Page 71 of Say the Words
“See, wedidhave room,” I said to Pop. “But you still never got me that horse.”
“Guess you’ll just have to get your own.”
His eyes twinkled at me in a silent dare. I’d expected teasing from Jed and Wade, but not from him. I couldn’t bear to look at Ty after an opening like that. Jed would wind up with a hernia from all his stifled laughter.
“Marnie’s had salt poured in her wounds,” Marilyn went on. “Her Daisies Girl Scout troop was supposed to earn their Horse Fun badge last weekend, but the whole event was canceled. I guess they had a bad bout of food poisoning over at Sunshine Ranch, and half the employees fell sick. They’re booked out the rest of the summer, and had to refund the girls’ entrance fees, fifty dollars each. Marnie’s whole troop is just devastated.”
A glimmer of a thought formed in my mind. I turned to Ty, who met my gaze with a wary expression.
“We could host it,” I said to him. “We could help Marnie’s Girl Scout troop earn their Horse Fun badges.”
TWENTY-THREE
ty
I hopedmy hearing had broken right along with my ribs. “What’s thiswe?”
“We could.” June buzzed like a current of electricity ran through her. “It’s just a couple of hours teaching them the basics of horses, saddles, mucking, you know.”
I did know. I’d had the whole thing described to me in detail when a neighbor down the lane asked me to consider hostingherGirl Scout troop last year. I’d politely but firmly declined. Plenty of other ranches around Magnolia Ridge dedicated their summers to that sort of thing, and I hadn’t felt a lick of guilt about turning my neighbor down. Getting ambushed over dinner was a whole different story.
“Don’t forget a ride at the end,” Marilyn said.
“That’s right.” Delight practically streamed from June’s eyeballs. “That’s the best part.”
I hated to crush that delight, but I had no intention of getting roped into this scheme. “It’s not a good idea.”
“Why not? Miss Kitty or Bonanza would make great models for the girls to practice brushing and riding. They’d love it.”
I wasn’t sure if she meant the girls or the horses. She was probably right either way, but that wasn’t remotely the point. “June, no.”
“You’re not doing anything else out there right now. What’s the big deal?”
Like I needed the reminder I was completely useless. My gaze hardened on her, but I kept my cool, well aware of our audience’s rapt attention on this asinine conversation. “The big deal is, I’m not running a riding ranch, June. I’m not equipped to handle ten little girls out there.”
“Fifteen,” Marilyn said.
“Fifteen,” I repeated as though that should settle just how wrong this idea was. I could just imagine the barn overrun with girls in pigtails touching every sharp thing they could find and getting themselves into all sorts of inventive calamities. Not going to happen.
“It’s only a two-hour visit for the Daisies, they’re so young,” Marilyn said. “But they’d be thrilled at the chance to see your horses up close.”
“I’m sorry, Marilyn, but it’s just not—”
“We’ll do it,” June said. “Have your daughter call me, and we’ll work out a time.”
Marilyn’s mouth dropped open into an ‘o’ of delight, but when she looked at me, it closed again. “Oh—why don’t I let you two discuss it a bit more before we make any decisions?”
June finally turned to me, and I must have looked as furious as I felt. Her smile fell, the buzz radiating from her extinguished. I set my napkin next to my plate, every sound in the room amplified by the awkward silence that had eaten up the table. The other men avoided my eye, unable to look at me after that public castration.
“Can I have a word? Outside?”
She gave a curt nod and flashed a weak smile. I followed her through the kitchen and out onto the back porch. Clint said, “Shall we clear away the table?” as I closed the door behind us.
We stood a moment on the porch, fireflies buzzing in the deepening twilight. I stared down at her, burning with the frustration I had just managed to keep in check while she walked all over me at the dinner table. “Are you out of your mind?”
She lifted her chin higher. “I think it’s a good idea.”
“You don’t much care that I think it’s a bad one. It’s my ranch, June. You don’t get a say.”
