Page 12 of My Cowboy Salvation
“I am. But back when I was in the Rangers holed up in some hot-ass barrack trying to find ways not to think about how hot it was outside, my buddy would talk about it. The mountains, the pines, the small town sense of family… and I guess he kind of sprouted a seed in me. After I returned stateside, I came up here a few times, did some fishing in the area, became friends with McCullough, and fell in love with the place. By the time the police chief position opened up, I was already sold on moving here. Just had to sell everyone else on my competence. That’s where McCullough helped out.”
“That makes sense. And your friend was right. It is beautiful here. Peaceful.” He nods his agreement, not looking up from the road. “Do you think you’ll always live here? Or will you move back to LA?”
“This is it for me. I can’t imagine any place being a better fit.”
“I don’t blame you. I mean, forget the view outside your place. Your house is incredible.”
He throws a smile my way, and my heart instantly bumps up against my rib cage. “Thanks. I bought it from a guy who built it as a vacation home six years ago, but he ran into some financial trouble and had to sell. Fortunately for me, there was a guy in our unit who has a head for investing. Gave us all some sound advice that, over the years, has proved to be lucrative. Made buying a home like that a reality.”
We pull off the road and drive under a sign that tells us we’ve reached the McCullough ranch. The place is massive as I stare at the different buildings, wondering what, save for the big red barn, they all do. A couple of turns later, we’re pulling up in front of a large stable that bears a sign:Hope's Equine Center.
“Is it normal to have both a barn and stable on a ranch?” I ask as we climb out.
“I believe the stables were added more recently to keep the working area of the ranch separate from Hope’s Center.”
“And to keep my dad from interfering with how I run the place,” a female voice adds.
I turn around and see a young woman close to my age with wide, friendly blue eyes, smiling at us as she makes her way over.
“I didn’t expect to see you, Chief,” she says, pulling off a pair of work gloves and tucking them under her arm.
“Thought I’d drive Dylan over and make proper introductions between you two. Dylan, this is Hope McCullough.”
“Nice to meet you,” we both say at the same time as we extend our hands, then laugh at the timing.
“So, how do you two know each other?” Hope asks curiously.
“Dylan is an old friend of the family,” Logan says vaguely. “Is your dad around? Thought I might say hello.”
“He’s up at the house, probably driving my mom crazy from being so underfoot these days.”
Logan turns to me. “I can swing around and get you when you’re done. You have my cell, right?”
“Why don’t I drop her off when we’re done? I wanted to run into town for some things anyway,” Hope says. “If that’s okay with you, Dylan.”
“Oh, if it’s not too much trouble…”
“It’s settled then.” She grins.
Logan studies my face, as if looking for any signs that I’m uncomfortable with the new arrangement. Seeming satisfied, he says goodbye and returns to the truck. I might have watched his departure a little longer than I should have—something I blame on his butt and that confident swagger of his.
Fortunately, Hope doesn’t say anything and leads me to the stable. The place feels huge and bright as we step inside. White painted panels travel up to the tall ceiling, giving the place a clean, modern feel. The six stalls, three on each side of the space, are spacious and just as clean. There’s a room just off to the right where I can see shelves and hooks filled with saddles, blankets, and all sorts of tools I can’t even guess their purpose.
“This is it,” she says, stopping and looking around. “We only have four horses we work with for now, and one of them is out back with my assistant, Jenna.” She glances down at my shoes, then back to my face. “Carol mentioned you’ve never worked with horses before.”
“I’ve always wanted to,” I say quickly, feeling conspicuous now in my once-white Sketchers that are now gray. “They’re so beautiful and graceful.”
She smiles. “They really are. And intelligent. You’ll get to know our four quite well. Do you happen to own a pair of boots?” she asks, returning her attention to my feet.
I shake my head.
“No worries. I should be able to find some you can have. For today, why don’t I just show you around the place, then walk you through what I would need you to do?” She checks her watch. “We have about an hour until my first client arrives, which is plenty of time to get you started. I’ll only need you for about three to four hours in the mornings, Monday through Saturday. Will that work for you?”
I was working sometimes upward of nine to ten hours at the diner, so this sounds ideal, and I nod quickly before she continues, going over my hourly rate and how she can pay me every Saturday.
Hope is so easygoing and engaging that it’s impossible not to like her, even if I feel a bit of sadness. Before I met Simon, I might not have been as gregarious as Hope, but I was far more open and trusting of other people, and once I connect with someone, I’m more apt to open up, like I did with Parker.
That all changed when Simon came into my life. Simon needed to know every detail about me and what I was doing every day, checking in when he couldn’t find me, something I initially thought was touching and kind of sweet. Especially since there was no one else in my life to do that. My parents died in a car accident when I was nine, leaving me to my grandma’s care, a woman who grieved my parents’ deaths as much as I did, and who did her best to offer me the same love and attention as them, keeping up on my cello lessons even though I know it placed a burden on her. It was what my parents wanted, and she wanted me to have as much consistency in my life as possible. When she died a couple of years ago, I became very aware of how alone I was in the world. No one else was looking out for me.
