Page 11 of Unyielding (Poplar Springs #3)
ELEVEN
SHANNON
I stared up at the sky in the mid-afternoon sun, laughing when the wind almost blew my hat off.
I pressed it down more firmly on my head as I followed Fiona’s horse up the slight incline.
I was on Red. He needed exercise and, unfortunately, he’d not taken well to having strangers riding him.
When he’d started nipping at the guests, he’d been pulled from the roster for trail rides, and now he was only ridden by riders he knew well and trusted.
When I reached the top, my sister had already dismounted. Gatsby was grazing nearby while she sat on a flat rock. I left Red munching on some wild grass and joined her.
“I can’t remember the last time I was up here. I forgot how gorgeous it is.”
“Isn’t it amazing? It’s part of one of our more advanced rides and we stop here before heading out to the falls,” she said.
I tugged at my sweaty shirt, letting the breeze dry my sweat. “We should have gone there. I could use a swim.”
My sister hmmed in response. “To do it right, it should be an overnight. Are you up for that much time away?”
“Definitely not.” It had been years since we’d done anything like that, even though we used to camp out at the falls all the time when we were teens.
Out there, sleeping under the stars, we felt like we were a million miles away from everyone.
All of the Cafferty land felt that way. Even though there were other properties nearby, once we got far enough out into the foothills, it felt as if we were alone with Mother Nature.
“When I worked in Denver, I was always shocked at how protective my coworkers with kids were. This one woman in accounting choreographed every moment of their lives and was always tracking where they were at all times. Whereas we?—”
“Ran around like feral children?” I finished for her, making my sister laugh.
“We weren’t quite that bad. But I can’t imagine the amount of time and energy it takes to be a helicopter parent.”
“And I can’t imagine what might have happened in her life to make her feel she needs to keep tabs on them like that,” I said.
I had my water bottle out and was sipping on it when Fiona asked, “Do you ever think about what you’ll be like as a mom?”
I coughed, barely managing to swallow the water.
“No. Well, maybe.” No way was I going to tell her that I imagined having a son or daughter who looked a whole lot like Declan.
It isn’t as if he thought of me that way.
“I like to think I’d have mom’s sensibilities.
She always seemed so calm. Even when we were getting in trouble. ”
“I miss her. Both of them. A lot. It’s why I stayed away so long. I just couldn’t imagine the ranch without them,” she said.
“I miss them too. So very much. It’s why I really want the breeding program to thrive. Every time something goes wrong, I feel like I’m failing Mom and her legacy. I have to succeed. I have to.” I felt my tears hit my cheeks.
Fiona swung around to face me and grabbed my hand. “Shan, Mom was so proud of you. There’s nothing—and I mean nothing —you could do that would ever disappoint her. You know that, right?”
I swiped at my tears. “It doesn’t feel that way. Especially with Josh breathing down my neck to make changes when all I want to do is keep things as they are.”
Fiona scooted closer to me and hooked her arm through mine.
I rested my head on her shoulder. “Hey now, it wasn’t too long ago that Josh was the one who was resistant to making any changes.
He fought against everything, including Zoe staying at the ranch, and how did that turn out?
Hmm?” She elbowed me lightly waiting for a response.
I grumbled and she elbowed me again. “Well?”
“Pretty damn good, actually, but that doesn’t mean I have to make changes too.” I was whining and making excuses. I knew it. But I also knew Fi wouldn’t hold it against me.
“Josh is coming from a place of love and experience, so yeah, he wants to see you make changes that he knows will be good for you and for the program,” she said.
“But does he have to be such a hardass?”
Fiona laughed. “As long as he’s the one signing the checks, yeah, he gets to do that too.”
I huffed out a breath and nodded. “Fine, but I refuse to like it.”
“Fair enough.” Fiona unhooked her arm and stood up. “Come on, let’s head back. Zoe said something about making pizza tonight. Any night where I don’t have to cook is a good night.”
