Page 4 of No Bones About It

Garrett grabbed his duffels from the truck and headed into the house. The farmhouse had a large kitchen and a couple of living areas. A huge mudroom with laundry right there at the back door. Bathroom right beside it. Those would be great.

He hadn’t even looked at the house when he’d purchased the property. He’d studied the barn and the land carefully, but the house was a happy surprise. It was old and well-worn, but nothing screamed horror movie or imminent collapse.

Upstairs, he found a hallway bathroom and two average-sized bedrooms. The largest bedroom had its own bathroom. The fixtures were a hideous shade of blue, but they were functional. Hot water soothed his aches and returned his optimism.

Back outside, he grabbed a few of the remaining apples from the cooler in his truck and headed to the paddock. With his pocketknife, he sliced up the first apple and shared it with Kitty.

“I’m going to check out the barn. It’s made for horses, not tractors. You coming? It’s probably musty, but we’ll get that fixed up soon.”

Kitty stayed on the far side of the paddock and eyed him warily. “It’s okay, Kitty. It’s not like the horrors you’ve been through. Your life is allgood now. You’ll see.” The anger rolled through him again. Some people should never be allowed near animals.

Like many horse barns, this one had large central doors. Garrett unlocked them and shoved them wide open to let in light and fresh air. A peek over his shoulder showed Kitty turned away. It would be a long time before she was easy inside.

With a sigh, he walked into the barn. A large wash station sat immediately to his left, with a stall to the right. He followed the wide aisle into the shadows and straight to the doors at the other end. After shoving those open, more light and air filled the space.

Five stalls along one side. Three stalls along the other and a combined tack and utility room beside the wash station. Exactly as advertised.

He walked through the stalls first. Dusty, but they’d been left clean and empty. The utility room had been cleaned as well. Whoever had used the barn and house before had been a good person. The land and the buildings had been used well and loved.

A cat strolled in from the front doors like she owned the place, making Garrett smile again. “Hey there. Have you been living here all along? Or are you visiting?”

The barn was in good shape, but cats could always find a way in. Maybe he wouldn’t need to buy a few cats if this one was already here. Cats kept the barns free of rodents and were good companions for the horses.

“Feel free to roam, my friend.”

The sound of a terrified horse had Garrett racing outside. Kitty stood where he’d left her, head up and ears pointing him in the right direction. She wasn’t the scared one. He knew his buddies lived to the north, but Kitty told him the other horse was south.

He raced to the fence and hopped over it, wondering if he should have taken the time to grab his gun. Trees blocked his view, but he moved through them to see the neighboring property had a similar setup to his own. Multiple paddocks, barn, house.

The closest paddock held some sheep and a couple of cows. The horse was in a small paddock beyond that, and she was rearing up onher hind legs, terrified of whatever was at her feet. Beyond her, a donkey brayed in annoyance.

Garrett had been prepared to confront an abuser, but he didn’t see any humans. He slowed his breathing and movements, not wanting to spook the horse further. When he spoke, he kept his voice low and soothing.

The mare pranced on her feet, favoring her front left hoof. The chestnut was built for speed. Many racehorses were male, but he’d known plenty of mares who could keep up with the top males. This beauty had racing in her genes.

And skittishness. Had she been abused like Kitty, or was this a fresh injury? Either way, he didn’t want her making it worse.

“Hey, pretty girl, it’s okay. We’re going to find what’s scared you and stop it.”

A goat bleated loudly from behind him. Garrett kept his eyes on the mare, but when a trio of goats rammed right into him, he had to grab the nearest fence to keep his feet. The goats ignored him and raced through the fence slats. The largest one moved right up to the mare, bleating its little heart out.

Instead of freaking out further, the horse’s eyes stopped rolling, and her feet slowed their panicky dance. “Looks like you’ve got a support goat.”

Garrett kept closing the distance and slipped between the fence rails himself, checking the ground for what had startled the horse. The paddock was clean and well-kept. Food and water in the troughs. No outward appearance of mistreatment.

“Get the hell out of my paddock and away from my horse.” The feminine voice was accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a rifle being loaded.

Maybe Garrett should have warned his buddies he was coming afterall.

Kimi steadied herself on the fence as she aimed her rifle. She would never actually use it on a living being, but it was a hell of a deterrent. A woman living on her own couldn’t be too careful, as she well knew.

The man, wearing a Stetson and jeans that fit his long-legged frame very nicely, stopped his movement and held his hands out to the side. Nice ass didn’t always mean smart brain, but in this case, it did. She didn’t have to threaten him twice.

Stetson turned slowly to face her, and the front view matched the rear. Nice. Very nice. Instead of the belligerent scowl she was expecting, he aimed his whiskey gaze her way with an edge of a smile.

She kept her gaze as steady as her rifle and her senses aware. He might not be alone. “You thinking of hurting my horse?”

Now, he scowled. “No. I’m making sure she isn’t hurt. Her squeal should have had you running to see as well.”

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