Page 5 of Freeing the Wild
“I needed a video for my social media.”I smile meekly.“Hope I got it before your horse lost his shit and bucked me off.”
“Social media?” Cowboy’s eyes tell me that he’s even more pissed at me now.“Could’ve picked any horse.A much calmer horse.Why him?”
“He fit my aesthetic?”I toss back, bracing myself for his anger.
He scoffs and lifts his hat to wipe his brow.“These horses aren’t toys.They’re living things.”
“I know—” I start.
“Fucking city girls wanting to play cowgirl …” he mutters to himself, interrupting me.“For fuck’s sake, Dusty.”
Excuse me?“I am not a city girl and this is my fault.Not his.”I point to Dusty.
“No, itismy fault,” Dusty says.“I’m so sorry, Haden.”
Haden.
The epitome of a rugged, southern alpha male is named Haden?That definitely wouldn’t have been my first guess.I expected something ultra-cowboy like Waylon, Tank or maybe Buck.
“I take full responsibility,” Dusty says.
Haden’s jaw relaxes as he turns from Dusty and crouches down to my level.His eyes lock with mine as he moves the ice pack up to my head.Just before he presses it to my skull, his eyes soften with unspoken concern, and I suck in a breath as my fingers brush against his when I take the ice.His skin on mine sends little sparks up my arm, and I do my best to ignore the foreign feeling of a man affectingme.Something about the way he looks at me feels heavy, as though he’s looking through my armor.As though he seesme.I can’t understand why this cowboy would even have an ounce of sympathy toward me after the problem I just caused him.Finding myself in the middle of every storm is not a choice, but I seem to gravitate to the thunder like a moth to a flame.
Haden nods to his left, muttering something about getting me water, and Dusty scampers off down the hall he just came from.He’s back within a few seconds, carrying a cold bottle.
“Think you’ve had your ‘cowgirl’ fill?It’s not a good idea to ride horses you have no business riding,” Haden reprimands me, his tone reminding me of Dad’s back in the day.“You’re lucky.I don’t think you have a concussion, but your head will be tender for a couple days.Hold the ice to it for a few minutes and get your legs working again.It’s protocol that I write this up.And I need to inform the boss.”
“There’s no need for that, I’m fine, really,” I tell him, but he isn’t convinced.
“I’ll be writing it up,” he says with a firm nod.“And I’m bound to advise you to see a doctor to rule out that concussion.”
I don’t argue with him, although I’m sure I’m fine.It’s obvious that there’s no waver in him when it comes to following the rules on Wade’s ranch.
“And you,” he says, turning to face Dusty, “follow me for a minute.”He takes the water bottle from Dusty, passing it to me and muttering “’scuse us” before nodding to a nearby hallway.
The barn is quiet, aside from the noises of the horses, so I can make out most of what Haden is saying even though he’s speaking in a low whisper around the corner.
“Christ, Dust.It just takes some short little shorts and a pretty smile to turn your common sense off entirely?Jesus, she could’ve really been hurt.She could’ve hurt Outlaw.You’re just as fucking lucky as she is.”
“I know.I fucked up, man.It won’t happen again.”
“You’re damn right it won’t.Visitors don’t ride.Hopefully she’ll let this go.I, for one, don’t want to explain to Sarge that some designer or their assistant, or whoever she is, is suing the ranch.”
I recognize the nickname, “Sarge.”Ivy told me Wade’s family calls him that.Short for “Sargeant.”I set the ice down as I continue to eavesdrop.
“She was …reallyconvincing.Plus, the boss sent her down here,” Dusty says, sounding defeated.
Ugh.I’m an asshole.
“Get out there with Outlaw, run his energy out, then turn him out for me,” Haden says to Dusty.“After that, you’re mucking out with Ben.And you can think all about that pretty face while you shovel shit all afternoon.”
They come back around the corner and I offer Dusty a sympathetic expression.
“I’m really sorry.I should’ve taken you at your word and chosen a different horse.”
“What’s done is done.I’m just glad you’re alright.”Dusty nods.“But maybe listen to us next time?We know our horses around here.”
“Okay.”I nod with a small smile as that pang of guilt hits me once again.
