Page 42 of Tango
He takes another drink. “It’s good.”
I beam at him, delighted that I was able to get him to try something new too. “The program should be done in the next half hour or so, but I would love to get outside for a bit if that’s okay.”
“Absolutely. I can show you a little more of the ranch if you’d like. Then we can swing over to my parents’ house for dinner.”
“That sounds awesome.” I take a drink of coffee. “Do you have mugs that travel well?”
“This is the main horse barn,” Tucker tells me as we step inside a large red metal barn. The horses that are inside immediately call out and stick their long faces over the gates. My heart somersaults with joy.
Literally my dream.
“Hey there,” I greet the first horse as I run my hand over her midnight-colored face.
“That’s Midnight, my sister-in-law Kennedy’s horse.”
“Fitting name for a pretty—girl?” I ask, glancing at Tucker for confirmation. He nods. “Very pretty girl,” I coo again then continue moving down the aisle. A dark brown horse sticks its face out as I pass, so I pause and run my hand over the white star on its forehead.
“That’s my horse, Jax.”
“Hi, Jax, it’s nice to meet you.” He snorts in response and bumps his nose into my arm. “I think he likes me.”
Tucker clears his throat. “Yeah, I think so too. Uh, so are you hungry? I can smell the brisket from here.”
“Same.” My stomach growls. “And yes, very hungry. I know we ate only a few hours ago, but it feels like it’s been forever.” I pet Jax again, then slowly turn and make my way back down the breezeway, noting the empty stalls. “Where are the rest of the horses?”
“Either being ridden or out to pasture. We have the utility vehicles we use daily for just getting to and from our houses, but unless it’s a big job, we utilize the horses for everything that doesn’t require a tractor.”
“How many horses do you guys have on the property?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“That’s a lot of horses.”
“We rescued most of them. Horses that were deemed a lost cause or were so badly abused they could barely be handled. A good portion of them came from slaughterhouses.”
“Slaughterhouses? That’s horrible!”
“It is. We try to save as many as we can. A lot of the ones we’ve saved are on other ranches or in rescues around the country.”
I stop in my tracks and stare at him. “Really?”
He nods. “My oldest brother, Bradyn, is great with them. He and Kennedy have kind of taken over that portion of the ranch.”
“Kennedy is his wife?” Tucker nods, and we begin walking again.
“Wow. Tucker Hunt. A hero of men and horses.”
“I do what I feel God calling me to do. He gets all the glory.”
“Amen to that. It’s really great what you guys have going on here,” I tell him as we step out into the fading sun.
“We love it.” He shoves his hands into his pockets as we cross the gravel driveway that separates his parents’ home from the main barn. He drove me all around the ranch, including some of the pastures where the cattle are kept.
I’ve seen gardens, chickens, the beehives—it’s all so amazing. And even as much as I love technology, I’d happily step away from it to be in a place like this. Then again, Tucker hasn’t had to give it up. Maybe there’s hope for both someday.
We’re just heading up onto the porch when a truck pulls into the drive. A tall, muscled man with dark hair and bright hazel eyes climbs out of the driver’s side. He moves around to open the door for a petite blonde, and I’m captivated by the beauty of both of them. The man is a Hunt brother, there’s no doubt about it. Even if I hadn’t done my research on the family, I would’ve recognized him as one.
They all share certain ruggedly handsome features and dark hair, though this man’s hair is a bit longer than the others. Based on what I dug up about the family, this is Bradyn Hunt, the eldest brother, and his wife, Kennedy.
