One felony conviction. That’s all anyone saw on his employment applications, even though he’d done his time, was a hard worker and hadn’t been in any trouble in the four years since he’d gotten out. No one wanted to know the circumstances of his crime or that he was truly sorry for his mistake.
He’d give anything to right the wrongs of his past, but he couldn’t, so all he wanted to do now was find a way to build a future for himself, even if it wasn’t the future he’d planned.
Not that he could share that with Nicole. His employment woes weren’t something he shared with anyone, least of all the reasons for them.
“I was on my way to just south of Salida, where my uncle lives. Thought I’d stop by to see how you were doing. I heard you and your sisters inherited a ranch from a long-lost relative or something like that.”
Though he’d once been told Nicole’s eyes were hazel, they looked almost green with the anger flashing in them. She brushed her dark hair out of her face—it was falling out of its ponytail, and, judging from the sweat dampening the edges of her hairline, she’d been at this for a while. Though it was only May, the sun was hot, and the work hard.
“That’s right,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to get out of the city, have a few animals, live the good life.”
The tension in her voice told him her current life was anything but good. And, in the few terse conversations they’d had over the past year or so, he’d been wondering how she was really doing. Nicole hadn’t been the same since his sister, Adriana, and Nicole’s fiancé, Brandon, had run off together, leaving Nicole at the altar and dying in a car accident in the process. Nicole might say everything was fine, but she was clearly struggling.
Even in this momentary interaction, despite her anger, he knew he’d been right to stop by. Only someone with a death wish would work such a green horse in this manner. Her absolute stupidity in how she was handling the horse made him think something deeper was going on, because Nicole wasn’t stupid.
“I was worried about you,” Fernando said. “And, it seems, rightly so. That horse is dangerous, and you’ll get both of you hurt, if not killed.”
She stared at him like he was as crazy as he thought she was. “I saw this on a horse training video. It’s exactly what the trainer did.”
Similar, but not exact. He knew the training she spoke of. Had watched the same video series. “You’re holding the rope wrong. Angle the horse outside your space, rather than letting her push you around. Turn your body the other way.”
She did as he asked, and immediately the horse started to respond. Not perfectly, because the mare had already been taught bad habits, but at least Nicole was in the right position to correct her.
The horse invaded Nicole’s space and tried nipping at her, but Nicole stepped away in time.
“No,” Fernando said. “She just completely disrespected you. You never want the horse to think she’s in control. It’s also a bad sign that her response to you is to bite. You’ve got to break that habit.”
He entered the arena and took the rope. “Here. Let me show you.”
Nicole gave him control of the horse, frustration in her eyes. He went through the same exercise Nicole had been trying, establishing rapport with the horse, but not by letting the mare walk all over him.
She was a spirited one, and someone like Nicole, who had never been around horses as far as he knew, was ill suited to take care of this horse, let alone train her.
“Why are you here?” The look of loathing she gave him almost made him want to turn and run.
But he’d seen the expression before. He deserved it. After all, he’d known about Adriana’s involvement with Brandon. He’d warned Adriana against dating her best friend’s fiancé and told her she was playing with fire. Adriana had told him to mind his own business, and that she knew what she was doing.
He’d seen Nicole nearly a dozen times since finding out about Adriana and Brandon, and yet, every time he opened his mouth to try to tell her what was going on behind her back, he found the words didn’t come. He’d spent too many years fearing punishment for opening his mouth about other people’s business.
Sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night, asking himself why he hadn’t done more. He’d already shamed his family so much, first by going to prison, and now this. If he had only said something, maybe Adriana and Brandon would at least still be alive.
He couldn’t change the past, but maybe he could do something about the future. The job his uncle wanted him on wasn’t going to start for another month. But Fernando’s apartment lease was up, so he’d figured he’d head to his uncle’s early and get the lay of the land.
But he could use that time to do some good instead.
“Let me work with your horse,” he said, ignoring her question. “I can do it. You’ve already seen the results.”
Her sister Leah approached. “I agree. Shane thinks you’ve taken on too much with this horse. With the extra cattle we have this year, he doesn’t have the kind of time he needs to put into training her.”
Nicole gave an exasperated sound. “Ever since you and Shane got together, it’s always Shane this, Shane that. I thought we all agreed we didn’t need some man to rescue us. And I certainly don’t need this one.”
Her words sounded full of pain, and it made him feel worse, knowing that because of Brandon, and because of Fernando’s role in the situation, she directed her anger at all men.
But this wasn’t about him, or men, but about a horse who needed his help. “I was wrong in not telling you about Adriana and Brandon sooner, but surely you can put our personal differences aside and allow me to help you with this horse.”
Nicole glared at him. “It’s not just about that. I mean, it is. It seems like everybody thought they knew what was best for me but never once asked my opinion. Just like now. I’ve told you that I don’t want you in my life. But here you are, insisting on helping me. Can’t anyone respect the decisions I make for myself?”
He hadn’t thought of it that way. But how could he explain his genuine concern? That even though she pretended she was fine, and told everyone she was, he could see the pain in her eyes, hear it in her voice.
“I’m truly sorry for disrespecting your wishes. But you saw how the horse responded to me. I appreciate your passion for animals and that you want to work with them, so let me teach you what I know. You’ve got a great foundation by watching the videos and reading the books, but nothing can replace the real-life experience of handling a horse with someone who’s been trained to do so and learning from that expertise.”
She hesitated, then took a step forward. “Do you really think you can help me? How can I be sure you know what you’re doing? The horse’s response could have just been coincidence.”
Her voice faltered as she spoke, and he knew she wasn’t so much telling him as herself. She wanted his help, but she also wasn’t ready to admit it.
“At least give me the opportunity to try. I can talk with this Shane person and let him evaluate me.” He looked over at Leah. “From what you say, he knows about horses.”
Leah smiled at him. “Yes. Shane Jackson is my fiancé and owns the ranch next door. We rely on him for his ranching expertise. He was good friends with Helen, our ex-stepmother, who left my sisters and me the ranch when she died.”
Nicole groaned, and Leah turned to glare at her. “What’s your problem? Shane was just saying that unless you got Snookie’s tantrums under control and she stopped biting, you’ll have to get rid of her. It’s not safe to have her here with the boys. He’s the horse expert, so I fully trust his judgment where Snookie is concerned.”
Fernando remembered Leah’s