Page 19 of Colt

He faced her. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Call me Chelsea, please. Could I speak to you a minute?”

“Uh, sure,” he said nervously.

“Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. I just want to ask you something.”

Brian sighed. “Okay.”

“How skilled of a rider are you?”

“I’m very good. Why?”

She explained about the riding stable and asked him if he’d be interested in running the stable. He looked shocked.

“I’m not sure. I mean, Colt is my boss—”

“I’m your boss, Brian. Colt has no say in who I move around.”

“I get that, but in here, he’s the boss.”

Chelsea shook her head. “Brian, I own this place. If I want to ask you to do something, I will.”

“What if I turn it down? Will I be fired?”

“No, of course, not. I wanted to give you the opportunity.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Thank you. I’ll let you know.”

“Whenever you make a decision is fine. I want you to really give it some thought.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She nodded, strolled through the barn, loving the sound of the horses in their stalls. They were usually in the pastures, but on the weekends, they were in the stalls because that was when most people came by.

As she stepped out into the sunshine, she smiled when she saw her brother’s truck pull to a stop and Eli stepped out. He waved then walked to meet her. She hugged him.

“Hey, you. What brings you by?”

“Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, sure. Are you alone?”

“Yes, Lorna and Lily are at her dad’s place.”

“Come inside.” Chelsea led him to the door.

Eli wiped his feet on the mat, removed his hat, and followed her inside.

“Do you want something to drink?” she asked as she toed off her boots.

“No, I’m fine.”

“What’s up?”

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