As she rode along beside Wade, Kristi couldn't help but feel a tiny bit smug at the way things had turned out. Though he had not been happy about it, Wade had agreed to let her have Shotgun. Though he had told Ollie to hold off payment temporarily incase she came limping back to town in search of an actual mount. This had surprised the old stable keeper, who had been sure Wade would refuse, and he promised to give the horse away for half price should she still want it in a week. For now, Shotgun was a loan.
Wade had then mounted his sensible horse, Beau, and had ridden away from the livery, scarcely glancing to see if Kristi followed.
Kristi grinned at Ollie in triumph before waving goodbye to him as she urged Shotgun forward.
Wade had ridden in silence, a scowl firmly on his face. Though he probably thought himself fierce and brooding, he reminded Kristi of a sulky child. She had to hold back a chuckle at seeing the serious cowboy acting in such a manner.
Riding through unfamiliar territory, towards the start of her new job, Kristi felt excitement for the first time in weeks. She was nervous at the thought of being in such a foreign situation as this was, miles away from home and people she knew, but also relieved to be distanced from the painful memories. Everything was fresh here. She looked forward to the adventure of it all.
Kristi spared a look beside her at Wade. His moping was putting a damper on her good mood. She decided to do something about it. The terrain was mostly flat, with a few trees to the left of them, growing near a stream. Kristi leaned forward slightly over Shotgun's neck. He seemed to sense what she wanted from him, for when she touched her heels to his sides, he leapt forward with a startling force. Kristi let out a small cry of excitement as suddenly they were racing, the wind whipping past them. She heard Wade shout after her and was aware, of the pounding hooves behind her, but she didn't loo back.
Ahead of them, the creek curved and Kristi reined Shotgun towards it, still at full speed. She did not know if he could jump, but she would find out.
He slowed slightly, but took the jump smoothly, easily, as if the stream had not ben there at all. Kristi was elated. She enjoyed as she always had, the moment of weightlessness that occurred mid jump. Shotgun cleared the stream by several feet, landing safely on the opposite bank. One thing was certain, he could jump.
Kristi let him go a few more paces before reining him in. Wade was on the edge of the creek now, waiting for her. Kristi nudged Shotgun forward and he took the jump just as easily the second time. She circled him around and ended up beside Wade. He did not look happy.
"What in tarnation do you think you're doing?" he fumed.
Kristi leaned forward and patted Shotgun's neck, a smile on her face despite Wade's anger. "I was seeing what he could do."
"And if he had bolted? What then?"
"Then, Mr. Collins," she replied mischievously, "We'd both be far away from your glowering stare."
Wade took a deep breath, exhaling slowly from his nostrils. "Do you know how many men that animal has thrown?"
She opened her mouth but he cut her off. "All of them, all of the riders who've tried, he's thrown them all."
She attempted to speak but agin he did not let her. "I am sure you ride very well, and now I've seen it, but it is my job to get you to the Double B safely."
HE he lifted one hand in an exasperated gesture, "Please, will you just let me do that without worrying about you provoking that devil beast too?"
Kristi frown. "Very well, Mr. Collins."
She nudged Shotgun to a trot, heading once again in the right direction.
Wade caught up to her and they rode in silence again.
Kristi felt relaxed in the saddle. She didn't fool herself in assuming Shotgun would not possibly bolt, he did have a reputation for much worse than that after all, but she did give him a gentle hand and the benefit of the doubt.
Wade cleared his throat. "Where did you learn to ride?"
Kristi pondered the question for a moment. It was not a topic she liked to dwell on because of its ending, but if Wade was trying to put their flare up behind them, she would turn down the effort for more silence.
"My uncle owned a ranch," she answered, "He bred and trained horses, and my family spent the summers there. I could scarcely walk before Uncle Myles had me on a horse. Mama almost had an apoplexy. She was against the whole thing, she wanted her daughter's feet safely on the ground where they belonged. That didn't last long with both Uncle Myles and Daddy working on her."
She smiled at the memory. Wade watched her interestedly, so she went on. "Daddy always could sweet talk Mama into anything. At five years old I rode alone in the saddle, and at twelve, Uncle Myles gave me my own horse. I spent the next four summers on horseback, and they were the last I spent at the ranch. Uncle Myles died of a head injury from a fall off his horse and the ranch was taken as collateral against his debts. By the time we got word, everything had been sold, including the animals. There wasn't much we could have done anyhow."
Wade was silent as she finished, his expression solemn. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
Kristi gave him a reassuring smile. "You needn't apologize, Mr. Collins, it was a sad time, yes, but it was also full of memories of before, and I've made my peace with it all. It does not pain me as it used too."
There was an understandable lull in the conversation after that. Wade was reluctant to approach another subject after the turn the last had taken. Kristi saved him the trouble. "How much longer tip the ranch?"
Wade squinted ahead of him , pointing to the road. "See where it cuts away from the stream? We follow that for about a mile and then turn left at the fork. That road leads right to the gate. The creek however, leads to the trees behind the main house iffen you're ever lost."
Kristi felt nervousness bubble up inside her chest. They were almost there. Soon she would meet her new employer and begin trying to fit herself into a new style of life. The task was daunting indeed.
