Page 63 of Love Me Fierce

In one swift motion, Everett rocks up and into his saddle. If he looked good hauling saddles and sweet-talking the horses, he looks like a dream on horseback.

“We’re gonna take this road,” he says with a nod. “Just give Buck a gentle squeeze with your legs.”

Everett clicks his tongue to get Smoky moving, and I fall in next to him on the double track. The smooth leather saddle creaks in time with Buck’s pace. It’s not exactly comfortable, but the view through Buck’s ears of the expansive prairie dotted with Nelson’s herd and the distant Bitterroots makes up for it.

“How’s it been with Logan out of school?” I ask.

“I’m pleased to report that he hated detention this morning.” Heshakes his head. “We’ve got a mountain of homework to do this weekend.”

“They don’t give him a break?”

“Ha. Nope. And I wouldn’t expect them to.”

A soft breeze whisks through the tall grass lining the fence and teases a few strands from my braid. I tuck them behind my ear. “He was just defending that poor girl.”

“It’s not that I don’t sympathize.” His face tenses in a grimace, and he shakes his head like he’s trying to clear a memory. “I don’t want him to go down the path Linden did. Not just because of the trouble it caused him, but it’s dangerous. Violence can escalate like that.” He snaps his fingers for emphasis.

We follow a long curve in the double track that hugs a gently sloping ridge, the squeak of the saddles and the soft hoofbeats of the horses filling the silence.

“Has Logan been in fights before?” I ask.

Everett shakes his head. “And he knows how his uncle struggled, and how hard it was for me to watch.”

“Kids his age can be impulsive. How is he feeling about it?”

“Like it was a mistake.” He squints at me from under the brim of his hat. “But whether or not he chooses differently next time is the big question.”

Will I be dealing with this type of challenge when Mateo gets to be Logan’s age? I’d like to think my sweet, bright kiddo wouldn’t act out, but there’s no predicting how kids change as they grow.

A breeze scented with sage and earth tickles my cheek. I savor the sun on my shoulders and Buck’s steady gait. I’ve never been much of an outdoorsperson, but it’s easy to see how a place like this could soothe a person’s soul.

“How come you didn’t grow up to be a cowboy?” I ask.

He laughs. It’s rich and hearty and full, and makes me smile.

“I like being outside and I don’t mind the work,” he says. “But it’s a tough way to make a living.”

“Being a cop is pretty tough.”

“It can be. But it’s the kind of tough I’m good at.”

I shoot him a curious look. “Let me guess. You were the peacekeeper growing up?”

He gazes out at the prairie. “Something like that.”

“Did you always know you wanted to be in law enforcement?” Kent told me it was the only job he ever wanted. It’s hard to think of what it’s cost him. Or maybe he doesn’t see it that way.

“I wanted to be a US Marshal.”

My respect for him jumps another notch. “That’s not exactly an easy job either.”

“And not one I could do as a single parent.”

“Right.” US Marshals are stationed in big cities. “I get the feeling your folks aren’t upset that you’ve stuck around.”

He nods. “And honestly, I don’t know that I could have stayed away. Even if Logan hadn’t come along. My family means everything to me. And it’s an honor serving my community.”

“I get that.”

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