morning air was crisp, and everything around me was only beginning to wake up.

I felt a slight breeze blowing my hair, feeling cool against my skin.

I felt so much freedom riding, freedom that I have never felt anywhere else.

The soft rustling of leaves in the wind and distant sounds of birds chirping filled the air.

Each hoofbeat resonated with the earth, and I felt each one in my chest. I felt in sync with Domino.

There were so many thoughts running around in my head.

The day yesterday with just Colt and me was about as close to perfect as you can get.

Each moment we spent together was a treasure.

I had never been on a date, except with Colt, and seeing him be so meticulous with planning made it so special and meaningful.

I could tell he had put a lot of thought into it.

I hoped for more days like that with him .

I wondered if I did stay here, if that would be what it could be like. If being near Colt every day could always feel that good-if it could always feel like coming home, wrapped in warmth and comfort.

This was the hardest decision I had ever had to make.

When I left Garrity Valley for Dallas seven something years ago, I didn’t have someone else to worry about.

I knew my dad would be alright on his own, so I did what I thought was best for me.

Now, though, I had to consider someone else and their feelings.

That made the choice so much more difficult.

I didn’t want to hurt him. I could only imagine what it did to him when I left without a word after all those years of friendship, and I was afraid of what leaving him might do to him.

I couldn’t decide what to do, stay or leave, so I did what my dad always told me when you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. When in doubt, let your horse do the thinkin,’ he’d always say.

As Domino and I made our way through the dew-kissed field, we reached the top of the hill with the best view of the sunrise.

I halted him. You could see so much from up here.

The horizon began to light up with hues of orange and pink.

The sun was slowly rising, casting a warm glow over the ranch.

This was one of the best views, and one of my favorite things about being in the country.

I couldn’t help but smile, feeling the gentle breeze as I watched the sun come up.

Mornings werealways my favorite.

It was a moment of tranquility before everything woke up and started stirring.

I closed my eyes for a moment, soaking in the beauty and peace of it.

This was my sanctuary, a place I could come to be one with my thoughts, escape, and find solace in nature’s embrace.

As the sun continued its rise, I felt a renewed sense of hope. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or what decision I was going to make, but I knew that Colt and I would find time to talk about it. I knew we could make that decision together .

I moved the reins to get Domino going again, this time headed back to the ranch. I needed to feed the horses and make sure they all had water, my first tasks of each day, since I had been on Texas Rose Ranch. I took the journey back slowly, wanting to savor the quiet for a little while longer.

When I finally saw the barn come into view, I could see two figures standing right outside it.

Walt and Colt were watching as I made my way closer.

My hair was blowing in the breeze with the bit of speed we had picked up.

I finally gained my confidence back with riding, and I was proud of myself for that.

I glanced at Colt briefly, trying not to let Walt catch me staring.

I saw his curls, his muscles, and the sweat beaming from him.

No doubt he and Walt had been working hard this morning.

I liked how hard Colt worked, and I had his dad to thank for that.

I couldn’t blame Walt for wanting to start early.

It meant if you kept a good pace, you may not have a long day, and if you were lucky, you would get the toughest chores out of the way before the heat of the summer really picked up in the middle of the day.

I dismounted and led Domino into the barn. Rewarding Domino for letting me take him out so early, I brushed his mane, taking so much care with each stroke. He was so gentle.

The next thing I knew, I felt hands against my waist. I jerked as those hands spun me around.

“Colt!”

“Shhh…”

“What on earth! You can’t scare me like that.” He kissed my lips.

“We don’t have much time.”

“For?” He winked, then put his lips back on mine.

He moved them with such rhythm, from my mouth to my cheeks, then to my neck and chest. I didn’t know how he could make me feel like I was floating with every kiss, every touch.

“Okay…okay, Colt. We'd better stop before we get caught.” He nodded and backed away. He knew I was right, even if this was what we both wanted to be doing.

“Still good, though?”

“Always. So, where’d your dad go?”

“Inside to make us all sandwiches.”

“Kind of early for that, isn’t it?”

“Ah, he said he needed a break, so he’s not in any hurry. He knew we’d be a bit. He told me to help you out. I know you went riding to see the sunrise this morning, so you probably still need to feed and water the horses.”

“How’d you know what I did?”

“Well, besides the fact that you made it out of the house before we did, it was always one of your favorite things.”

He remembered so much about me, like he had kept a list in his head all this time, hoping one day he would be able to put it to good use.

It made me feel a little guilty that I had ever tried to forget this place.

No matter how hard I tried, though, I couldn’t forget Colt.

I didn’t want to. He had once been my go-to person, and there were too many memories there to wash away.

Colt was shoveling out the stalls while I gave each horse food and checked their water.