Soon the dusty road they followed passed underneath a tall wooden arch. burned into the cross beam was the simple design of two mirrored capital letter B's together like a butterfly.
She could see the house from here, too. It was small, by city standards, and made of weathered, rough cut timber, with a wrap around porch. Despite its size, the closer they rode, the more imposing the two storeys seemed. Two more buildings appeared in her peripheral vision, and Wade pointed them out, steering away from the house, a cabin and a barn. Smoke poured from the leant against the cabin but Wade seemed unconcerned by it.
There was a fenced paddock off one side of the barn and a circular corral in the middle of the dusty yard. Inside the corral was a slender man facing off with a young horse, a mustang by the look of it.
Wade reined in and dismounted. Kristi followed. She watched the corral intently. The man inside tilted his head from one side to the other, the horse watching his every move. He took a slow step to the side, and then one forward. He continued that way until he stood within mere feet from the animal, and then he turned around. He stood completely still, and after a moment, the horse snuffled once, and then again, seeming offended that the man's attention was not on her. Another moment passed and the horse took a tentative step forward. And then another. With the third step, she reached the cowboy and snuffled at his hair before nudging his shoulder.
The cowboy let the horse continue to root around, remaining still as it did. Finally, the mustang nudged harder, knocking the man forward. He turned around and lifted his hand slowly. The horse allowed one brief touch to her nose before whipping her head around and bolting across the corral.
the cowboy laughed a strangely delicate laugh and turned around, his eyes shining. He took off his hat, and Kristi was surprised to discover the cowboy who sauntered up to the fence, was a woman.
Wade had kept them back from the corral so as not to disrupt the session, but now brought Kristi forward. "Miss Garrett, this is Miss Madeline Forsythe, Double B's own horse trainer."
Miss Forsythe smacked the dust off her hands onto her pant leg and extend it through the rails. "Maddy," she said, grinning.
Kristi was taken aback, but the dusty, short haired woman's smile elicited one of her own. "Kristi," she said, shaking the extended hand.
Maddy's eyes sparkled. "Pleasure."
"Where's everyone?" Wade asked.
Maddy smacked the dust off her hat as well before replacing it atop her head. "Cody found some cougar tracks in the west pasture, so the boss is up checking the herd and the guys are moving them to the south for a while. I'm expecting them back directly now."
Wade nodded. He turned to Kristi. "We can get you settled and shown around while they're gone."
Maddy nodded too. "I spruced up the room next to mine for ya."
"holler when they get back, will ya?" Wade said to Maddy and started towards the barn. He showed Kristi where to stable Shotgun and unstrapped her carpet bags from Beau's saddle.
When the horses were settled, he led them down to the main house.
"the hands bunk in the cabin, but you'll bunk in the big house with Maddy and the boss."
Kristi stopped in alarm. "Pardon, Mr. Collins, with them? And whom else?"
Wade stopped. "No one," he responded, confused.
"And they are both unmarried?"
"Correct."
Kristi crossed her arms. "That is quite inappropriate."
Wade smiled. "It is?"
Kristi frowned. "Of course it is."
"Even with Maddy being the boss's daughter?" he asked, his eyebrow cocked.
"Oh," was all Kristi could think to say.
"Well," he said, continuing to the house, "Adopted daughter. But that seemed to satisfy all of the squawking hens in Dawson Springs."
Kristi's brow furrowed as they walked. "How do you mean?"
Wade reached back and helped her up the porch steps, pausing at the door.
"Well," he said, "Maddy came to teethe ranch when she was fourteen, passed herself off as a by and worked for almost a month before anyone found out. She was all alone in the world and had proven herself with the horses. The boss raged about the deception for a spell, but he couldn't send her packing. Now naturally, when the good ladies of Dawson Springs got wind of it, they started crowing about sin and hellfire and fornication."
Wade's face was one of disgust as her opened the door. "Imagine them cornering her like that in town. Saying all that. To a kid, a fourteen year old kid."
The inside of the house when they got through the door, was cooler than outside and darkened by shades on every window. They paused their journey until their eyes adjusted.
"So," Wade continued, "The next dispatch judge that came around, the boss finished the tongue wagging. Had the preacher's wide introduce her as his daughter in church and school, even. She's been working here ever since, and the ranch even goes to her when the boss ors to the great hereafter, to boot."
He led her up the stairs and down the hallway, stopping a couple doors down. "I understand your concern, " he said, looking down at her, "But you've no need of it here. No one on the ranch would ever put you in such a circumstance."
Kristi felt uncommonly safe under his eyes. She believed him. If all of Mr. Black's other employees were of his caliber, she would have no worries at all.
Wade opened the door and set her bags inside. This was to be her room for the exert of her contract. He moved outside the room. "You'll have a meeting with the boss when he's back. Technically you've got the job, but he wants to sign off on you first ."
Kristi's mouth went dry. "He what?"
Wade smiled reassuringly. "you've got nothing to worry about."
As if to contradict him, a sharp noise came from outside. Wade's head jerked up, looking instinctively.
"What was that?" Kristi asked.
"Gunshot." Wade said, already heading for the stairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N
Hey everyone! Long time no See! I do so apologize for my absence on this story, but I will try and keep it plodding forward, especially with the finishing of A Scotsman's Promise! I hope I still have some of you with me!
Much love!
Courts.