Page 8 of The Earl's Wrangler
“That was something,” he said, and Randall gave him a serious look.
“A snake startled him.It’s been squashed, and we need to calm him so he doesn’t bolt.”He kept his voice low and calm.“That’s a good boy.”He patted the horse’s neck and then handed the reins to Sawyer before returning to his own horse and calming him as well.“Are you all right?Did you get hurt?”Sawyer shook his head.“Staying on him was impressive.”
“I knew if I fell off that I was likely to get stomped,” Sawyer told him, and Randall agreed.
“Let’s give them a few minutes to calm down,” Randall offered before moving his horse away from the snake carcass.It wasn’t moving, but he didn’t need the horse to try to bolt.He was still breathing hard.Sawyer followed with his horse, and the walk did them all good.“Then we can get the cattle.”
Sawyer nodded, and they continued forward, approaching the cattle.Randall remounted, breathing deeply to calm himself, and Sawyer did the same, taking a wide look around the small group before calling out to get them moving.It took a little maneuvering, but they eventually got the head moving in the right direction.
Chapter 4
“I HEARDwhat you did,” Chip said to Randall as they all arrived back in the yard.The sun was setting, and Sawyer was exhausted.He had been ill at ease since his horse tried to bolt, and he was damned lucky Randall had been there and knew what to do.Otherwise, it was likely he would have been dumped, stomped, and stranded in the middle of nowhere.
“It was nothing,” Randall said, which rankled Sawyer.As though potentially saving his life meant nothing.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Chip said.“Remember that town is over ten miles away, and you were well over a mile from anyone else.If Sawyer had been hurt, it would have taken a long time to get help.People can die out here.”He was so serious, and Randall nodded slowly.
“Then I’m just glad I could help,” Randall said softly.“I’ve spent a lot of time around horses.”
“I didn’t know that,” George said.“I thought your family had given up much of their livestock.”
“My father did.He sold most of our breeding stock when I was a teenager.He said it was too expensive for not enough reward.Then he turned the stables into the gift shop and tea house for the tourists.I have two horses on the estate now, and that’s it.”
Alan shrugged.“That’s really sad.Why would he do that?Even I know that you used to breed top-notch racers.”
Randall blinked and his cheeks reddened, but he remained still, glancing around.
“We need to get the horses unsaddled and watered,” Sawyer said and led the horses away.Judging by the fact that the usually talkative Randall was suddenly really quiet, he needed a way to get away from the gossip.“They did good.”
“Yes, they did.”Randall followed him, and once the horses were in their stalls, Randall worked to unsaddle his mount, speaking quietly to the horse.
Sawyer shook his head at his big brown-eyed beast.“You really had me scared there for a while,” he told the horse, unfastening the girth and pulling off the saddle and blanket.“But you did good work nonetheless.”He patted his neck before combing him out and checking his hooves.Then he made sure he had plenty of water and hay as well as some oats before leaving the stall.He met Randall as he headed to the tack room to put everything away.
“Did your father really sell the horses?”Sawyer asked.Randall nodded.“Was it because you wanted to be a jockey?”
Randall nodded once more.“He had definite plans for me, and he made sure they came to pass.He also made quite a bit of money off the deal, and what he did is still helping to pay for the upkeep of the estate.”He made it sound logical, but Sawyer figured there was a lot more to it.It was none of his business.A man was entitled to his own thoughts and his own counsel.He didn’t need others butting in.
Sawyer finished putting everything away, his stomach growling.Then he made sure that all the horses were bedded down for the night before leaving the barn.“It’s time for dinner.”He closed up and went in to eat, grateful it wasn’t his turn to cook.
SAWYER LAYin his room in the bunkhouse, on his side, trying to sleep.He knew he shouldn’t let this uppity earl get to him, but he kept thinking about what a pain in the ass the man was and yet how he hadn’t thought twice before saving Sawyer’s butt out there.He turned over again, trying not to visualize those eyes or the hurt in them when he’d told Sawyer about his father.
Sawyer knew firsthand what it was like to live with a father who wanted to control everything, including his wife and son.He pulled the blankets up to his neck, trying to stop the shiver that went through him.He is not here, and I’m free of him.Sawyer told himself that over and over in order to calm the jitters that took over whenever he thought of the old asshole.It had taken a long time before he didn’t think about what he had done to him, how his father had made his life miserable.He took deep breaths and clamped his eyes closed, bringing up better memories, like the ones he’d made working here, where he was valued.
He tried to sleep, but the clock next to the bed showed almost midnight.He got up and quietly left the room, intending to get a drink of water.A single light shone in the small living area.He peered down to find Harley sitting in a chair reading.He was one of the hands that had been on the ranch for years.“Did I wake you?”Harley asked, setting his book aside.“Sometimes I can’t sleep, so I get up and read.”
“No.You were fine.I can’t sleep either.”He got his drink of water and intended to go back to bed.“Too many things to think about.”
“You can’t let what happened today bother you.It’s happened to all of us.Horses are creatures, and they have minds of their own.They’re both strong and delicate, and they get startled.It had nothing to do with you.”Leave it to Harley to have a sensible view of things.
“It’s not that, but thank you.”He sat down and put his feet up.“My mind keeps churning around and around, and I can’t get it to stop.”He sighed and wished he could settle down.He had to be up at six and had a full day ahead.He should be exhausted after the day he’d had, but he was still wide-awake.
“You could try reading or something.I sometimes watch television, but that would probably keep the guys up,” he said softly before handing Sawyer a book.
“Moby Dick?”he asked.
“Yeah.It’s long and drawn out.There’s a good story, but I bet after less than an hour, it will put you to sleep.”He smiled, and Sawyer opened the book and began to read.Sure enough, after about twenty pages, he was struggling to stay awake.He set the book aside, returning to his room.This time when he closed his eyes, he managed to keep his mind from whirring and finally fell asleep.
AFTER DRESSINGand coffee, Sawyer went to the barn and turned out the horses.He had slept late without meaning to, but was grateful that Randall hadn’t come out yet.Though he wasn’t actually sure he was going to.It was always possible that Alan had assigned him somewhere else.
