My Knight

Chapter 32

"You ain't half bad, still got a long way to learn before you're cut loose on your own." Ryan chuckled, admiring my work and I shook my head with a chuckle.

"Excuse me, I'm a bit rusty dragging pastures." I chuckled in return and looked over the freshly dragged grass. The horses have been rotated, one of the tasks given to me was to drag it to get it ready for it's rest period. Who knew so much went into lawn care with this job.

"Why do you think I'm teaching you?" Ryan chuckled and looked around before giving a nod. "It's good for your first time. All that's left is to clean the water trough and move the mineral lick. We don't want them going to waste, hose the holder out, it keeps it from getting too cruddy and keeping dirt in there." I nod and look at the pink mineral lick, oddly shaped from the horse's favoring sides.

"Alright, I'll clean them now. Are you moving the mineral lick or do you want me to do that too?" I arch a brow with a raised eyebrow earning a chuckle from him.

"I'll move it, I think you can manage figuring out where to place this sucker next time." I chuckle, giving a nod of my own before I grab the bleach and brush to clean out the clean bucket again.

"Why am I bleaching this if it's already clean and going to be sitting empty?" Ryan climbed through the fence with a slight chuckle.

"It's so when the horses come back nothing has gotten worse or stained it. It keeps the water troughs clean and ready for the next time the horses are back in here." I nod as I hose out the water trough, cleaning it out before removing all of the water and sitting it up right to dry in the sun. Ryan's phone rings making me glance at him as he pulls the device out to stare at for a moment. "Boss, what's up?"

There's a pause before Ryan hands up with a nod. "Looks like Clyde wants to talk to you, you're off the hook for work, he's waiting on you in the barn." I look at Ryan slightly surprised.

"Did he say what he wanted?" Ryan shrugged as he grabbed the bucket of cleaner and set that on the rack of the ATV with the mineral lick.

"No, he probably just wanted to over something with you." I nod and hold the gate open for him before locking it and making my way back to the barn. What would he want to go over with me? Maybe about dating Dakota? He mused silently before getting in the barn and looking around, pausing to glance around for him. Why would he wait a few months for that though? I walked into the other side of the barn, looking around to find him standing outside of a stall, one of the few horses stuck on stall rest. Injuries are taken very seriously here.

"Clyde? You wanted to talk?" I ask as I walk up to look into the young horses stall, seeing him eating his hay, taking his time to enjoy it. Clyde looks over and nods his head slowly before turning to look at the horse again.

"Yeah, it's about time we have a chat. Walk with me to my office." He spoke slowly, in that deep southern drawl of his, he turned walking from the stall with his impaired gait. Spurs jingle harshly with every step and I follow him, glancing around seeing Dakota standing in the rin covered in dust, the four with her looking just the same. What the hell were they getting into? I shake my head as we enter the house, going down to his office. Clyde shuts the door behind me with a heavy sigh before moving to his desk.

"What did you want to talk about?" He waved a hand to the chair in front of his desk before sitting down.

"This land has been in the family for generations. All that has been happening with developers and our newest person of interest. Things have been getting balanced a bit differently." I nod slowly in understanding.