Page 73 of We Redeemed the Rain

“I’m used to it now.” I shrugged.

“Does sugar make your anxiety worse, too?”

“No, I’m just not much of a sweet tooth.”

Speaking of meds, I needed to take them before I headed out for the day. But I didn’t want to with Bea right there watching.

She opened her bag of grapes and popped two in her mouth.

I said, “Head to the porch and I’ll be there in a sec. Really beautiful this time in the mornin’.”

“Okay.”

Once she’d closed the door behind her, I took my meds then joined her.

True to her word, Bea followed me. Due to my workload, I ran at top speeds, but she was a relentless shadow. She seemed to understand I didn’t have time to talk, so although she asked a few questions here and there, she mostly watched as I went through the morning feeding routine on autopilot. We started at the pastures, dumping alfalfa into feeding troughs and mixing up a few morning meds and pellets for the ones with specific needs. Every time I stopped the truck, Bea climbed out too, grabbed a square of alfalfa from the bed and said, “Who gets this one?”

It hurt my pride to see her working, but she was set and determined. Short of jerking the hay out of her hands and tying her into the passenger’s seat, there wasn’t much I could do but point her to the right trough.

When the truck’s headlights washed the last pasture in light, Bea laughed. The four horses in that one were already waiting, heads over the fence. “Look at them! They are so happy!”

So far, Bea hadn’t tried to touch the other horses, which was a good thing. A lot of them, my broncs especially, were comfortable around people but a little moody. And with a new person first thing in the morning, you never know.

Bea hung back from the fence, clutching the alfalfa, a little intimidated by their eagerness and excited nickering.

I waved her closer, a smile inching onto my face. “These are worthless teddy bears. I promise they won’t hurt you.”

“Worthless?”

“Big time.”

“Why?”

I tossed two squares into the feed bowl. “I bought these two”—I pointed to a painted gelding and a speckled mare—“together off a feedlot to try and train them. But neither one of ‘em are athletes. Too slow and lazy. They do decent trail riding, but that’s about it. Mainly just eat and cost me money and time.”

“Why not sell them then?”

“‘Cause they’re some of the sweetest horses I’ve ever met. Mypets, I guess. And the other two belong to Jesse and Cade.” I beckoned her. “Come here.”

The morning light had pushed away the darkness. A warm glow settled over the ranch, and Bea’s smile, full and radiant, greeted the morning. She beamed as she stepped forward.

I took the hay from her and chucked it into a bowl. Only one had stopped to eat. The rest waited, impatiently bumping into each other, hooves stamping the ground.

Praline was reaching with his snout, trying to span the distance between himself and Bea.

“Lift your hand and let him smell you a bit.”

She did. Praline touched his nose to Bea’s palm and her hand slowly slid up his face and between his ears. He lowered his head over the fence, giving her access to his mane. She rubbed down his neck with a soft, breathyawww.“Tag, he issocute.” Her voice was tender and raised about an octave. Just edging on baby-talk. “Oh my gracious you are just a big cutie, aren’t you?”

I smiled. I couldn’t help it.

“I’m inlove.” She cooed at him then turned to me. “What’s his name?”

It hadn’t occurred to me she might ask for their names. It made sense, but we’d just fed forty horses, and this was the first time she’d asked. At first, I tried to make one up off the cuff. But, nothing came. After a few seconds, I admitted, “Uh, it’s Praline.”

Please don’t ask for hers.

“Praline.” Her baby-talk intensified. “Oh my gosh, I am in love with you, Praline. You are the sweetest boy in the whole wide world.”

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