I loved moments like this, being able to slow down with the hustle and bustle of life.

The sunlight filtered through the wooden slats, and I was starting to feel the heat.

I rubbed Domino on the nose, feeling a little mist as he neighed, then walked back to hang up the bucket.

I picked up the water hose and sprayed a little in Colt’s direction.

“Hey!”

“What?” I was definitely flirting with him.

“You’ll get some back. ”

I sprayed him again. He ran towards me, trying to take the hose from my hand, but we ended up spraying it everywhere.

It was a good thing Walt was in the house, so he couldn’t see us.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, moving me around to try to free my hands.

I held on a little longer before dropping the hose. Colt walked over and turned it off.

“Told you you’d get some, too.” We laughed, but it was cut short.

Suddenly, a loud, whiny sound broke the lightheartedness between us.

We turned our heads toward the sound. Titan jolted, and his ears pricked forward.

Colt tried to react quickly, while I was unsure of what to do.

Titan knocked over a bucket of feed, and Colt walked over to steady him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small snake slithering across the barn floor.

It was little and harmless, but the sight of it startled Titan.

“Colt!” The snake was small, but I still didn’t like them. I was with Titan on this one. Colt stepped back with the urgency in my voice. Titan was dancing around nervously.

“It’s just a snake. He’s okay.”

Titan didn’t listen, though. He continued moving around, pure chaos ensuing.

His instincts kicked in as he tried to escape.

Titan moved, showing pain in his hoof. Colt rushed to him, trying to calm him down more.

I froze. What was wrong? What had happened?

Was he hurt? I walked over to the stall.

During it all, Titan had stepped on a loose nail sticking out.

“No, no, no, Titan!” Titan was still agitated but slowly coming down from the rush of the incident. I brushed his mane, trying to keep him calm so Colt could take a look at the injury.

“Shh, you’re alright, Titan. We got you. You’re safe.” I continued brushing him, speaking softly. I could feel him trembling underneath me.

I peered down to Colt handling Titan’s hoof and could make out a small cut on his leg from where he had stepped on the nail.

“We need to get him treated.” Colt looked at me with concern, and I was scared. It had been a long time since I had to deal with anything like this. It made me nervous.

“Let’s get your dad.” I think Colt could see my jitters, so he shook his head in agreement.

“Go get him. He’ll be able to help.” I dashed out of the barn, running as fast as I could to the house. I found Walt sitting in the kitchen, drinking some water.

“Walt! Walt!” He rose quickly, walking over to me and putting his hands on my shoulder.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Titan! He…he…” I was out of breath and couldn’t get the words out.

“Slow down, Daisy. Take a deep breath.” I did, Walt coaching me through it. “What happened?”

“Titan got spooked by a snake and hurt his leg. There's a cut on it. Colt needs help treating it.”

“Show me.”

Walt’s expression went from confusion to concern as we made our way to the barn, me running in front of him. When Walt walked into the barn, he went straight to Titan and Colt, assessing the situation.

“Alright, let’s get a good look at him.” Colt held the horse steady while Walt examined the cut. “It’s not too deep. We need to clean and bandage it.” He looked up at me. “Daisy, can you grab some clean water and a cloth?”

“Yes!” I hurried to gather the supplies. I wasn’t good in a crisis. Colt always was, which made us a perfect pair. I could lean on him during times like this. I returned in a flash with the supplies. Walt cleaned the wound while Colt continued to keep Titan calm .

“You’re a good boy, Titan. Just a little bit longer.” I walked close enough to rub Titan on the nose while Colt spoke to him.

“There we go. He’ll be fine.” I looked at Titan’s leg, seeing the bandage wrapped around it. “He just needs some rest. No need to worry.”

“Thanks, dad.” Walt patted me on the shoulder.

“You did well coming to get me, Daisy." He looked back at Titan. “Just keep an eye on him for the next few days. Hopefully, that snake won’t be back, and if either of you sees it, then we need to get rid of it. We don’t want anything like this happening again.” We both nodded, and Walt walked back toward the house.

“I was about to make those sandwiches. You two come inside and eat when you’re ready. ”

Once Walt was out of sight, I leaned into Colt. I placed my head against his chest and instantly felt hands wrapping around me. The feeling of him holding me tightly made me feel safe, calming my nerves.

“You alright?” He pulled me back, a hand of his on each of my shoulders.

“Yeah. I’m okay. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Do what?”

“Stay calm. I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I guess it comes with being used to this way of life. There are so many things that could happen, and you can never be prepared for them all. What do you say we go inside and eat, and once we’re finished, we can rest a bit on the tire swing?

Promise not to push you too high.” He winked, trying to make me feel better, and it did.

“That sounds nice.”