It took us a couple of hours to make it back to the ranch.
Despite the time in the saddle, it felt good to be out there.
Instead of feeling tired, I felt rejuvenated.
As we dismounted, I could see Declan’s truck coming down the road.
Fiona reached for Red’s reins. “I’ll take him. Declan’s probably here to see you.”
“What makes you say that?” I responded a bit too fast and Fiona gave me an eyebrow raise.
“Because I know he’s not here for any of the trail horses.”
“Oh.”
Declan parked and I met him halfway. “Hi. Did we have an appointment?”
He faltered. “Uh, not exactly. Did you get my text?”
“Sorry, no—not that I noticed, anyway. I was out on one of the trails and I don’t usually have service out there.
” I pulled my phone out feeling foolish for checking messages while he was standing in front of me.
I finally saw the one about a conference call with his friend Brandon to talk about another semen sample. “Oh. Okay.”
“So, do you have time now?”
After the loss of the last sample with the freezer malfunction, I’d sort of been hoping that the plan of using AI would get forgotten.
I was tempted to say I couldn’t do it now.
But then visions of Josh spending the money on a horse for the trail program instead of on the mare I wanted reminded me what was at stake.
“Sure. Let’s go into the barn and get out of the sun.” We ended up using the trail ride office. Declan set up his laptop and tethered it to his phone so he could video call Brandon.
A few rings and a guy our age—with a manbun, of all things—answered the call. He was all smiles. “Dec, it’s good to see you. Ugly as ever.”
Declan grinned at him. “Brandon. I see you’re still sporting that weird growth on the top of your head.”
“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it. The ladies love it.”
“Horses or humans?” I slapped my hand across my mouth shocked that I’d said that aloud to a complete stranger. Both of them burst out laughing.
“Oh, I like her. You must be Shannon? It’s nice to meet you-meet you.”
I waved one hand while I slowly pulled the other away from my mouth. “Same? And I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Don’t be. Everyone gives me shit about it, which is why I refuse to cut it.” His laughter was infectious and I couldn’t stop the smile.
“All right, now that introductions are out of the way. I’ve got some different semen samples to talk to you about and I wanted to do it via video so I could share their genetics easier.”
For the next ten minutes, Brandon showed me different reports of the stallions he had available along with the approximate prices. There was a range that started in the low hundreds and went all the way up into the tens of thousands or more.
“A big part of the higher costs for some is their lineage, which I’m sure you know.
Some of the higher end breeder programs only want champions.
From what Declan has shared, I think I have three that would be the right fit for your warmblood program, I just need you to let me know which one you want. ”
We talked for another twenty minutes and when we got off the call, I was feeling a little less cautious about using AI. He’d told us that he would be extracting the semen in the next few days and would get it frozen and delivered to Declan within the week.
I walked Declan back to his truck. “How are you feeling about it all?” he asked me.
“Nervous still. This is a big step for me. I feel like I’m going against everything I learned at my mom’s side and I’m having a hard time with that. But with everything Brandon shared, he actually made it seem less like science.”
“Ultimately, there’s always some science involved. Even with live cover, you wouldn’t simply place any stallion with any mare. Decisions are made that involve the health of the horses and your bottom line, right?”
I had to agree, even if I didn’t want to. “Plus, I can still change my mind, right?”
“Sure. That’s always an option. And chances are, if you are dead set against it, I can find another buyer for the sample, so you may even get your money back.”
I winced at that. I’d put the cost of the two samples—the earlier one and this one—on my credit card and damn near melted it.
I watched Declan drive away wondering for the hundredth time if I was doing the right thing.
Josh had been adamant that if I didn’t show that I was making positive changes to Lost Valley’s breeding program, I wouldn’t get the money I needed.
Like it or not, I had to try. I just wished it didn’t hurt so damn much to move away from what my mom had built.
“Sorry, Mom. I wish there was another way but I’m doing this to save your legacy and Gran’s. I hope you understand.”