Page 10 of Rusty

Chuck rubbed his scruff, deep in thought, as he mulled over Rusty's words.

"Alright," Chuck said slowly, his eyes darting between Rusty and Janice. "I'm not too happy about how you got here, little one, but I understand that you didn't have many options. Desperation makes us do terrible things. I'll admit, it's the complicated history between you two that made me initially say you couldn't stay. We don’t need any drama at this ranch. It’s a safe space for Littles and Daddy Doms alike."

Janice took a shaky breath, waiting for what would come next.

"However," Chuck continued, "I respect Rusty's opinion, and I can see that you're clearly in need of help. I'm willing to propose a temporary solution: you can stay at the ranch for a trial period. You'll need to contribute by helping with the ranch duties and adhering to our community rules."

"Thank you, Chuck." Janice's voice trembled with relief. “So . . . thereisroom for me at the ranch?”

“For now,” Chuck said without smiling. Then, he turned to Rusty. "For the duration of the trial period, you and Janice should stay away from one another, Rusty. I think it's best for both of you."

"Agreed," Rusty said wholeheartedly.

Janice felt a pang in her chest. She hated seeing how sure Rusty was that he didn’t want to be around her. Even so, she forced a smile and nodded. "Yes, that's probably for the best."

As they discussed the details of her temporary stay, Janice felt her dizziness return, her arm throbbing worse than ever.

"Let's get you settled in," Chuck said, standing up. "I'll show you to your temporary quarters and we can go over the rules."

Janice nodded, and the room spun even more. "Thank you, Chuck. I appreciate it." She rose from her seat, her heart heavy with mixed emotions. She glanced at Rusty one more time, knowing that this might be the last time they shared a room together.

"Goodbye," she whispered under her breath. She took a shaky step forward, the pain in her arm intensifying to an almost unbearable level.

"Janice!" Chuck shouted suddenly, his voice filled with alarm.

But it was too late. The world around her spun wildly out of control, and Janice felt herself sinking into darkness as her legs gave way beneath her. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was Rusty's anguished cry, echoing through the air like a mournful lament.

CHAPTER FIVE

Rusty

Rusty leaned back againstthe sun-bleached fence, the endless Montana sky stretching above him. He chuckled softly as he read aloud from one of Anita's saucy romances, his weathered voice a stark contrast to the flowery words. Anita was the resident romance novelist at Littlecreek Ranch. She'd started off shy as a prairie dog, but since getting together with Duke, her wild side had busted out like a bronco from the chute.

Now, Rusty wasn't one for romance novels, but he had this notion that reading aloud might help Snickers get used to the sound of his voice. At first, he'd tried reading a recipe book to her, figuring it was neutral ground. But when he got to a recipe for chicken-fried steak, he found himself wondering if it was appropriate. Trying to comfort a horse by reading about tenderizing beef seemed a mite . . . insensitive? So, he'd moseyed over to the ranch's small library and, with a sheepish grin, borrowed one of Anita's paperbacks.

"Don't you go telling the boys ’bout this," Rusty muttered to Snickers, who merely flicked an ear in response. He cleared his throat and continued reading, his gruff voice stumbling over words like 'throb' and 'quiver'. Who knew getting a horse to trust you could be so dang embarrassing?

The sun was warm on his face as he shared the passionate tale with Snickers.

"Just one look into those deep brown eyes," he continued, his voice soft and calming, "and her panties melted on the spot." Rusty whistled, wiping his brow. “Whew. This is some intense stuff, eh, Snickers?”

Snickers flicked her ears in Rusty's direction but kept her distance, still wary.

Rusty didn't take offense. Building trust took time, and their daily reading sessions were a slow step in the right direction.

As Rusty turned the page, his mind wandered from the romantic tale to the real-life drama unfolding at the ranch. His eyes shifted to the infirmary, not far from the main ranch house. Janice had been there for a few days now, under Trent's care. Trent normally cared for animals, but he knew a thing or two about treating humans too, and until the ranch found itself a doctor, Trent was doing an admirable job keepingallthe living creatures on the ranch in good health.

Rusty hadn't gone to visit Janice, of course, but he couldn't stop himself from being concerned. He'd asked Trent for regular updates, and discovered that Janice had been given antibiotics. Turns out she'd received a deep gouge in her arm from the ranch's barbed wire fence when she broke in. The wound needed six stitches and was being treated for infection, not to mention the plenty of TLC Janice needed after the strain of her journey to get to the ranch.

It broke Rusty’s heart that Janice had endured so much pain. He couldn’t help but feel responsible. If he hadn’t left all thoseyears ago, her father wouldn’t have been able to treat her like that.

But then again, if Rusty hadn’t left, perhaps her father would have treated her way worse. . . .

"Alright, Snickers," Rusty said, getting back to his book, "let's see what happens next in this whirlwind romance, shall we?"

Snickers gazed at him, as though willing him to continue.

“Oh looky here,” he told the horse. “Next up we have a chapter from Cade’s perspective now. Wonder what he’s got to say for himself, that dreadful rogue.”

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