Walker: Secrets

Chapter 2

It was early the next morning when Colton rode into the ranch yard on his bicycle, Maddie looking up from tending the horse as he came to a stop. ‘Good morning.’

‘Morning.’ He replied, leaning his bike up against the fence before climbing through. ‘How’s he going?’

‘He’s doing alright, I haven’t checked his leg yet, I only just got here but he’s drunk a good amount of water and eaten most of his feed.’ She gave the gelding a scratch on the cheek then motioned for him to pass her the halter and leadrope hanging on the gate. ‘Stella will be here shortly, I can give you both a hand for a little bit but then I need to get on with my chores.’

‘That’s fine.’ He handed her the halter and lead, the gelding accepting being haltered easily. ‘Did you find out where he came from?’

Maddie shook her head. ‘Bonham rang up all the neighboring ranches, no one’s missing a horse fitting his description.’

‘So what then?’

‘I guess we keep trying.’ She started forward, leading the gelding back into the stall and tied him up while they waited for Stella to join them. ‘I put together some posters,’ She pulled her phone from her pocket and got up the poster she had created then handed it to him. ‘if we put them around, maybe someone might know something and contact us.’

‘Hopefully…’ He didn’t sound convinced as he handed her back her phone. ‘What about his brand search? Did you find anything?’

‘His last registered owner was from nineteen ninety-four and the address was Arizona so most likely way out dated. His name is RockabilityRoundWagon and he won quite a bit back in the day when he was racing.’

‘And if we don’t find his owner?’

She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to find him a home or surrender him.’ 

‘Morning Colton.’ Stella said as she walked up to the stables. ‘How’s he going Maddie?’

‘He’s alright.’ She replied, rubbing his neck. ‘You know, he’s going to need a name. We can’t just keep calling him ‘he’.’

‘Yeah, you’re right.’ She gave the gelding a pat. ‘Any ideas?’

Maddie shook her head. ‘What about you Colton?’

He thought for a moment. ‘How about Rocky?’

The gelding whined and the three of them laughed. ‘I guess it gets his approval.’ Stella remarked with a grin. ‘Rocky it is then.’ 

‘Well then, Rocky,’ Colton turned back to the gelding. ‘how about letting us check that leg of yours?’

‘Here-’ Maddie handed him the leadrope. ‘I’ll do his leg if you can hold him. Stells, can you pass me the scissors please?’ Stella handed her the scissors and carefully she cut through the bandages. Once the bandages and dressings had been removed from his leg, she took a careful look at his wound. ‘Looks like the swelling is starting to go down.’ She remarked, pressing the skin softly between the cuts. ‘It’s actually not looking too bad. I think in a week or two he should be healed up.’

‘That’s good news.’ Colton rubbed the gelding’s forehead. 

‘Did you get to talk to your dad about keeping him? If we can’t find his owner?’ Stella questioned as Maddie started to re-dress Rocky’s leg. ‘How’d that go?’

‘Ah, he said, I work in real estate, not zoology. Then some kind of grumble grumble, sorry. So then I asked my grandma, and she said no, too. What about you?’