After a dozen or so turns, he said, “This here is Miss Blue, she’s been a bit of a challenge, but we’re making progress.”
Ember watched in amazement as he stepped into the stirrup and leaned over the saddle a bit, patting the horse along its front and hind quarters.
“Is that just to let her know you’re there?”
“Yes ma’am. She’s getting used to being handled. Plus, it allows her to get accustomed to the weight.”
Miss Blue stood still, permitting Travis to swing a leg over her back and sit in the saddle. The sound of the leather fringe of his worn chaps caused her ears to perk, but he continued to rub along her shoulders. The constant contact appeared to calm the horse.
“Wow. That’s impressive,” she acknowledged in awe. “How do you do that?”
“Years of practice. You start by taking the time to understand the horse, make a connection, and recognize any bad habits. Then you work on your approach, building her confidence, until you can get a saddle on her. Every horse is different.”
“She seems to like being petted.” Her response came as somewhat of a question.
“I put my hands on her and talk to her, earning her trust while she gets comfortable with me.” Animosity lifted from his hard features as he flashed a grin. “Kind of like a woman.”
Ember couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Mr. Montgomery said you train all the horses on the ranch.”
“Horses are my passion. Primarily, the ranch raises horses for its own use, but we make some available for purchase at auction once a year.”
The discernment that had fluttered in her stomach the first time they met began to fade, eased by the even tone of his voice and appreciation of hard work and dedication.
“Some can be a challenge…like Storm. He’s the only horse I’ve ever been around that shows me a shovelful of disrespect every time I see him.”
“I guess I should feel lucky he likes me.” Ember stood beneath the far edges of shade provided by the tin roof of the arena, fanning herself with her hat. Sweat trickled down her back. “I’m looking for Mr. Montgomery. Do you know where he is?”
“One of the wells are down, so he took a couple of hands out to get it back up and pumping so they can get the sprinklers up and running.”
“Sprinklers?”
“Yeah, you know…to cool the cattle off.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t know.
Feelings of inadequacy gave a brutal tap to her conscience. Frustration notched a deep crease between her brows.
Taking inspection of the dumbfounded look splashed across her face, Travis cut her some slack, explaining, “We’re going on more than twenty days of ninety degree plus heat and it’s only going to get worse. High temperatures drain the cattle of energy and stresses them out. The added exertion it takes just for them to breathe and move causes them to start dropping weight.”
The growing list of every day obstacles weighed heavily on her shoulders. Things she didn’t know or understand, which was everything cattle related, irritated her beyond words. She wanted, no needed, to understand even the most basic things of owning the ranch but it would simply take time.
However, one thing was crystal clear even to her, skinny cattle meant thin wallets.
“That’s not good.”
“Not good is an understatement. We’re in the middle of a severe drought. The grass is short this year, but between the river and shinery, Walker Ranch should have enough water to survive.” Travis paused, seeming to struggle inwardly about how much he should say. “No matter how hard we try, if Mother Nature keeps kicking Texas in the teeth and the temperature keeps rising, we’re gonna lose cattle.”
“How many cows are we talkin’?”
“Fifty, possibly upward of a couple hundred if we don’t get some relief soon. If you’re averaging eight hundred dollars per head of cattle…that can add up quicker than a hot knife cuts through butter.”
Numbers calculated in her head as she did the math.
“You’re talking tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe even two hundred grand!”
“Yes, ma’am. Not to mention, Mr. Walker spent the last twenty years compiling the finest genetics of these animals and we don’t want to lose that.”
God, how did he expect me to run this ranch? It’s too much.
Being self-critical was a serious drain on her enthusiasm and not something she usually dwelled on. She could practically see her motivation spilling out the top of her boots and pooling onto the dry dirt beneath her feet.
Buck up! Change is a process. One day at a time.
“Would you mind telling me how to get out to the well site?” Ember nodded firmly, determination swamping her voice.
Leading Miss Blue to the edge of the arena, he said, “Let me put her away and I’ll drive with you.”
“That’s not necessary. I don’t want to take you away from your work.”
Stepping out from the arena, Travis glinted upward to the heavens, seeming to judge the time of day by the sun sitting high in the sky. “I’m just finishing up here and was about to head out there anyway to see if I can give them a hand. I’ll give you a lift.”
Ember followed him to the stables, visiting Storm while Travis unsaddled the horse. Storm greeted her a soft neigh. Something about his calm demeanor and round liquid eyes brought a much-needed dose of calmness to Ember’s growing anxiety. She dropped her forehead to his, petting and stroking the horse’s face and neck, talking to Storm in a sweet quiet tone.
Growing up, she’d only had one pet, a yellow lab named Sunny. When Ember was five, she found the pup lurking through the trash behind her mom’s studio. Her bright personality shined right through the layer of grime and dirt covering her cream-colored coat.
Every day, Sunny would sit in the front seat of her mom’s car, tail wagging and body wiggling, waiting for Ember to get out of school. June would drive to the studio and go to work while the duo ate lunch, played fetch, and curled up on the couch in the extra office for a long nap. When Ember got old enough to stay home alone, Sunny was at her side making her feel safe and secure. Every time a creepy solicitor or the UPS man dared to ring the doorbell, Sunny was right there to scare them away with her ferocious bark.
The idea of loving a horse as much as a dog seemed impossible. After all, Storm couldn’t curl up on Ember’s lap, or give slobbery kisses, or demand belly rubs. Yet in the short amount of time she’d spent with Storm, he displayed an unmeasurable amount of loyalty and companionship. The spirited horse harnessed elements of freedom and strength, making it easy for Ember to open her heart and love the animal.
Thirty minutes later, she scrambled into Travis’s beat-up work truck and they headed out to the far east side of the estate.
“How many horses are you working with right now?”
“Let’s see, there’s Sugar Pop, Butterfly Kisses, Her Majesty, Mary Jane, Mr. Mellow Yellow—”
Ember interjected, “Sounds more like a medical marijuana dispensary than horses.”
A haughty grin dimpled his tan cheeks. “You spend a lot of time in those California cannabis dispensaries, do ya?”
“No.” A lopsided smile curled at the edge of her lips. Ember didn’t smoke but was no stranger to pot. Her mom partook regularly, swearing it allowed her to become more in tune with the universe and held better medical properties than some prescription drugs. “How long have you worked on the ranch?”