Page 7 of Save A Horse (Texas Rose Ranch #1)

Colt

O nce we rode so far, Colt stopped, tying Shadow’s lead to a tree. I got off Domino and did the same. Colt sat down, propping himself against the tree. I waited a moment, then sat down beside him.

“You know how my mom died?” I don't know why I asked that, but everything always felt so natural and safe with him.

“I do.”

“I haven’t ridden a horse since I was sixteen because of it. It was my fault.” He turned to face me, placing a hand on my knee.

“It was not your fault. It was an accident.”

“I wanted to ride that day. It had been a long day on the ranch, but I didn’t care.

I wanted to ride anyway. My mom didn’t like me going by myself, and my dad had called it for the evening.

She told him she was going to go ride with me for about an hour and then we’d be back.

” She sniffed. “We were riding back, and I told her I wanted to go faster. She was hesitant to do it, especially since it was starting to get dark out. She started to gain a little speed, following behind me, and I heard her scream." Daisy teared up. “I looked back just in time to catch a quick glimpse of a snake on the ground, and Mom’s horse freaked. She fell off and hit a rock. I tried to get her to speak to me, but she didn’t make a sound... It was instant. I made it back to the house and told my dad what happened. It was the worst day of my life.”

I could see the tears starting to fall on her face.

I remembered all the tears I shed when my mom passed.

I usually did it away from everyone, especially my dad.

I knew he was struggling, too, and the last thing I wanted was to make things harder for him.

It was easier to feel the pain alone. She turned her head so I couldn’t see, but I took my hand that was not on her knee and placed it on her cheek to turn her back to face me.

Using my thumb, I wiped away her tears, looking into her eyes the whole time.

It was an intimate connection…one that I had never experienced with anyone else.

Daisy had always been special and had taken a place in my heart from the first time I saw her as a two-year old. She had just been born and her parents brought her to visit my parents. My mom said I saw her and held her hand, saying "baby Daisy." I guess I was a goner back then.

“You were still a kid…and accidents happen. It was an accident, Daisy.” She leaned over, placing her head on my shoulder. I missed her touch and our time together. It had been lonely since she left. She didn’t speak for a few minutes.

“You are a good listener, you know that? You’ve kind of surprised me.”

“Have I surprised you?”

“Well, yes. I haven’t been able to talk to you since we were kids before…you know…”

“I know…we had fun as kids, didn’t we? ”

“Yes, we did.” With her head still on my shoulder, we stayed a little while longer until I knew we needed to head back before it got too dark out to ride safely.

When we went in for dinner, my dad had already gone to bed after his long day. I went into the fridge and made Daisy and me both a sandwich while she went to shower. When she got out, we watched a little TV and ate.

“You know, I’m still the same…for the most part.”

“The same?”

“As when we were kids. I still like the same things and still like to have fun when I’m not working.”

“So riding is what you consider fun?”

“Absolutely. Riding has always been for me.”

“It used to be fun for me, too. You know…you’ve kind of made riding fun again.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“I must ask…do you ever go out? I mean, you’ve not been out the whole time I’ve been here. I figured someone like you would be out with the ladies all over him.”

“I don’t care much for the bar scene, and truthfully, I haven’t had much luck with women, so I don’t date anymore.

After I graduated, I went on a few dates over the years, but none of them worked out or went all that well.

I just never made a connection like I wanted.

My mom always tried to set me up with someone.

I let her a couple of times, but they never worked out either.

Once she passed, I took on even more responsibility around the ranch and haven’t been on a date since. ”

“So, you haven’t been on a date since you were 20?” He shook his head.

“Not a single one.”

“I guess that doesn’t make me feel all that bad, then.”

“Why is that?”

“You can’t judge me for this…” I could tell she was a little hesitant to share.

“This is a judgment-free zone.”

“I haven’t been on a date.”

“Never?” She shook her head, smiling slightly.

“Not unless you count a boy coming over when I was sixteen to sit on the couch with me and both my parents to watch a movie as a date, then never.” I laughed.

“How is that possible? And no, that is not a date.” I looked at her.

Her beautiful brown curls extended past her shoulders.

Her eyes were the darkest brown I had ever seen and instantly grabbed my attention.

She had the prettiest smile, one that I would do anything to see, even if that meant making myself look like a fool, which I did in the past on more than one occasion.

“I’ve just been more career driven I guess you’d say.

My mom passed that same year, and I was depressed for a while.

I stopped riding and stopped wanting to hang out with anyone or do much of anything.

I graduated and kept my plan to study art at a community college in the city to expand my horizon… that’s what my mom always called it.”

“And you graduated, got a job, and never looked back?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“And no one in the city even looked your way?”

“Well, maybe a couple, but I wasn’t interested.” I looked at Daisy. Part of me couldn’t believe what I was hearing and was really questioning if she was telling me a lie.

“You could’ve fooled me.” I looked back at the TV for a moment.

What did I just say to her? She was off limits.

My dad made that clear when he told me he was going to do this for John.

I told him he had nothing to worry about.

“I think I’m going to shower and head on to bed.

You want me to turn the TV off or leave it on? ”

“You can leave it on. I think I’ll stay up for a few more minutes anyway.” I nodded, then headed to my room.

What did I mean by that comment? What did ‘You could’ve fooled me’ even mean?

The way I have seen Daisy today has been different.

Even the way I have talked to her has been different.

I opened up to her about some things- things that I never talk to anyone about - and she did the same.

Was this all too much? Daisy is beautiful, I will admit it.

Her big, brown eyes and brunette hair that always seems to fall to her face have caught my eye more than a handful of times.

She is also off limits. I can’t go back on my word… not to my father…can I?