Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Thank you.”
Brady leads me to one of the middle stalls, and a huge black head greets us over the door.
“Hi there, buddy.” Brady nuzzles the horse’s face and grins, offering him an apple that I didn’t realize he had with him. “This is my guy, Blackjack.”
“He’s gorgeous.” Tentatively, I reach out to pet Blackjack’s nose, and he leans into my touch, making me smile. “Hi, beautiful boy.”
“He likes you,” Brady says with a nod. “And he doesn’t like just anyone. He’s picky. Obviously, he has good taste.”
“Clearly.” I push up on my toes so I can kiss the horse, falling in love with him. “You’re a sweetheart.”
“Here, feed him an apple, and he’ll pledge his undying love for you.”
“Oh, it’s okay—” I shake my head, moving back, but Brady takes my hand in his and kisses my palm before setting the apple in it.
“I’ll help you,” he says gently. “It’s easy. Hold your fingers out, and he’ll take it right out of your hand.”
“And my fingers with it.”
“Not if you hold them out like this.” He shows me how to do it, and I follow suit, and Blackjack takes the apple from my hand, brushing it with his soft lips.
“Oh, his mouth is so soft.”
Brady grins down at me, as if he’s proud of me. “See? Easy. Want to see some of the others?”
“Will Blackjack get jealous?”
“Maybe, but he’ll be okay.”
He leads me down the line, introducing me to at least ten horses, and we give them carrots or apples, along with lots of pets and kisses.
“I think I might need a horse,” I say, surprising both of us. “Not that I have anywhere to put one. Daisy would love this.”
“She’s been out here with Holly and Johnny,” I hear Lucky add behind me. “She’s good with them. Never been up on one, but she likes to talk to ‘em.”
I don’t know why that makes me emotional, but I have to swallow the lump that’s suddenly in my throat.
“Sounds like my girl,” I say with a grin. “She loves animals. Now that she’s seen your parents’ chickens, she’ll be asking for that next. She’s convinced she needs a cow.”
“A cow?” Brady asks. “Why a cow?”
“Have you seen the miniature Highland cows? They’re so fuzzy and adorable, and she can’t get enough of them. I told her we don’t have a place to put a cow, even if it is a miniature.”
“Hmm,” he says, and I narrow my eyes on him.
“You will not buy my daughter a cow, Brady Wild.”
“Well, you might not have a place to put it, but I do.”
I shake my head and prop my hands on my hips as Lucky cackles like a maniac and leaves the barn.
“Absolutely not.”
“Yeah, okay. When’s her birthday again? June?”
“I’m not telling.”
That only makes Brady grin as if to say challenge accepted, and I change the subject.
“Speaking of cows, where are yours?”
“I’ll drive you past them,” he assures me as he leads me back to Blackjack’s stall, where he takes a minute to make sure his horse has everything he needs before we head out again.
Once back in the car, he heads off-road, into a pasture.
“Our herd is over there,” he says, pointing, and I see a bunch of black cows, all huddled together in the middle of the pasture. “They’re keeping warm. They keep the youngest in the middle, and then they take turns with who’s on the outside.”
“Smart.”
“Cows are very smart,” he agrees. “And generally gentle.”
“What other animals do you have out here?”
“Domestic animals? Chickens, and Rem’s making noise about getting some goats for the kids in the spring. We had pigs when we were young, but they’re not easy, so we stopped.”
“And nondomesticated animals?”
“Well, we have your typical deer, elk, moose.” He steers us toward a spot that just takes my breath away with the view of the mountains. I love it out here on this ranch. “Bear, both black bears and grizzlies.”
“Wait.” I tear my gaze from the mountains and stare at him. “You have grizzly bears?”
“Sure, but they’re all asleep right now. Or, should be. Grizzlies never truly hibernate. They’ll come out and about a little in the winter, but it’s not often.”
“Grizzly bears. In Montana.”
He frowns over at me. “You’ve been here for a couple of years. Surely, someone has told you about the bears by now. Why do you think people carry bear spray when they hike?”
“In case of black bears.”
That makes him laugh. “Black bears don’t want to hurt you. Hell, grizzlies don’t either; they’re just more temperamental. Anyway, if it was a nicer day, we’d be sitting on the ground to take in this view. It’s our favorite on the ranch.”
“I can see why.” The mountains are just incredible. I can’t see all the way to the top because of the cloud cover, but they loom before us, so big and magical, and it makes me wonder how I managed to live all of my life without the mountains.